Enclosed Trailer Wiring ?

[ILThumper]

I was wondering if anyone has any input on my delima. I have two Honda 2000's hooked together. I am running them into a 30amp hookup on the outside of my enclosed trailer that goes into a breaker box inside the trailer. All the stuff that came on my trailer was 12 volt (power tounge jack, indoor light, exterior lights and powered awning). I am going to wire the inside for 110 with outlets, AC and flourecent lights. I think I will probably put a tounge box on and would like to put a battery or two in it and wire it so I can use that power source instaed of having to always have the trailer cord(12v) plugged into my truck. My question is, I am not sure if I understand how to do this portion of the wiring or what I need? How do I wire the battery or batteries so that the can charge? How and where do I splice in the current wiring. Do I need anymore equipment? I am not really concerned with converting 12v to 110v. I just want the battery for the stuff that is already 12v so I can use it when the truck is not hooked up or turned on accessory. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[chadk66]

If I understand you correctly you want a charging source for the batteries while you are running your generators. If so, I'd pick up a marine onboard charger. If you have two batteries get a two bank charger. 5 amp should be sufficient.

[LM8946]

Great question, I am curious as well. Anyone have a schematic or a simple drawing with all the required parts labeled that addresses this question?

How about hooking up a solar charger too? Right into the battery?

Any way to keep the deep cell batteries as well as the emergency brake battery charged?

I am confident that there are plenty smart enough TT members who can whip out a quick drawing in under 5 minutes to answer this question.

Thanks in advance!

[vet415]

I used a converter/charger just like a motorhome or camper has. It has 3 110v circuit breakers and 12 ea 12v circuits. This way while i am plugged into shore power or using the generator, the onboard battery is being charged. You can check with any RV parts supply for these. Mine is a 55amp I believe. Hope this helps. Gene:thumbsup:

[Chickenhauler]

I used a converter/charger just like a motorhome or camper has. It has 3 110v circuit breakers and 12 ea 12v circuits. This way while i am plugged into shore power or using the generator, the onboard battery is being charged. You can check with any RV parts supply for these. Mine is a 55amp I believe. Hope this helps. Gene:thumbsup:

This is the ticket!?

Another thing you can do, is set up your lights to be 12V, wired off the battery, that way whether the genset or the shore power is plugged in or you're "dry", you will have the same lighting, just like an RV.

[Rip Wheeler]

I was wondering if anyone has any input on my delima. I have two Honda 2000's hooked together. I am running them into a 30amp hookup on the outside of my enclosed trailer that goes into a breaker box inside the trailer. All the stuff that came on my trailer was 12 volt (power tounge jack, indoor light, exterior lights and powered awning). I am going to wire the inside for 110 with outlets, AC and flourecent lights. I think I will probably put a tounge box on and would like to put a battery or two in it and wire it so I can use that power source instaed of having to always have the trailer cord(12v) plugged into my truck. My question is, I am not sure if I understand how to do this portion of the wiring or what I need? How do I wire the battery or batteries so that the can charge? How and where do I splice in the current wiring. Do I need anymore equipment? I am not really concerned with converting 12v to 110v. I just want the battery for the stuff that is already 12v so I can use it when the truck is not hooked up or turned on accessory. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You will need a RV battery converter. I used Intelli-Power RV and got the 60 amp unit. I also bought the smart wizard for it also. But know what you will need as far as amps. I went overkill. This is hooked into the 110V system via a fuse panel, then the charger is tied into the battery via 6AWG wire. The wire size will depend on what amp rating you get. The 30 amp needs 10AWG, 45 amp needs 8AWG, 60 amp 6AWG and the 80 amp will need 2 AWG, kinda bit. I suspect 30-45 amps wil be enough. I mounted my battery on the tounge of the trailer, covnverter inside the trailer. So whenever I'm plugged into shore power/generator, it runs anythng 12V plus all the 110V stuff and also charges the battery. Of course, when I did this, I was able to remove me small break away trailer brake battery and the brakes now uses the large group 27 deep cycle for emergency braking. The battery also charges while in tow. And is limited to 30 amps (because its only 10 AWG wire fromt he truck to charge the trailer battery) via a Cole Hersee circuit breaker.

[turboandy]

If you just want a simple charge set up, run a wire ( with an inline on / off switch ) from your running lights to the battery. You can do this right at the trailer connecter. When driving keep the running lights on and the switch on, this will charge the battery. When you stop put the switch to off ( so your runing lights don't stay lit ).

[PBDBLUE]

If you just want a simple charge set up, run a wire ( with an inline on / off switch ) from your running lights to the battery. You can do this right at the trailer connecter. When driving keep the running lights on and the switch on, this will charge the battery. When you stop put the switch to off ( so your runing lights don't stay lit ).

Bad idea! When the trailer battery is discharged it's internal resistance will be very low and as a result will draw very high current. Far more than the typical running light circuit can provide. The result is that you are likely to blow the fuse and have no running lights on the tow vehicle or the trailer. A better way is to run a dedicated wire from the tow vehicle battery. A #10 gauge wire with a 30 amp circuit breaker will probably be adequate.

[CORider63]

Great question, I am curious as well. Anyone have a schematic or a simple drawing with all the required parts labeled that addresses this question?

How about hooking up a solar charger too? Right into the battery?

Any way to keep the deep cell batteries as well as the emergency brake battery charged?

I am confident that there are plenty smart enough TT members who can whip out a quick drawing in under 5 minutes to answer this question.

Thanks in advance!

According to Wells Cargo, the breakaway battery MUST be wired completely separate from all other circuits, so you can not have it charge at the same time as the deep-cycle batteries.

[PBDBLUE]

According to Wells Cargo, the breakaway battery MUST be wired completely separate from all other circuits, so you can not have it charge at the same time as the deep-cycle batteries.

That's interesting since every travel trailer made has the breakaway wired to the house battery. There is no legal requirement that it has to be seperate - at least in California. Maybe something WC's lawyers cooked up?

[Rip Wheeler]

If you just want a simple charge set up, run a wire ( with an inline on / off switch ) from your running lights to the battery. You can do this right at the trailer connecter. When driving keep the running lights on and the switch on, this will charge the battery. When you stop put the switch to off ( so your runing lights don't stay lit ).

Wont cut it. That battery can demand more current then the tail lamp circuit was designed for. And more than the wire sizes was designed for.

[Rip Wheeler]

That's interesting since every travel trailer made has the breakaway wired to the house battery. There is no legal requirement that it has to be seperate - at least in California. Maybe something WC's lawyers cooked up?

Agreed, every camp trailer I have seen uses the house battery for the brakes. I wired my cargo trailer electric break away to the house battery.

[LM8946]

Looks like the Intelli-Power converter runs the 12V system w/ 110V applied...

What is your solution to run 110V w/ only 12V applied? (Where does it feed into system at?)

Thanks!

[scooter42]

You can charge your deep cycle battery and your brake battery from the charging circuit off the harness from the truck or from shore (120v) power if you have a cord to your trailer. If you want to charge the trailer with a charger plugged in to 120v power, the Kinetik charger can Intelligently charge, maintain and condition the batteries. If you want to run 120v appliances from your 12v batteries, you can use an inverter OR get an inverter/charger all in one like the Xantrex below. The Xantrex will charge the batteries automatically when the trailer is plugged in and automatically turn off the charger when 120v power is cut and auto switch to the inverter to keep the 120v outlets going using the inverter portion. Pretty slick…

Charger... hook this directly to your batteries. Then plug it in.

http://www.savinglots.com/lotprod.asp?item=KIPS1245

Inverter/charger... hook to you batteries AND to your 120v items. Then plug it in.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/299178/377%20710/0/freedom/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=freedom&Ntk=Primary%20Search&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=freedom&isLT

[Rip Wheeler]

Looks like the Intelli-Power converter runs the 12V system w/ 110V applied...

What is your solution to run 110V w/ only 12V applied? (Where does it feed into system at?)

Thanks!

I only have a 2000 watt inverter for that. It also required #6 AWG wire. I have found I never use this except once to charge a digital camera at the track with a 110V charger. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldnt do the 110V (inverter) from 12V. I would just plug in my little Honda EU2000i generator.

[CORider63]

Agreed, every camp trailer I have seen uses the house battery for the brakes. I wired my cargo trailer electric break away to the house battery.

Keeping them separate prevents you from running the breakaway battery down from the typical use of the trailer's electrical system. I can also assure you that not "all" trailers have the brakes wired to the deep-cycle batteries.

[LM8946]

I only have a 2000 watt inverter for that. It also required #6 AWG wire. I have found I never use this except once to charge a digital camera at the track with a 110V charger. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldnt do the 110V (inverter) from 12V. I would just plug in my little Honda EU2000i generator.

Interesting, I guess I never thought of it that way - it makes sense. Thanks for the hints. So the only time you use 110 in the trailer is at home or when you have shore power - the rest of the time it is 12V. How common is this out there? Anyone else have the same experience or additional comments?

I guess I will plan for extra 12V lights from the factory and a couple cigarette lighter plugs on the panel. The only 110 I would really need would be for a small LCDTV/DVD combo and I could do that off a cigarette plug in type inverter.

I assume that 12V is more efficient than inverted 110V, correct?

Thanks again!

[LM8946]

Since 12V is now my focus, aren't LED lights more efficient than traditional 12V interior dome lights? Anyone have LED dome lights instead of traditional dome lights - or is that overkill?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15976

Thanks!

[vet415]

This is the ticket!?

Another thing you can do, is set up your lights to be 12V, wired off the battery, that way whether the genset or the shore power is plugged in or you're "dry", you will have the same lighting, just like an RV.

Exactly:thumbsup: The last trailer I built, I had 110v flourescent lighting. Was nice but had to have 110v via shore power or generator. This way, if I leave the gen set at home and no shore power, I can still see. Learned alot the last go around. Have some pics in another thread somewhere, lol. Good luck with the trailer. Gene

[idahomx32]

According to Wells Cargo, the breakaway battery MUST be wired completely separate from all other circuits, so you can not have it charge at the same time as the deep-cycle batteries.

Its all just +-. Your brakes are the same way. They have a magnet in them and when the + 12 hits it activates them. You can wire them into a regular deep cycle just as a rv trailer and it will work if you do it right. And if you go into the traielr wiring there is only 1 charge line from your truck, It doesnt know what battery it is charging, They do not run seperate to the deep cycle batterys or smaller brake batterys. If you REally think about it, All 12v is connected at the batterys, The only thing that separates it is fuses that dictate how many amps a line will draw.