My smaller living quarters trailer has a battery on the front. This is the only battery it will run off of as it is not hooked up to our truck battery (trailer came this way). If it were to not be charged for some reason, how do you make it so that our trailer furnace (which runs off propane & battery) & lights will still work by having our trailer run off of our truck battery? Especially for my dc fridge which I would love to have running when going down the road.
2nd question - Does this really drain the truck battery to where my truck wouldn't start (if I spent the night somewhere using it)?
Also, if my trailer battery would stop working, can you make it so the trailer then runs solely off of the truck battery?
Posted 2011-04-01 5:05 PM (#132508 - in reply to #132496) Subject: RE: Trailer running off truck battery
Expert
Posts: 1351 Location: Decatur, Texas
Originally written by TealTn on 2011-04-01 1:12 PM
My smaller living quarters trailer has a battery on the front. This is the only battery it will run off of as it is not hooked up to our truck battery (trailer came this way). If it were to not be charged for some reason, how do you make it so that our trailer furnace (which runs off propane & battery) & lights will still work by having our trailer run off of our truck battery? Especially for my dc fridge which I would love to have running when going down the road. 2nd question - Does this really drain the truck battery to where my truck wouldn't start (if I spent the night somewhere using it)? Also, if my trailer battery would stop working, can you make it so the trailer then runs solely off of the truck battery? Thanks so much!!!
I added what they call a loop charge to mine. I ran a cable to the truck batteries to the rear of the truck and used a quick connect like it used for winches. Must run heavier wire than the standard 6 or 7 way plugs use. I used a 4ga. on mine.
As far as running down over night, all I can say it mine has been used for 3 or 4 days with zero problems. My opinion if you was going to use just the 12v system off of the truck I would run the truck the next morning for a few to recharge the batteries just to make sure.
My batteries on the trailer NEEDS to be replaced and I have been using it the way I listed above for over a year now. With the loop charge you are running from the truck battery to the trailer battery just like hooking up jumper cables. The little 12ga or 14ga wire that the trailer manufactures use for the 12v charge is not near large enough but it is the cheap way out.
Posted 2011-04-01 10:19 PM (#132519 - in reply to #132496) Subject: RE: Trailer running off truck battery
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
If you run a furnace, the fan will drain the battery pretty quickly. You would not want to have a low battery and not be able to start your truck.
For this very reason, some manufacturers will not provide B+ voltage to the truck's aux circuit, unless the engine is running or the key is on or in acc. mode. This prevents any draw that would cause a dead starting battery.
Posted 2011-04-02 6:35 AM (#132522 - in reply to #132496) Subject: RE: Trailer running off truck battery
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
This spring I added a battery disconect to my trailer, it seem like we always ended up leaving something on when we returned from a show and had a dead battery (on the trailer) for the next show. When I have the disconnect off and my pickup hooked up to the trailer with the key in the off position the trailer will power which concerns me a little bit. Is it possible that the trailer batteries could drain and then the trailer default to the pickup power without us knowing? In other words could we be at a show all day and think we are running on trailer batteries....go to leave the show and find a dead pickup?
Posted 2011-04-02 1:04 PM (#132539 - in reply to #132522) Subject: RE: Trailer running off truck battery
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
Originally written by blackcows on 2011-04-02 7:35 AM
This spring I added a battery disconect to my trailer, it seem like we always ended up leaving something on when we returned from a show and had a dead battery (on the trailer) for the next show. When I have the disconnect off and my pickup hooked up to the trailer with the key in the off position the trailer will power which concerns me a little bit. Is it possible that the trailer batteries could drain and then the trailer default to the pickup power without us knowing? In other words could we be at a show all day and think we are running on trailer batteries....go to leave the show and find a dead pickup?
I know my trailer draws off of the trailer battery and truck battery at the same time. I have a GM truck, the Fords may be different, ignition key may have to be on to draw off the truck battery. If you got any doubt, just unplug the trailer from the truck until it's time to go.
Posted 2011-04-02 1:31 PM (#132540 - in reply to #132496) Subject: RE: Trailer running off truck battery
Veteran
Posts: 264 Location: Sumas Washington
Just a observation,, BUY a proper deep cell battery!!! They are really not that expensive, it is the right way to run your rig and your truck will start when you want it to.
Trailer running off truck battery
