Adding a battery~~

CaptnJohn · 07-10-2016, 10:51 AM

Battery drained and may have a short. Took a while to get the landing gear up as I did not have my socket set to do it manually. That will be addressed.

Planning on adding a 2nd battery. Anyone see a problem wiring like in my boat with a Perko switch ~~ battery 1, battery 2, both, and off? Or is that the way it is always done?

One battery was never a problem until thinking of manually retracting rear levelers.

**JRTJH** · 07-10-2016, 11:18 AM

You'll get as many opinions to your question as you'll get answers, and they all have some valid considerations and reasons why that way is "best" or why "never do that" is the most reasonable solution..... Anyway, here's my take:

If you use an A/B/BOTH battery switch, when you're connected to battery A, battery B won't be charging, and when you switch to battery B, you take battery A out of the circuit and it's "dormant" until you switch back to A or to BOTH. In other words, with the A/B/BOTH system, you typically can't charge the depleted battery while using the other one to power the "house circuits"....

The A/B/BOTH works well for boats to isolate the "house battery bank" from the "engine battery bank" and serves a good purpose in that environment. Trailers don't have (except for those with generators) a need for an "engine bank", so keeping both batteries connected to the "house bank" allows for "double the amperage" and "always available to charging", something you can't do with most A/B/BOTH switches.

I have my dual 6 volt system connected to an OFF/ON switch and I had my dual 12 volt system connected to the same type switch for many years. I never felt the need to isolate one of the batteries in normal use and, in the event of a battery failure (something that seldom happens) all I'd have needed to do is electrically remove the two wires from the bad battery. So, I would think the A/B/BOTH switch system is "overkill" for a "single bank system" typically found in the RV environment.

bsmith0404 · 07-10-2016, 11:19 AM

Most people just connect the batteries parallel. You can use the switch, but I don't really see any benefit to it. I do recommend a battery disconnect though.

Lic0rice · 07-10-2016, 05:05 PM

Agree with JRTHJ, the purpose of 1/2/BOTH is to isolate the START & HOUSE batteries and not needed in a trailer. But good idea to have a marine ON/OFF switch.

CaptnJohn · 07-10-2016, 05:31 PM

Went to bring the 5er home for a bath and battery is dead. OK ~~ charge,, WRONG. 14 hours and only 50% so battery mostly dead. Went to connect the negative after positive and get spark with everything off. Must be a short somewhere. The dealer will b e called tomorrow am.

Always have had a boat with 2 - 6 batteries. Will do as you guys suggest. Will have 2 in parallel with just the on/off switch. If a short toasted 1 battery it could toast 2 maybe? Anyway ~~ that is the road to be traveled since it will be at the dealer anyway.

With 2 that way if 1 does fail how is it noticed? Both will work together?

Festus2 · 07-10-2016, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

Always have had a boat with 2 - 6 batteries. Will do as you guys suggest. Will have 2 in parallel with just the on/off switch.

Two 6 volt batteries should be hooked up in series - not parallel - to produce 12 volts. You won't get far hooking them up in parallel. Two 12 volts should be wired in parallel - which I think you plan on doing but not clear from your post.

CaptnJohn · 07-10-2016, 06:41 PM

Yes, two 12s.... the one I believe is toast will be under warranty so I'll just buy 1 and the on/off switch ~~~ hopefully.

**sourdough** · 07-12-2016, 11:46 AM

You may not have a "short" in your RV. There are various items always "on" in the RV and when you attach the battery cable you get a spark......unless you have a true disconnect and it's turned off.

CaptnJohn · 07-12-2016, 05:20 PM

There is constant minimal draw. Not enough to totally kill an almost new battery in 2 weeks. It has set unused for 4 - 5 weeks recently without a problem until now. All well when shut down. Service mgr says it sounds like the controller to him. Since the battery would not charge more than 50% after 14 hours on the charger he agrees it is toast.

Thought it would be needed to crank her off the hitch manually. The 'porter' had it off so quickly I asked how. He said he connected it to his battery. On the way home thinking about that ~~ it would not lift from my truck batteries (diesel has 2). Wondering what needs done to do the same from the truck...

CW gave me the choice of using the service/store only facility on RT 501 and have it done in a week or at the rt 544 facility where it will take probably 2- 2 1/2 weeks. I chose the latter as nothing is planned and I know everyone there. That puts me ahead of most but those in the shop and deliveries. The reason for the time difference is 544 is also the sales facility and they are prepping up to 15 daily for delivery.

Stim Racing Trailer · 07-23-2016, 01:09 PM

This is what happened to me years ago, then my brother last year.
After parking, the emergency breakaway tether bets pulled out partway. Not enough to see it right away, or to fall out. Next day, or the next time you hookup, not enough battery to lock the brakes, but when pulling in to park. Dead battery. Worth a check?

CaptnJohn · 07-23-2016, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stim Racing Trailer

This is what happened to me years ago, then my brother last year.
After parking, the emergency breakaway tether bets pulled out partway. Not enough to see it right away, or to fall out. Next day, or the next time you hookup, not enough battery to lock the brakes, but when pulling in to park. Dead battery. Worth a check?

Everything is worth checking! The 5er is at the dealer now. They began today and believe it may simply be 1 bad cell in the battery.
Breakaway is long and was released as always unless someone gave it a tug in storage. Hope to have a final determination on Monday.

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