How To Charge Trailer Battery for 12 Volt Refrigerator While Driving
Question:
I have a 5th wheel trailer with a 3 way frig that pulls 20A W / about a 50 duty cycle while on 12V. I have #2 copper wire ran to the back of the tug but still need 30 ft of wire to get to the batteries at the back of the 5th wheel. It is set up with 2- 6V deep cycle gulf cart batteries wired for 12V as house batteries. I would like to be able maintain and recharge while traveling. Do I need to install a DC to DC charger or could I get by with a disconnect switch? What would you recommend for min wire size for the 30ft trailer run and could I get by with using the trailer frame for the negative wire? I have used a battery isolator with a similar set up on a van in the past but only had about a 4 Amp draw on a small frig and smaller batteries ,it worked fine, would that be a option to consider? Thank You Jeff
asked by: Jeff
Helpful Expert Reply:
The best way to make sure your trailer battery is charging while in transit is with a DC to DC battery charger which uses the vehicle's battery/alternator to charge the trailer battery. This isn't normally something most trailer have but for certain situations where you have 12 volt accessories running while in transit i.e. a 12 volt refrigerator, it's necessary to provide a charge so you don't run the battery all the way down. I recommend the Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger like part # 331-BCDC1225D which will do just that and is suited for a 75 -200 amp hour battery bank. If this one is not a match you can select this from the list below.
If you need help with install i.e. wire size and ground location, be sure to check out the install instructions attached below which goes into all of this in detail.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger - Dual Input - DC to DC - 12V/24V - 25 Amp
- Battery Charger
- Battery Charger
- RV/Camper
- Trailer
- 75 Ah
- 200 Ah
- Charges/Maintains
- 12V
- Solar Panels to Auxiliary Battery
- Vehicle Battery to Auxiliary Battery
- Redarc
more information >
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