Platform for dual batteries?
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3655
Printed Date: 29 Apr 2024 at 4:26am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Platform for dual batteries?
Posted By: Woodpod
Subject: Platform for dual batteries?
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 1:40pm
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We want to have dual batteries on the front of our RP177. What have you done that works? Love this forum! ------------- Rich and Sue "Woodpod" 2014 R-Pod 177 2004 Chevy Avalance |
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 3:08pm
Just slid the first battery over and added the second. There was some unscrewing and rescrewing involved.   ------------- |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 3:27pm
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Did same, bought two battery cables and hooked them up in parallel. I'm sure you will have to drill new holes in battery holder platform to screw the box down, but pretty simple upgrade. You can dry camp for quite awhile on the double battery hook-up if your conservative. ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 3:39pm
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My setup is much like furpod's. Two group-24s (or golf cart batteries) and their battery boxes will easily fit in the battery tray. If you want to go with group 27s or 31s, you'll have to build something on top of the tongue. Use a couple of 4 gauge starter cables to connect the batteries in parallel (serial if you have 6v golf cart batteries). Don't forget, as you'll need two batteries the same age, you'll likely have to buy two batteries (instead of just adding one). Otherwise, the older, weaker battery will constantly drain the newer battery. I also suggest adding in a cut-off switch while you're at it. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 4:42pm
Yes, a cut off switch can be handy.. though it turns out we stay plugged in at home.. ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:34pm
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If you do use two 12 volt batteries, make sure you hook up the pod's cables to separate batteries. Put the + on one battery and the - on the other. This helps to keep the charging and discharging rates equal.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 8:37am
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I need to check mine. I don't believe that is how I hooked mine up. Thanks for the advice. jpp ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 8:39am
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Does the Pod system charge both batteries okay? Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 8:44am
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I can only assume. I recently went on a 3 day dry camp and after 3 days my battery indicator inside the pod still said full. I was pretty conservative with everything(lights, pump, etc). Would like to hear more thoughts on why the pos and neg cables from the pod should be on separate batteries if they are hooked in parallel. ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:09am
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This is a quick schematic on setting up parallel connections one of the pods leads goes on one battery and the other goes on the other battery. The schematic is not quite accurate The program I used to create it would not co-operate but I think you can get the Idea.  ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 11:45am
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I don't see it! ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 12:19pm
I had a png file which should have shown on anything but I changed it to a JPEG. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 1:10pm
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I don't see it!! No biggy. So what it sounds like is (+) pod wire to one of the batterys positive; pods (-) wire going to the other batterys negaitive, then one cable (+) to (+) on the batterys and cable to (-)s on the batterys.......correct? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 1:30pm
Sounds right Pods + to one of the batteries' + Pod's - to the other bateries' - Then jumper +to+ and -to- ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 1:45pm
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OK, will do the switch. And this is strictly for even flow in and out of the two batterys, correct? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:43pm
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Terry - yes, it will just do it a little slower. hogone - yes. If you hook the pod only up to one battery, the 2nd battery now has a longer path for its electrons with more resistance in that extra wire which connects it to the first batt. So it will discharge less and then charge less. The first batt will get more wear and die early. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 6:36am
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furpod: in your pic, it looks like how I have it hooked up, both pod wires to one battery, then cables jumping over to the other, not like techntrek suggests..............or am i looking at the pic wrong?
------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 9:37am
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No you are looking at it right. I have a couple EE friends who tell me, yes, it's true, the longer path will cause the far battery to not charge/discharge at the same rate, but that in a two battery "bank" it will not be noticeable. After three years, I see no difference in their capacity, although my DMM only goes to 3 decimals. I just checked them after getting back from the NC rally, let them charge on 120v for two days, disconnected them, and the next day checked their charge state, they were at 12.610 and 12.608. I can live with that. (it's an ongoing experiment..) EDIT.. my wife points out those are the numbers from after the pod sat overnight, still attached, but not umbilicaled to the TV. I seem to have not recorded the numbers from the post charge, so I just went out and shut the battery switch off, I will get fresh numbers in a few hours, though my Fluke is over at my brothers and I will only be able to get 2 digit resolution with my craftsman DMM. But to make up for it, I will try to get pictures.. LOL. BTW, one of the best battery box mods is to throw away them crappy factory straps and buy some regular cheap tie down hook straps, cut the hooks off and use them. I just did it after having to replace the factory straps last summer, and being able to tell it was going to need to be done again this year.. ------------- |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 9:46am
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Thanks for the info. I broke one of the straps the first time I touched it! Replaced both with a heavy duty snap buckle strap, works great. ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 1:55pm
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Ditto, I replaced my strap with a regular ratcheting tie-down. The factory supplied strap is... crap.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 4:04pm
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OK, so after 6 hours disconnected, both batteries are bouncing between 13.39 and 13.40. So they are no more than .005v difference in capacity. They have been wired this way for exactly 24 months, and came off the pallet new, side by side. Our Pod is almost always plugged in when home. I couldn't get pictures, because the craftsman has probes and not clips.. sorry, forgot that was one of the reasons I got the Fluke. Also, plugging the pod back in, and turning the battery switch back to "on", both batteries showed 13.70 solid. So they are, for our purposes, charging at the same rate. ------------- |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 4:14pm
You won't be able to measure the difference with a voltmeter under light loading. The difference will be in the current supplied to or taken from each battery. Even then the difference will only be observable during heavy charging or discharging. The difference we are talking about here is minimal with two batteries close, wired with heavy wire, and lightly loaded. That said, there is a right way and a not-so-right way. Why not do it right? However, don't lose much sleep over this and don't let it interfere with happy hour.  ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 5:04pm
never mind. not worth it. ------------- |