ATF: North Trail - Battery to power furnace

reco

Member
Have a new Nt 28 brs. We are in a seasonal campground and use a generator for power. I have four charged batteries to power the trailer. I use one battery a night but at times I use the generator for power for the TV, microwave .If the battery runs out of power the furnace will shut down. With my old trailer I could run the generator with a dead battery and get power to the furnace.The Rv service man said you must have one good battery to run the furnace. I can put two batteries together and keep them charged with my solar panels if need be.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
Doesn't your rig have a converter that will provide 12V power and recharge the batteries when you're plugged into shore power or your generator?
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
When I use generators, I also use two Trojan 105s for the increased amperage. I have never had a problem with them going down overnight and most places I camp generators are usually not allowed from 8PM to 8AM. The batteries usually charge right back up in a couple of hours of generator time.
 

reco

Member
Hi Bob, we have camped with the new trailer two weekends so far. We camp year around even in very cold temps. With the cold nights it takes a lot out of the battery. my old trailer would if on generator power run the furnace. There is a converter but at two amps it does not have the power to charge fast.
In the summer I have solar and two batteries and with no cold nights not the power output.I will be in contact with heartland. Thanks
 

reco

Member
Hi that is what the dealer tec. told me that I can't believe. With the trailer hooked up to outside 110 power the trailer should be able to run without!!!! a battery right.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
You should always have a battery in the system the converter cannot always supply all the amps needed supply all the 12v things you are trying to run.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
You should always have a battery in the system the converter cannot always supply all the amps needed supply all the 12v things you are trying to run.
Jon,
I think this is urban legend. I haven't been able to do the math that has my coach drawing anything close to 60A of 12V DC current, unless I'm seriously charging the batteries.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
2 amps??? My converter can put out 60A. Sounds like yours is not working.
I think the battery charging circuitry only puts out about 2 amps to maintain the battery under normal conditions.
If not on the generator and not plugged into shore power, one battery may not last all night if the furnace runs a lot. reco, you should try running more than one battery in parallel if needed to run the furnace.
 

CliffP

Well-known member
Congrats on your new North Trail!

Have a new Nt 28 brs. We are in a seasonal campground and use a generator for power. I have four charged batteries to power the trailer. I use one battery a night but at times I use the generator for power for the TV, microwave .If the battery runs out of power the furnace will shut down.

Are all four batteries 12 Volts?

What amp hours are the batteries?

You only have one battery hooked up each night?

We're planning on using two six volt golf cart batteries, still trying to figure out if that'll be enough juice.

Happy Camping!

Cliff and Mindy
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
Jon,
I think this is urban legend. I haven't been able to do the math that has my coach drawing anything close to 60A of 12V DC current, unless I'm seriously charging the batteries.

In cool weather your slide out pump can draw 60amps alone when extending the slides.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I think the battery charging circuitry only puts out about 2 amps to maintain the battery under normal conditions.
If not on the generator and not plugged into shore power, one battery may not last all night if the furnace runs a lot. reco, you should try running more than one battery in parallel if needed to run the furnace.

Ray,

A fully charged battery certainly will not require much current to maintain it, but the converter is also capable of putting out much higher current as needed to charge the battery. If the converter could only put out a 2 amp charge rate, it would not be able to recharge even a moderately discharged battery. With my converter, I've actually measured a charging current of about 40A to a heavily discharged pair of T105s.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
We're planning on using two six volt golf cart batteries, still trying to figure out if that'll be enough juice.
Cliff and Mindy

Cliff, the two T105s have worked well for us and I run a fan all night in all weather. I seem to recall that the two six volt batteries have in excess of 400 amps.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
We also run a pair of T105s and I've easily gone 24 hrs using inverter to watch TV and make coffee, plus running the furnace (38 at night) and all the other 12V stuff before firing up generator for recharging. I've never actually seen how long I could go if I was a little careful.
 
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