This is great info, I was wondering if you could tell me how to install a battery system. My viking has never had a battery and I would like to put one on. I have some mechanical & electrical ability but, I have no experience with this.
My biggest question would be where to tie in the wires and if the tow vehicle can charge it. The pup has a 4 wire plug in but, I use the round plug adapter. My truck is a Ford f250.
If you had a link or something that would help me figure this out I would be forever grateful. I have not had much luck finding this info and i don't want to pay a dealer.
Thanks
Eagle,
I split this post to try to help answer your question.
All the wires in a 4 pin setup are already used so you couldn't easily charge a battery.
[list type=decimal]
[li]right turn[/li]
[li]left turn[/li]
[li]parking lights[/li]
[li]ground[/li]
[/list]
Normally,
-
[li]a 5th wire would be used for electric brakes[/li]
[li]a 6th would be the 12V fused to charge the battery[/li]
[li]a 7th is for backup lights[/li]
You best bet would be to change the wiring connectors from a 4 pin to a 7 pin. About $20-$25 for both ends.
Connect the 4 exisitng wires and run a new line to the battery with an inline fuse.
I'm assuming the coffee pot is only for when your connected to shore power (110V) since the overhead lights and furnance run off 12v.
It is possible to operate the overhead lights and even sparingly using the furnance right off the tow vehicle's battery. I've done so for years and that will eliminate the expense of, the need for lugging around an extra battery and the upkeep of. I use a 7-way connector with the center pin (usually marked "auxillary") connected to a direct wire from the battery (have it so that it has a 15 amp blade fuse). The connector instructions will have it's wiring diagram, plus your pup's owner's manual will have it's diagram, too. The connecting cable is a little extra long so that I can back kinda close to the trailer tongue and connect for use. Again, the word is sparingly use. Only use the overhead lights for there's a need for bright light, otherwise I have a 4 D-cell battery table lamp. And will NOT run the furnance all night long. Kick it on just before bed time so all is warm and shut it completely off. Kick it back on in the morning and all works out well.
Thanks Fly, that sounds like a plan. I can change the plug easily. Your right about adding length to it. The bed of my truck will not go under the bunk. The furnace would be for my wife. If she gets cold she can just move a little closer :thumbup:
I have been lucky enough to get an electric site when the furnace is needed. I tent camped until last year. 30 years in a tent in every kind of weather imaginable and never needed electric, Thanks to my late Scoutmaster. One year with the pup and I'm worried I won't survive a couple of nights. :hah:
Eagle ~ here is my previous Starcraft and this was taken at Standing Indian C/G in the Nantahala N/F - no electrical hook-ups - and you can see the truck connected to the camper. What I do with that extra length when towing is give the cable a few extra turns around the front dolly wheel jack crank and it rides there just right.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h226/dww0825/section1012.jpg[/img]
If you decide to use your tow vehicle battery, (which I wouldn't recommend) please make sure you have a way to monitor it. If it dies, you're screwed. It can be done, just keep an eye on it.
There are other option like add a battery for lights, mr buddy for heat and a coffee pot on an open flame. (grill or campfire) The all cost money so the question is, how much do you want to spend?
You can add a battery and one circuit for your lights, a full charge should last all weekend. 12V coffee pots aren't very good, you are better off with a 110v or something for a open flame. Like flyfisherman said, a furnace fan in probably the number one thing that will drain your battery. Propane heat with a little ventilation would be the best option if you don't already have a furnace installed.
[quote author=JoeCamper link=topic=567.msg3689#msg3689 date=1297574129]
If you decide to use your tow vehicle battery, (which I wouldn't recommend) please make sure you have a way to monitor it. If it dies, you're screwed. It can be done, just keep an eye on it.
Why wouldn't you recommend it, Joe ....?
Is this based on your experience, or is it something you have read or heard ...?
fly:
I've never run off my TV but know that I could never get two night of a furnace fan running without the camper battery dead. Warming up before going to bed and in the morning should work fine but if you drive 2 1/2 hours to a camp and kill the only battery you have... that's a bad day.
I'm actually replacing my battery this spring and adding a meter to keep track of the power left. I'll looking into maybe changing out to LED bulbs to save energy. These things at on a few other threads here. I hope to learn much more over the next 2 months.
Joe ~ no doubt a real marine deep cycle battery will do a much better job powering an RV in that they will render a lot more of their capacity over a longer period of time and do less harm to themselves when run down to a low charge. A quick charging automotive battery on the other hand (although it has a high cranking ability), cannot be discharged to as low a charge without doing harm being done to it. As everybody knows, it is the thickness and size of the battery plates that makes the difference between the two. AND ... a real marine deep cycle battery is expensive. What passes off as a deep cycle battery is really a hybrid battery, an automotive type with just thicker plates. The true marine battery plates are not only thicker but larger as well.
My original post was for situations where either the automotive or hybrid battery would be, or could be, interchangeable. Why lug around another battery if it's not needed ... and have the extra expense of everything involved. If one is driving around (in my case, going to different fishing locations), the automotive battery is quick charging.
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