Hey NC4stroker, not to hijack your thread about battery capacity.....since battery capacity is important when boondocking. But if I can add something to your heater running constantly issue..... I had this same problem and found that during the cold nights my heater ran ALL THE TIME. Ran the battery down so low that I needed the truck to jump start the generator the next morning. Some guys said that I needed to change my HVAC thermostat as the RV cheapo units cant regulate the temp differences as well as the more expensive units, some guys talked about LED lights helping, others talked about making sure the HVAC vents are hooked up properly and not leaking or heating unnecessary compartments, and some talked about alternative heaters. After making sure everything else was in check I eventually did research alternative heaters and found that heaters like the Olympian Wave heaters not only use FAR less propane (which is expensive) but they also use NO electricity. Needless to say, I have one on order and plan on installing it before my next cold weather camping trip. I hear they work fantastic and can either be self standing in the RV or mounted recessed in a wall. Might be what you need too. Anything that doesn't use electricity extends battery reserve. Check them out. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&ved=0CI4BELcCMAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUl5a-0e36iU&ei=wpV2Ury2D-qniAKf1YGAAw&usg=AFQjCNEy03yvI620bLiPglxGbxlh9EZQ3g&sig2=V6kMRor8Do_kxmBih8g :thumbsup:
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May's Cummins of the Month is now open for VOTING!
RV battery conversion with pics.
5
As you may know on our last primitive camping trip, our new 12v deep cycle battery died during the night as the heat was running a lot.
After talking to other campers, and my local battery expert, it was decided going with 2 golf cart 6v batteries in series (therefore equaling 12v) would be way better than any single, or double 12v setup.
I learned you can get the 6v batteries in AGM (maintenance free), or "regular" style with which you need to check the water in the cells at least twice per year in an RV situation.
I opted to go with the "regular" style 6v, as they were a little stronger in reserve capacity. My batteries are Crown brand.
****Note, when working with batteries, take the NEG cables off first when taking the battery out, and put the NEG cable on last when installing to be extra safe by avoiding sparking.*********
First, I took out the 12v battery, of course noting the polarity of the posts and noting what "accessory" cables went where.
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Then, I cleaned out the battery box/tray of any particulate matter, and installed 2 layers of 3/16 neoprene to give some shock absorption and to prevent battery slippage.
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Though I had enough horizontal length in the battery tray to put both 6v batteries in side by side, there was some wiring on one side of the tray taking up some space, and the opening to the battery tray is a little on the narrow side, so I ended up placing the batteries as shown.
***After battery placement the first connection made was the single connection running from POS on one battery to NEG on the other, thus placing the 6v batteries in series, thus ending up with a 12v setup.
Note the single connection in the photo. (Disregard the smaller black wire on the post above the illustrated wire, as I was already trial fitting the pos terminal wires when I took this photo!) **Again in the beginning, pay attention to the wires on both posts of your original battery, as "black" wires can be on the POS terminal, and "white" wires can be on the NEG terminal. Just take a pic and you'll be good to go!
![]()
Now just put your connections back on just like they were on your original battery.
![]()
****Note, you are connecting the POS cables first on ONE 6V battery (the left one in my case), and then ending by connecting the NEG cables on the OTHER 6v battery (the right one in my case)
Then you are done, and you'll have the best battery reserve to get you through the times when you don't have any shore power!!!
Hope this helps!!
After talking to other campers, and my local battery expert, it was decided going with 2 golf cart 6v batteries in series (therefore equaling 12v) would be way better than any single, or double 12v setup.
I learned you can get the 6v batteries in AGM (maintenance free), or "regular" style with which you need to check the water in the cells at least twice per year in an RV situation.
I opted to go with the "regular" style 6v, as they were a little stronger in reserve capacity. My batteries are Crown brand.
****Note, when working with batteries, take the NEG cables off first when taking the battery out, and put the NEG cable on last when installing to be extra safe by avoiding sparking.*********
First, I took out the 12v battery, of course noting the polarity of the posts and noting what "accessory" cables went where.
Then, I cleaned out the battery box/tray of any particulate matter, and installed 2 layers of 3/16 neoprene to give some shock absorption and to prevent battery slippage.
Though I had enough horizontal length in the battery tray to put both 6v batteries in side by side, there was some wiring on one side of the tray taking up some space, and the opening to the battery tray is a little on the narrow side, so I ended up placing the batteries as shown.
***After battery placement the first connection made was the single connection running from POS on one battery to NEG on the other, thus placing the 6v batteries in series, thus ending up with a 12v setup.
Note the single connection in the photo. (Disregard the smaller black wire on the post above the illustrated wire, as I was already trial fitting the pos terminal wires when I took this photo!) **Again in the beginning, pay attention to the wires on both posts of your original battery, as "black" wires can be on the POS terminal, and "white" wires can be on the NEG terminal. Just take a pic and you'll be good to go!
Now just put your connections back on just like they were on your original battery.
****Note, you are connecting the POS cables first on ONE 6V battery (the left one in my case), and then ending by connecting the NEG cables on the OTHER 6v battery (the right one in my case)
Then you are done, and you'll have the best battery reserve to get you through the times when you don't have any shore power!!!
Hope this helps!!
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Not sure what I was thinking when I typed that.....
Thanks Cooter. You touched on something I thought about but unsure of..... I was considering putting one in the garage too but understanding that they're not very tolerant to dust, I wasnt sure if that was the best place for one. Maybe only as a portable so I could remove it when not using it. :confused013: Also after some insulation under the garage flooring and throwing down a little rug when the toys arent in there, I was hoping that the Wave would be able to send out enough heat for the garage as well. :thumbsup:
Sorry NC4stroker, it seems like I'm hijacking your thread.
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