Hey guys I'm new to the camper word. Only ever used a tent, but now that I have kids I decided on a camper for now. Anyway, our camper is designed to have two batteries, but runs fine off just 1. My question is: we are getting ready to buy another battery and I thought what if I just bought a solar panel and used it and didn't buy another battery? Good, bad, or buy both? I figured for now just the solar panel will work.
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Camper battery question
- Thread starter MT_mulies
- Start date
Bowhunter1
Member
- Aug 16, 2017
- 369
I would get the second battery. Then when you do get a solar panel get one with the most output you can get. Those small camper battery maintainer chargers you throw up on the dash of an RV do not put much power out.
First, what kind of dual battery setup was your camper designed for? 2 12v's or 2 6v's wired in series?
I know a lot of guys are using smaller golf cart batteries wired in series to get 12v. These are supposedly "true" deep cycle batteries. On my slide in I've just got a cheap 12v "deep cycle" i got from batteries plus and it's been working fine for now. I use very little electricity in the camper though.
I know a lot of guys are using smaller golf cart batteries wired in series to get 12v. These are supposedly "true" deep cycle batteries. On my slide in I've just got a cheap 12v "deep cycle" i got from batteries plus and it's been working fine for now. I use very little electricity in the camper though.
Another vote for a second battery, but to echo what Elk Noob kind of said, what are you using the camper for?
When I go I leave my fridge on (drains batt), water heater on, (drains batt), and use all the lights when I get up/go to sleep. I do this because I have two Yamaha generators that I turn on each evening to run electricity and charge my batt.
If I did not have my generator and wanted to stay out for an extended time I'd have ice in my coolers, fridge off, not be using the hot water heater, and getting ready under head lights. That way I'd be conserving the battery as much as possible.
When I go I leave my fridge on (drains batt), water heater on, (drains batt), and use all the lights when I get up/go to sleep. I do this because I have two Yamaha generators that I turn on each evening to run electricity and charge my batt.
If I did not have my generator and wanted to stay out for an extended time I'd have ice in my coolers, fridge off, not be using the hot water heater, and getting ready under head lights. That way I'd be conserving the battery as much as possible.
2 batteries is where you want to be. Solar panels are great silent chargers but a small gen is better because you can control it... charge batteries when they are low anytime night or day. I run my gen at night as long as I don?t have tents around. When the batteries are low I just let the gen run till it?s out of gas.
DTP... can I ask why you are running your fridge and water heater off the battery instead of propane? I run off propane and don?t have any issues.
DTP... can I ask why you are running your fridge and water heater off the battery instead of propane? I run off propane and don?t have any issues.
Wade76 said:2 batteries is where you want to be. Solar panels are great silent chargers but a small gen is better because you can control it... charge batteries when they are low anytime night or day. I run my gen at night as long as I don?t have tents around. When the batteries are low I just let the gen run till it?s out of gas.
DTP... can I ask why you are running your fridge and water heater off the battery instead of propane? I run off propane and don?t have any issues.
I should have clarified a little more.
Mine runs off propane as well, but it draws from the battery every time the fridge runs a cooling cycle or when it reheats the water.
Overtime those two can bring a battery down. I used to just run a single battery and it wouldn?t last that long with just those two things being left on. Maybe just a couple of days.
