Running off battery

csonni

I thought I saw some posts where low voltage things such as lighting are good for several days off a battery not being charged. My vehicle battery will be dead the next morning if the interior dome light is left on over night. Have I misunderstood?

JamesDow

With a full charge on newer my Costco Interstate 24DC marine / RV Battery ($79), I can run a full day using my Norcold refrigerator, TV and some lights.
Using solar (100 Watt Renogy suitcase) to recharge on fair days, I seem to be able to run on an unlimited basis.
I mind my power usage when away from shore power (85%+ of my camping time).
I also use portable USB chargers for my phones, camera batteries and fan, instead of using the T@G batteries.

Keep in mind, all lights on the stock T@G are LED, which my draw less than your vehicle. The T@G also uses a different style of battery than what a standard vehicle uses.

Attached is a power usage chart of various T@G accessories that I put together with my 2018 T@G.
Your power consumption may vary depending on what accessories you have you your trailer.
.

---

.

csonni

Thanks for that info. Much appreciated.

beaky

car batteries are starting batteries, the trailer battery is a deep cell storage battery

OutdoorEd

My longest trips without shore power have all been 3 nights/4 days. Since going to a Duracell Group 31 deep cycle marine battery, I power the Norcold, water pump, ceiling fan, lights and occasionally the TV (on rainy nights) and it doesn't drop below 65-70%. I took my 100w solar kit the first couple times but started leaving it at home 'cos I never needed it.

csonni

Here’s running off battery but a very expensive version. They call it a generator but it doesn’t qualify as one. Interesting though. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Equipment/Power-Supply/MXF002-2XC

ras

Another thing to consider is the Norcold draw on the battery is not continuous. Like any refrigerator it cycles and the lower the temperature the more often it has to run. Many keep drinks etc. in a regular cooler and start out with the Norcold full of frozen food. As the days go by, they gradually raise the temperature. You don't need frozen food ton the last day or two of your trip.

HikinMike

I'm considering this:
https://egopowerplus.com/nexus-portable-power-station/
They are supposedly working on a solar charging port but I haven't seen one yet.

I have the lawn mower, leaf blower, edger, string trimmer and hedge trimmer along with the batteries that power them and chargers. I've been pleased so far.

JamesDow

HikinMike;
The egopowerpluss seems expensive for what you get. The bare tool is $480 and if you want to get the four 5.0Ah batteries the cost jumps to $1299.
I would think a Renogy 100Ah lithium iron phosphate battery at $900 would serve you better and no additional items would be required.

RollingThunder

Hikin and James,

If you had to guess how long could the electric heater (2021 Tag Boondock) run off either of these batteries? I won’t have much difficulty not using electricity but the wife would really appreciate being warm when sleeping.

Thanks.

JamesDow

I do not know the specifications on the 2021 T@G heater (Watts & Amps)
With those one could make an educated estimate.
Bottom line running a heater off a battery is not a good match.
I would not even try it with the little electric heater that I have rated 250/170 watts (2.1A max).

---

zgfiredude

The Crane heater in the 2021 models: 1200 Watts peak, power settings of 800w/1200w. No amps listed in the manual.

JamesDow

Shore power is typically noted as 120 Volts.
Below are some theoretically estimates:
800w / 120v = 6.6 Amps @ 120 Volts (73 Amps @ 12 Volts
1200w / 120v = 10 Amps @ 120 Volts (110 Amps @ 12 Volts)

Lets base a rough calculation (estimate) based off of a 100 Amp Hour Battery.
I noted on a web site that a LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery can be safely discharged to “0” percent capacity.

100AH x 12v = 1200 Watt Hours

This indicates that the heater running on high could run for about 1.0 hour or 1.5 hours at low.

This does not take into consumption of the inverter required to convert 12v to 120v.
The power required to run an inverter is cited on some sites to be approximately 8-10% more than the power load of the appliance being run.

So with some luck with a new fully charged battery, you might be able to get 54 minutes of run time on low before the battery reaches 0%

This kind of draw is a battery killer. I would never recommend.
.
.

HellFish

You CAN'T practically heat or cool with 12 volt batteries...it's that simple. You can tie yourself in knots and cram lots of batteries where they were never intended, add meters, add inverters, do series, do parallel, stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight! It STILL is not practical.

I'd say more, but gonna go answer someone who wants to know if they can tow with a roller skate (you know, 'cuz that's what they have and they already bought their trailer.)

JamesDow

Hey, you makin fun of my roller skat

I agree 100%

zgfiredude

While I knew the above to be true, I appreciate the math being shared so I can learn some of these basics...

Michigan_Mike

RollingThunder - The long and short of heating your trailer off of battery power is that it’s just not feasible. Any electric heating device whether an electric truck heater, hair dryer, toaster, etc. will quickly drain any battery in short order. Your best bet is to find a campground with shore power and plug your trailer in. That or find some nice -20° down filled sleeping bags or consider moving up to a 320 T@B that has the Alde heating unit.

You know what happens when someone forgets to turn off their vehicle’s headlights, and the same is true for 12V DC heating apparatus as it creates a lot of resistance and kills batteries.

csonni

Just picked up our new Honda EU2200i Inverter Generator. A perfect fit in the front.

LuckyJ

@csonni said:
Just picked up our new Honda EU2200i Inverter Generator. A perfect fit in the front.

Great!
Remember to cover it while you travel, it is in the way to get dirty. It also keep it of visual site, making it less tempting! 😊

csonni

For sure. I have a non-Honda cover on the way.

AZTag

Pardon my dumb question, but I've never owned a generator: Is the generator like shore power to the T@G? i.e. You plug an extension cord into the generator and the other end connects to the T@G 30A port with an adapter? Just like plugging into a 20A outlet at home or the campground, only plugging into the generator?

csonni

Exactly.