Charging Battery during three week long road trip.

This July I'm going on a road trip where I will mainly be tent camping in areas with no power. I will always have my truck by my side with a ton of drive time between sites every 2-3 days. I already have a great deep cycle agm battery that has lasted me four nights in the past.

What I really need to know is what's the best option to maintain the charge during this trip? I have read so many different opinions on the matter, but everyones situation seems to be slightly different than mine.

So far I have read and considered :

Hooking my trucks battery while running to the agm battery with jumper cables. Keeping truck revved to provide power.

Buying a smart battery charger and hooking it up to a dc/ac inverter plugged into my cig adapter and charging the battery while driving.

Battery Tender brand charger that can (possibly) hook up to my cigarette lighter and charge the battery while I drive.

Disconnect my cars battery and replace it with the agm before trips in truck to charge battery.

Solar Panels

I think my problem is I'm over researching and just can't seem to come to a decision on the best option. I'm also slightly concerned with safety, should I be charging a battery in a truck cab with humans inside?

I know this topic has probably been discussed to exhaustion, but I really do appreciate the knowledge anyone can share!

Look at getting a split charge relay fitted to your truck to charge the AGM battery when moving and solar panels to supplement when stationary should keep you going with no issues.

Take a look at this link for ideas

viewtopic/t114012/Choosing-a-Battery.html


Jason

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

This July I'm going on a road trip where I will mainly be tent camping in areas with no power. I will always have my truck by my side with a ton of drive time between sites every 2-3 days. I already have a great deep cycle agm battery that has lasted me four nights in the past.

What I really need to know is what's the best option to maintain the charge during this trip? I have read so many different opinions on the matter, but everyones situation seems to be slightly different than mine.

This is one of those vexing problems that seems very simple but get more complicated the more you look into. I think I need one of my large missives, but I'll get started with a few notes here:

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

So far I have read and considered :

Hooking my trucks battery while running to the agm battery with jumper cables. Keeping truck revved to provide power.

Hooking directly to the truck battery is a possibility, but jumper cables are asking for trouble, and a definite no-no while driving. If you're thinking of doing this a couple of times and then forgetting about it, it might be worth figuring out the safest way.

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

Buying a smart battery charger and hooking it up to a dc/ac inverter plugged into my cig adapter and charging the battery while driving.

This sounds nice, but the cigarette socket is usually fused at 10 Amps, and chargers are usually very inefficient, and inverters are only 60%, so you'd be lucky to get more than 4 amps into the battery without popping a fuse. Also, if you do this without running the engine, you're just killing the starting battery. If the engine is running, you might as well connect the two batteries together.

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

Battery Tender brand charger that can (possibly) hook up to my cigarette lighter and charge the battery while I drive.

I love BatteryTender, but the largest is only 5 amps, and the above comment on popping fuses still holds.

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

Disconnect my cars battery and replace it with the agm before trips in truck to charge battery.

Not out of the question - if you don't mind lugging 60 pound batteries around. This sounds like something I would have done about 50 years ago! Again, this might be reasonable to do a couple of times. Curiously, replacing the starting battery with a deep cycle and using that exclusively for both starting and cpap during the trip, while keeping the starting battery in reserve might be the easiest solution!

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

Solar Panels

Definitely a possibility - but you're adding more hardware plus learning curve. My charging life got much easier when I added 2 100 watt panels to my boat!

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 9:33 pm

I think my problem is I'm over researching and just can't seem to come to a decision on the best option. I'm also slightly concerned with safety, should I be charging a battery in a truck cab with humans inside?

I know this topic has probably been discussed to exhaustion, but I really do appreciate the knowledge anyone can share!

So the meta-problem here is that the real solution, used by millions of RVs and boats is along the lines of adding a "charge sharing" device that turns on when the vehicle is charging, but isolates the two batteries, and turns off when the engine stops. This is often a relay, with a voltage level trigger, or it can be an echo charger. The simplest devices are basic relays, adding voltage triggers and diodes raises the cost to $50 to $100, and echo chargers are about $125. This would be semi-permanently wired to the truck. Unfortunately, this is beyond the ability (or need) of 90% of the readers so it fails the test of a simple solution!

This needs more work - tomorrow is a rainy day here, so maybe...

Jas_williams wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2018 11:27 pm

Look at getting a split charge relay fitted to your truck to charge the AGM battery when moving and solar panels to supplement when stationary should keep you going with no issues.

Take a look at this link for ideas

viewtopic/t114012/Choosing-a-Battery.html


Jason

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. I think I'm going to avoid that solution at this time, if I find myself having to take an extended camping trip in the future I will bite the bullet and invest in the relay and solar panels.

Disconnect my cars battery and replace it with the agm before trips in truck to charge battery.

Not out of the question - if you don't mind lugging 60 pound batteries around. This sounds like something I would have done about 50 years ago! Again, this might be reasonable to do a couple of times. Curiously, replacing the starting battery with a deep cycle and using that exclusively for both starting and cpap during the trip, while keeping the starting battery in reserve might be the easiest solution!

I'm okay with lugging batteries around! I'm going to try this option during my trip in July, I'm also going to have a battery charger with me just in case I do encounter some power during one of my stays. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question, and in such depth! I will update this thread when I get back from my trip to let everybody know how the charging went.

bryanftc wrote: ↑

Fri May 18, 2018 8:12 pm

Disconnect my cars battery and replace it with the agm before trips in truck to charge battery.

Not out of the question - if you don't mind lugging 60 pound batteries around. This sounds like something I would have done about 50 years ago! Again, this might be reasonable to do a couple of times. Curiously, replacing the starting battery with a deep cycle and using that exclusively for both starting and cpap during the trip, while keeping the starting battery in reserve might be the easiest solution!

I'm okay with lugging batteries around! I'm going to try this option during my trip in July, I'm also going to have a battery charger with me just in case I do encounter some power during one of my stays. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question, and in such depth! I will update this thread when I get back from my trip to let everybody know how the charging went.

Simply using an AGM as the starting battery relies on a few things:
1. It should be a big AGM, 80 to 100 AH.
2. You don't use humidity, so the load is only around 5 AH a night.
3. You recharge frequently, ideally every night or two.
4. You keep a fully charged, relatively new starter battery in reserve.

K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.

Since you're going to be driving a lot that is what you should take advantage of. I assume you already have a battery tender or charger that you use at home right?

Why not get an inverter ? Something like this is cheap https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KT26D ... s=inverter . Charge battery while your driving using inverter and battery tender.

I think that would be easiest and least expensive option.

If you do go solar at some point make sure panels are waterproof so you can leave them out even if it rains.

USMCVet wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 3:54 pm

K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.

Since you're going to be driving a lot that is what you should take advantage of. I assume you already have a battery tender or charger that you use at home right?

Why not get an inverter ? Something like this is cheap https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KT26D ... s=inverter . Charge battery while your driving using inverter and battery tender.

I think that would be easiest and least expensive option.

If you do go solar at some point make sure panels are waterproof so you can leave them out even if it rains.

K.I.S.S, would be use the Cigar Lighter Port, most are 20 amp or more. Jim

That's what the inverter is running off of lol. Inverter gives better capabilities for traveling then buying a battery charger that works from cigarette outlet. Also probably costs less then buying charger to work only with cigarette outlet.

USMCVet wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 3:54 pm

K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.

An inverter setup is anything but "simple" compared to a plug in the cigarette lighter going to the battery.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 4:29 pm

USMCVet wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 3:54 pm

K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.

An inverter setup is anything but "simple" compared to a plug in the cigarette lighter going to the battery.

Did you click link ? You plug inverter into cigarette lighter outlet, then plug in battery charger and connect to battery. The inverter can be used for a other uses as well when on the road and camping.

Step 1: plug inverter into cigarette lighter outlet .

Step 2: plug charger into inverter

Step 3: connect charger to battery ( negative first then positive) and turn on inverter.

I think most members here can handle that simplicity even of you can't. Seems like your stalking me and trying to start issues with me. I have seen you do it with many other members here. I will say again, you are a bully and you don't scare me.

I clicked on the link they do NOT give the specs for A/C current output so you would know how high you could go with your battery charger without overloading, inverter, also do NOT spec the 12 volt D/C draw doing so. There is a reason, Cheep! Jim

D/C charging cable must be fused at or lower than the Lighter Plug. Preferably using a circuit breaker rather than a fuse. A low battery might draw more than the fuse can handle where a circuit breaker will open and close as it cools off. As the battery charges it charge rate will go down. The plug and wire have to be spec to handle the load of charging.

150 watts. Says it in link. If 150 watts isn't enough buy one with larger capacity. Much cheaper then solar panels of similar wattage. Much easier and reliable as well.

ETA: I'm a trainer so if you or anyone else has any learning disabilities let me know so I can accommodate you

USMCVet wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 5:18 pm

ETA: I'm a trainerjackass so if you or anyone else has any learning disabilities let me know so I can accommodate you just ignore me.

Fixed that for you.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 5:24 pm

USMCVet wrote: ↑

Sun May 20, 2018 5:18 pm

ETA: I'm a jackass, so ignore me.

Fixed that for you.

Again I don't understand? That's not what I meant. It seems I'm not being clear and certain people can't understand what I am saying. If that's the case I want to actually help people.

Let me clarify. If anyone has a learning disability or medical condition which makes it difficult to understand things I say please private message me and I will genuinely take the time to help you.

For you palerider you may want to consider talking to someone about your anger issues.