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Old 06-23-2017, 08:29 AM   #1
Cheryl
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Battery life?

We upgraded to 2 batteries in the trailer but have always had power so far. In a few weeks we will be in Jasper for 6 nights with no power. Approximately how long will they last? Do we just run the truck plugged in when they're low?

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Old 06-23-2017, 09:09 AM   #2
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Battery life?

How long will batteries last? That's a question that has a ton of variables hooked to it.

Are your lights LED or incandescent? Will the furnace be used? How long will lights be on?

You can charge the batteries using the truck, but if they are low enough it may take 4-6 hours for them to fully recharge. ANY type of solar would help, but you'll probably still need to use a gen or the TV until you can afford to install solar panel(s) on the roof.

Make sure the trailer leads are hooked to separate batteries.
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Old 06-23-2017, 09:18 AM   #3
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As stated Yes you can charge the coach batteries from your truck as you do when you are towing. It will not be a fast recharge again as stated so then the question is how long are you willing to run your truck. If you you continue to do a lot of this type camping may want to consider other charging alternatives
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Old 06-23-2017, 10:21 AM   #4
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One other suggestion, if you have not already, check your batteries. Make sure the water levels are up. Even though you haven't been using them they have still been getting a charge from the on board converter. This "maintenance" charging can cause some boil off where the batteries will need to be filled.
If your batteries are fully charged you should get by for a couple of days depending on your usage.
I would suggest looking at getting/renting/borrowing a small 750w or so generator. We usually need only a couple of hours a day on the generator to top off the batteries when we are dry camping.
For around $300 you can get a 100w portable solar kit that will also keep your batteries charged, no quiet hour restrictions and very easy to use. We are looking seriously at this option even though we have the generator already.
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Old 06-23-2017, 11:52 AM   #5
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We just finished a week of dry camping. I installed 2 6v batteries, and bought a Renogy 100w Solar Suitcase. The solar unit kept the batteries charged, and we had no issues. We had the radio playing outside whenever we were around, and ran the LED awning lights at night.
I took my volt meter with me to monitor the batteries. They would typically drop to 12.5v, which about 70% charge. We were gone all day, with no time to charge the batteries, but by the next morning we were still at 12.2%, which was just about the 50% discharge state wanted to stay above.
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