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Old 03-17-2021, 12:49 AM   #1
DennisB
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Default emergency charging

we have been dry camping for a couple of days and due to poor battery management on my part, we woke at 6am and everything had shut down-lights, fridge and heater-it was a very cold morning (by my wimpy standards)-the batteries were really depleted. the park rules forbid running a generator before 9am. in desperation, I hooked up the power cord between my tow vehicle and the trailer and started the tow vehicle. I was immediately able to use all the system in the trailer and after about an hour, the batteries had enough energy in them that I was able to disconnect from the tow vehicle.

my question is, is this bad to do?

thanks, dennis
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Old 03-17-2021, 08:27 AM   #2
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Using your tow vehicle to charge the battery is not bad, but draining your battery to dead is. The batteries don’t work as well once drained below minimums.
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Old 03-17-2021, 09:33 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisB View Post
we have been dry camping for a couple of days and due to poor battery management on my part, we woke at 6am and everything had shut down-lights, fridge and heater...
Dennis -

Assuming you have a common lead-acid battery, Group 24 or Group 27, as most of us do (it is what the dealers install when they sell a TM) ...

If you start the night with a fully charged battery, and don't use any lights, the furnace fan may keep running until early morning, depending on indoor and outdoor temps. But the battery will be flat by early morning, and as KidKraz says, that is not a good thing. For heat at night, the solution is either a bigger battery (twice as big), or a catalytic heater running on propane. Because of the carbon monoxide danger, choose your cat heater very carefully. You'll find lots of input on this forum. Use the Search tool on the term "catalytic". There is also lots of info online.

Don't even think about running the refrig on battery. It sucks a lot of power. Run it on propane.

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Old 03-17-2021, 09:41 PM   #4
DennisB
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Default Emergency charging

Thanks for the replies-I had trail manor install two batteries when I ordered it and I have spent two nights dry camping without the generator. (Without problem) This was weird-just one night and dead as a door nail. I know it is bad to run batteries down-I checked the battery capacity gauge in the trailer a few times that night and I was running the fridge on gas, but it is possible I accidentally bumped it over to DC while adjusting the temp level in the fridge——we will see..
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Old 03-11-2023, 05:02 AM   #5
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Get a portable solar panel. They are not that expensive.
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Old 03-12-2023, 12:59 PM   #6
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If you have the option, you need to be running your fridge (if it is an OEM fridge) on LP, not on the battery. That will wipe out a battery in just a few short hours. Combine that with the LP furnace...and your system is dead before breakfast!
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Old 03-12-2023, 09:09 PM   #7
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Also make sure the break-away brake pin is fully seated. If the brakes are on full apply it will kill your batteries dead in a matter of hours.
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Old 03-14-2023, 07:29 PM   #8
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Be sure to check the water level in the batteries. If the level is low, fill them to about 1/2' from the top with "Distilled Water" ONLY!. Tap water will kill your battery in short order. The minerals in the tap water mess up the battery acid chemistry and you no longer have a battery. You have a plastic box with lead and steel in it and a mixture of liquid that does not have the PH level to be a battery.
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