Step by Step Guide On How to Install a 2nd Battery to Your Camper
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มิ.ย. 2021
- **Please read the pinned comment**
If your like me, more is always better! Come watch this step by step guide on how to install a 2nd battery for your camper. It’s quick and super easy.
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**UPDATE** **PLEASE READ** I’ve received many comments on the battery wire hookups and it’s necessary to address this. Even though the way I hooked up the batteries in this video hasn’t produced any issues on my end after multiple trips dry-camping, there’s a more preferred way to hooking up the wires that you should do if you attempt this DIY. Please hook up the Positive lead from the trailer to one of the Positive posts on one battery and the Negative lead from the trailer to the other batteries Negative post. You will still hook up each positive post with a wire to the other batteries positive post and vice versa with the negative battery posts like I did in the video. This will ensure the batteries each get the same current draw when in use and in a charging state. I apologize for the mess up.
thanks, i was wondering about that.
Thanks, yea and I’m sorry about that. We all make mistakes right :) Super appreciate you :)
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser why do i get huge sparks while im trying exacly what you described?
@user-qm2th6yu3m you definitely shouldn’t get huge sparks. But it could spark some. Maybe the batteries are too discharged and it’s sparking initially. Also, verify you are hooking up the positive wire to the positive lead on the one battery and the negative lead on the other battery. Also, double check you have the correct battery type (voltage rating) other than that, I’m not really sure. This is a common practice and batteries are hooked up like this all of the time. When it’s sparking, is it like arcing to the point where you can’t connect because it’s completely going crazy? I hope you can get this to work. It’s a lifesaver having double the capacity.
Any luck or updates from last night?
Thanks for your simple and clear explanation
Thanks Robert! I appreciate that. If you could, read my pinned comment. I made a little mistake when making the video and just wanted to make sure you wired it right if you choose to do this. Thanks again! :)
Great video! Very informative yet explained in laymans terms. Good job.
Hey JustSayin! I really appreciate that my friend! Thank you for the comment and support. Really appreciate it :)
Excellent video on adding the second battery for boondocks camping. Presentation was straight forward and well presented.
Morning Rodney and thank you :) if I could of added one thing to the video which I forgot, is when you’re hooking up the wires to your batteries, you should always try to hook up the positive lead to one battery and the negative lead to the other battery. That way you truly get even draw from the “battery bank”. I didn’t do it this way because my negative wire wasn’t long enough to reach the second new battery so I just had both red and black wires go to the same batteries. It really doesn’t battery too much because both batteries are in parallel and it’s such a small draw, but it could shorten the life of the batteries by a little bit. Anyhow, thanks again for coming by. Really appreciate the support Rodney :)
Really informative video. I was considering a 2nd battery inside my van to go along with my existing 100Ah lead acid leisure battery as I was really looking to getting around twice the capacity I currently had.
In the end I decided to treat myself to a 110Ah lithium leisure battery - and because you can use 100% of it's capacity without causing harm, it's given me close to double useable charge compared to my old setup.
Hey Daz! That’s great! I’ve heard that the lithium batteries are advancing well enough for use in this activity! I’m glad you figured it out and came by to let me know! I really appreciate knowing this and having your support! Safe travels!
Thanks for the video.
Hey Jon! Thanks for watching it, commenting and supporting my Channel. If you have any questions just let me know. Also if you do do this. Make sure and have the red positive terminal from the trailer go to one on the batteries and then have the black negative lead from the trailer go to the other battery. That way both batteries get the same draw when used. The way I did it is ok but i wanted to hook it up the way I just told you but my negative lead was too short. Anyhow, if your confused, I can always draw you something up real quick and send it via email. Just email me if you need help. Thanks again Jon and I hope you have a great night :)
I'm from Australia and I can say that the "Self Tapper" screw fixings would not last on our roads here. They would either vibrate loose of the heads would snap of due to vibration. A better method would be to drill out and use "NutSerts" or "Riv Nuts" and fix with Loctite and a 6mm or 1/4" Machine Screw or Bolt
Hey Lyle. I completely agree with you on this one. This is how they come from the factory, right or wrong. I like your idea with upgrading them. I may do just that before camping season starts here in a bit. Appreciate you 👍
Very helpful. Thank you.
You got it! Glad I could help! Make sure and check out my pinned comment though for a more up to date wiring configuration. Appreciate you :)
Watching again sir
💪🇺🇸👍
Good info
Thanks NV Gold!
Thanks!
Thanks Curtis! I appreciate that. Just make sure and check out the pinned comment for an updated wiring configuration. I wish you all the best!
Thanks for the informative video. I learned to remove the ground wire first, then the positive. That way, when you're wrenching the nut off the positive terminal, you won't get a spark if the wrench happens to touch the frame. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong. You mentioned taking off the positive first. What's the rationale for that? I'm eager to learn something new.
Hey Tommy! Thanks for the comment and support. And yes you are absolutely correct. That’s the more preferred way of doing it. There’s kind of two ways of thought on this. So when working on a car with tons of metal around, it’s recommended to do what you’re saying, so that in case you put a wrench to the frame you won’t get a spark. For what I did, the trailer batteries aren’t by anything metal so I can safely take the positive lead off first. I tend to keep the ground lead on because it’s earth ground. I know this is clear as mud but yea, hahaha. The end result is… just being careful. I always try and be super careful when working with electricity. I hope you have a great day Tommy. Let me know if you need anything else. I apologize in advance, if this message is scrambled… it’s early and my brain to eye to finger comprehension is slow 🤣
Question: with your current set up, do you see a problem in clamping on an inverter directly to the batteries. I recognize that there would more of a drain, but it should not effect 12v operations in the camper. Correct? Thanks for the info.
Hey Steve! You should be good to go. Are you wanting the inverter to be permanently installed? Or one that you just slap in there when you need 120VAC? And yes, it won’t effect your 12v system at all besides the usual battery drain. Just like if you had an inverter that you hooked up to a cigarette lighter. Hope I answered your questions and thanks for checking out the video.
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser Cigarette Lighter outlets only handle 120 watts.
@@DeeJayHouser1 this is correct 👍 I use them all the time to charge laptop batteries, etc :)
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser Yes. they will work up to 120 watts. That is the max that a cigarette lighter outlet can put out considering they are built with 10 amp fuse. Sorry, I was only trying to help here. I went to college for Electronics Engineering. I guess people don't like knowledge anymore... Only opinions. Sorry for the comment.
Hey DeeJay. You’re good my friend. Thanks for the input on this one. I should of said the same thing you did in my original answer. And we all like knowledge building. I’m not hear to silence you or anyone. This is good input and it’s very much appreciated :)
I have a ground wire from the camper along with the positive and negative wires (3 total). Where would you connect the ground?
Hey Mary! Thanks for the comment. Based on what you have said. The ground wire would go to the frame or chassis of the trailer. If you could, and this is optional, take a few pictures of what you have going on and send them to my email and I can take a look for you. My email is on my about page. A couple other people had questions and this was the best way to try and help. If not, I completely understand. Thank you again for the support
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser Thanks for the reply. The trailer is at a storage lot but next time I go out I'll snap a few pics.
The third wire comes from under the frame and has an end on it just like the jumper cables. (I think they are called ring terminals)
You are absolutely right, they are called ring terminals and yes, just take a bunch of pictures and I’ll do the best I can trying to help you. Thanks again Mary!
The way it is ,is how I bought the camper
Hey Kathy! Good! I’m
Glad yours came with 2 already! A lot only come with one :)
Did the covers fit? Looked like a tight squeeze
Hey there Ms. Jeck’s! Hope everything is going great. Yes the covers do fit. The boxes as you saw are a bit snug, but after you cut those handles off (where the 2 covers meet) it all goes together nicely. I havent had any issues whatsoever! Thanks for coming by and I hope that answered your question! Have a great day! Edit: Misspelled your name (autocorrect) apologies!!!
If I buy an RV battery, can't I connect it to my cheap $69. battery? Also, what guage wire did you use? Does it matter if I use 4 guage?
Thanks for the questions! To answer your second one first. Yes, you can use 4 gauge. I used 6 gauge, because that’s the size currently on my RV. Its good to match the sizing with existing. As for your first question. You can use whatever battery you want, but generally, you want them to be as similar to each other as possible. That’s why I said you want to match the CCA or MCA rating. If those don’t match, you could have some issues with charging rates or discharging rates (one battery may discharge faster or slower). I hope this answered your question and if not, let me know what’s foggy so I can try and elaborate more. Thanks :)
How do different charging rates even matter though? If you have one battery that charges in an hour and another that charges in two hours it's probably gonna take 3 hours to charge. Same thing if you match 2 batteries that charge in 1.5 hours.
@s00p3rman I don’t think the charging rates matter but I could be wrong. In my actual job, I deal with really large battery banks and it’s imperative that they are rated the same, because if not, the “stronger” batteries will over take the weaker ones and eventually shorten the life out of them. That’s why, we make sure and have every battery match, even down to its manufacturer. Now will it make a difference on a 2-battery system like this… maybe not, but the most important thing is having both batteries match when it comes to ampere hour ratings. This is the best way so you don’t have one battery doing all the work when it comes to actual power being provided. Anyhow, I hope I got that right. Thanks for the comment and support! I definitely appreciate the conversation my friend :)
I have a 6 post battery and don't no how to hook up
Hey there. I’m not too familiar with that myself. Hmm. Is that what your original battery is as well… a 6 post? If so, how many wires are hooked up? Just 2? Or all 6?
You want a batter with a amp hr rating ...
Yup. What exactly is your question my friend?
Why do the batteries have to be the same?
Great question. You don’t necessarily need the same manufacture, but you definitely want the same current rating. This will ensure that both batteries have the same draw and charge levels on your system. Hope this helps answer your question.
Get some solar on that head
😂
You are not connecting this correctly. Your wires from your trailer should not be on the same battery. You should connect Positive wire to one battery and Negative wire to second battery.
Hey G Parsons. I can agree with that, but then I’d have to splice my negative wire from the trailer to the battery because it’s not long enough, or vice versa with the positive. Electrically however it’s the same connection regardless if I’m on the negative of one battery vs the other battery, minus some resistance in the wire and connection. Unless I’m wrong and totally missed the point of hooking this up. I’ve had no issues with my trailer.
You're wrong as one battery is being drained and the other acts as a feeding power. The don't drain evenly thereby damaging the battery supplying power
I can agree with you on this. I’ve seen this done both ways, and when people ask me questions on here I tell them to do it the way you are saying. I’m definitely not perfect and can make mistakes. However, I can say that I’ve used my trailer a ton since this video and have done a lot of dry camping and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever. Only time will tell how how this hook up last compared to the other way. I’m not a big fan of splicing battery wires but I may in the future figure out how to run just a whole new wire to the trailer so I can have the positive off one and the negative off the other. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate that.
The wires coming from the RV that is connected to the negative and positive of one battery is it coming from the solar panels or the inverter?
@gregrichard9192 hey Greg! I think the negative wire is just coming from the common ground point on the trailer. The positive is also coming from a common terminal for the positive side as well. Honestly, you’d have to look at your electrical diagram for your particular trailer if you wanted a more precise and better answer. My trailer came with a book with diagrams, but like I said before, I’m pretty positive, each “leg” is connected to a common point. I hope this helps my friend.
You should of gotten lids and straps with your battery boxes. They usually come together already. As for putting metal in where the battery sits.... That's a no, no.... If you understood how lead acid batteries work, you would understand that there are 2 reasons for not doing this. The reason you don't put holes in the boxes is what you find in the bottom is battery acid. You do not let that out in the environment! Also, what size wire did you upgrade to from your increased amperage that you now have from your battery bank? You might want to keep an eye on that wire to see if it is getting warm during large draws of power. Otherwise, decent video. Thanks.
Hey DeeJay. Thanks for commenting and watching the video. I appreciate it. Now to answer your questions. As for using metal screws to secure the battery box down, this is an accepted practice for this application. In most RV boxes if not all, metal screws are used to hold down the boxes. This is from the manufacturer and signed off by their inspectors, state inspectors and by code. I simply matched what the manufacturer did with their installation with mine. For the holes in the bottom, again, I matched what the manufacturer did because water does get under the lid from driving and can cause problems if water accumulates. These lead acid batteries are sealed and the only way they could leak is if an accident occurred and the battery shell was compromised. There are other reasons of course, but generally there is never any worry of acid leaking on these style of batteries. The box does did come with a strap and lid. The strap is to hold down the lid. I would not trust the strap to hold the battery compartment in place while driving. It just can’t get tight enough. As for the wire size, what I used is plenty and it will never overheat. The trailer came with a 6AWG wire which is rated at 60 amps. Since my trailer is a 30 amp trailer, I’d never get anywhere close to 60 amps. And yes, it’s true when hooking up batteries in parallel your increasing the amperage, but in this case specifically you are doubling your amp hour rating which effectively gives you more time to use the batteries. For instance, If I had one battery still hooked up and I used all of the appliances in my trailer, and it pulled say 5 amps, having a second battery hooked up and using the same appliances, I’d still only use 5 amps. So you’re not pulling more amps necessarily just because you have a second battery. So 6AWG works just fine. You could go to 4AWG if you wanted to, just not 8AWG. My trailer barely uses much electricity. Everything is LED, and most of the appliances run on propane so the current draw is basically from the water pump. Now the only thing I did quite wrong with my install which you didn’t point out was where I hooked up the negative lead from the trailer. Traditionally when you have 2 or more batteries hooked up in parallel you want the positive lead to one battery and the negative lead on the other battery. This will give you an equal load draw on both batteries and it is the preferred way of doing this installation. I didn’t do it this way because my negative lead from the trailer wouldn’t reach the 2nd batteries negative terminal so I just decided to run both the positive and negative lead to the first battery. Will this compromise the life on my second battery, maybe? The draws are really so small on an RV (Especially newer ones) where this won’t really affect performance or life of the batteries. I’ve been in the electrical field for 2 decades and work with batteries of all types (including lead acid). Everything in this video, accept the negative battery lead issue which I explained, is done correctly and to todays industry standard. Thank you again for your time and I sincerely apologize if I completely ruined this battery installation for you. We are only human and I tried the best that I could at the time. I just wanted to help someone save money and show them that they can do this themselves without taking it to a shop. I hope you have a great rest of your week.
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser Ummm your trailer is rated at 30 amps you say... that's 30 amps a/c on a 100-120vac. Converted from 12 vdc, that is 3500 watts, which converts to almost 300 amps could go through your wiring at one time saying that you have enough draw to pull this. This is why i asked you about wiring. I might be a little behind and older at this stuff but i did go to college for Electronics Engineering. If you use iron screw in your box, you will cause problems with that battery over time. I don't spend my time typing on the internet to give advice about things I don't know! There is a lot on TH-cam that you can not trust. It's the smart ones that figure out right from wrong. Class of 1992 Penn College! Like I stated before, I did enjoy your video and subscribed, but if you can't take the truth and constructive criticism, then maybe the internet is not the place for you. Or maybe I should just unsubscribe... Let's hear you and all the knowledge you get from reading internet...
Hey DeeJay. I hear you loud and clear and honestly meant no disrespect like you didn’t either. I applaud you for being an electrical engineer, I started going to school for that but wanted to serve my country so left for the Air Force. I was an electrician for them and then continued my journey in my civilian capacity. As for answering your questions, I appreciate what you said, but I did nothing out of the ordinary. Manufactures for these products and installers do the same thing and wire in the same components. I watched dozens of videos on this before I made mine and just thought I could explain it better than someone else. As for your 300 amps statement, sure ohms law works out and I understand it’s AC vs DC, but if there was a worry about 300 amps, then why didn’t the manufacture put in 500kcmil size wire? That’s like 1-5 inches in width (I think). The only thing I did wrong which I stated before was the negative lead terminal hook up and explained why I did that. I learn a lot of stuff off TH-cam as do you and people ask me questions all of the time about installs. And when I’m wrong I admit it openly and appreciate the feedback, just like yours, but you would really need to talk to the manufactures and installers on this one. And we can agree to disagree on that and that’s totally ok with me and I’m not trying to say that to be mean. You made some statements and I just explained myself. You have the right to say what you want, and I also have my right to defend my product. I hope you understand that. And to be honest, this may be the first disagreement I’ve had on here and I’m sorry it’s with a viewer like yourself. And I’m a hometown PA boy so I automatically like you nonetheless :) I grew up in Allentown! Anyhow, I appreciate all of my subscribers and everyone is important. If you want to unsubscribe then I respect that and like I said before, I apologize if this video wasn’t what you expected. I hope you continue to have a great night and rest of the week. Do you have a channel? I may check it out and see what you have. I’m into a lot of things as you can see, I’m kind of everywhere.
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser The manufactures care about your money. Not specs. That is left to the engineers, not the sales staff that is making money from you. An Engineer can help you to make sure that what the salesperson told you was ok. When go to the Dealer for car work, you don't talk to the Salesman about the noises your car makes... You talk to the Mechanic. That is who I am. RV dealer around me respect what I tell them because they all tell me their tech don't know even 10% of what I know. They are there to make money. As for TH-cam, You have to watch what you learn from TH-cam. These aren't usually professionals. They are know-it-alls that just want your money or views from ads, because... Let's face it, the videos that are good and correct get sponsors and lots of view with all positive comments. Do you think I spend my whole day at 50 years old to entertain you??? I was only tryin to help you. You do what you want. It's your life. If you goal in life is just to try to prove me wrong, then good luck.
@@StoneyCreekSparkchaser I have only started exploring TH-cam about a year or so ago for entertainment and knowledge. I have done many things in my life. College was only one thing. I tried to get into the Military 3 different times... Twice the Army and Once the Navy because my cousin stated the Navy was better and with my college at that time I could start as an officer, but due to an accident i had when i was 15, where I had to learn to do everything all over again they DQed me. 3 times. For over 25 years, I was a DJ that played mostly for Veterans. All benefits, were always donated! I have a lot of respect for Military. Thank you for you Service. A service that I could never be a part of, but Thank You.