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smccollister · 08-04-2004, 01:40 PM

This may be covered in a different group, but thought I would ask anyway.

Has anyone added a 2nd battery to their Bambi? Our first weekend out was great except we ran out of juice towards the end. Granted we were not being very careful about lights, cd player, etc. but I would like to know how feasible it would be to add a 2nd.

Scott

Turtle · 01-11-2007, 03:59 PM

I'm thinking 2 group 27 gel batteries under the dinette inclosed in matching white melamine. Whadya think? Jamie

ljmiii · 01-11-2007, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smccollister

This may be covered in a different group, but thought I would ask anyway. Has anyone added a 2nd battery to their Bambi?

I've thought about it...but have thus far been unable to do so because of weight considerations.

I am curious...where are you thinking of putting the 2nd battery? I was thinking of welding a bracket/open box above the existing one to create a kind of 'battery duplex' but am interested in other ideas...

Silvertwinkie · 01-11-2007, 05:17 PM

Given the space limitiations, have you considered a small generator? It could be stowed in the TV until needed and could top off the single battery.

An addtional though would be solar. If you are just trying to keep some charge on it, it might be worth a look....at least the solar panel(s) can go up on the roof.

RDM16CCD · 01-11-2007, 06:21 PM

I have a 16' CCD and also wanted more battery capacity, but weight and space are limited, and sometimes I don't really need more, and would rather not take the extra weight. I have 3 scenarios I can deal with:

1) The standard single group 24 is enough for some trips, and it's lighter and doesn't take extra space like a second battery. This works great for trips where I stay at a camp with hook ups, or boon docking for a night or two in warm weather where I don't run the furnace blower.

2) For longer trips, where I need to use more battery (like a fall trip where I need the furnace, or if I can take a whole week or two someplace boondocking) I bought 2 6 volt golf cart batteries. I haul these in the pickup and set them on the ground (they are in a battery box) under the A frame. I wired up a switch and extension cables to the standard battery. A little extra work, but it works great, and its just a price I pay for having a smaller outfit.

3) I bought a Honda generator and a 3 stage charger that I can hook up to either of the set ups above, so I can direct recharge if needed. I only run this when I don't have enough battery left to get to the next day. The generator also travels in the pickup

The other thing is to control how much battery I use, so I swithced some of the interior lights to lower watts, and installed a battery monitor so I can tell how many amps I've used.

My time to use the trailer is limited until I retire, so I use the golf cart batteries hard - run em down and recharge them quickly. I know it shortens their life, but they still last a couple of years, and replacing them is not a cost driver when I look at the trailer, pickup, fuel costs, camp fees, etc.

Not elegant - but very versatile!

Turtle · 01-11-2007, 06:46 PM

ijmiii, I like your battery duplex idea. Very creative thinking. Your trailer is the Quicksilver Edition isn't it? My '04 CCD weights in at about 3100 lbs fully loaded for a 2 week outing with only a few gallons of water in the tank for road flushed. Axle is rated 3500 so I have the wiggle room for a duplex. RDM has a great idea about just plopping the extra battery on the ground. Is it secured in any way? I have a solar panel that I haven't tested yet as I've been under trees anytime there weren't any hookup since the installation but even then a little juice was flowing in. And of course the generator, but I'm rather sensitive of the narrow eyed glares from jealous tent campers so tend to not use it as much as I should. Jamie

RDM16CCD · 01-11-2007, 07:37 PM

I may have just been lucky so far, but I've never had anyone take anything. Mostly we dry camp, and leave lawn chairs and lanterns, etc., out when we're down at the lake or fly fishing the streams. We don't leave 'valuables' out in sight, like a camera or binoculars, or the generator. None of the other trailer equipment is secured either -

I always run the generator, if needed during the middile of the day, and the Honda is quiet enough that it doesn't seem to bother anyone. The NFS campground we like most doesn't have the sites so close together, like a camp with hook ups - that's why we like it the most!

RDM16CCD · 01-11-2007, 07:47 PM

I considered a lot of options before just settling for my not-elegant design.

If you are comfortable doing battery cabling work, it would be pretty straight forward to install a 2nd battery on the floor under the dinette, and just work the cables into the electrical system under the dinette seat - everything is right there. A battery box there would hardly be noticeable.

A second battery in doors would be better if it was sealed to avoid out-gassing issues during charging. That would probably mean installing a matching battery outside, too, since the general rule is to keep batteries of similar type and age (unless you also install a switch to keep them isolated).

And, if cabled right, you could easily take or leave battery #2, depending on the kind of trip you are on. I considered welding outriggers on the A frame for a permanent mod to 2 batteries, but I like to keep the trailer where I can return it to original configuration if I need to. Nothing wrong with permanent mods, it's just my preference, I think on a newer trailer it would be easier to sell if I needed to.

lewster · 01-11-2007, 08:06 PM

I've changed my GP-27 Interstate (garbage) batteries in my '06 19CCD to 2 6 volt AGM golf cart Lifeline batteries. Way more available amp hours, no gassing and you can draw them down to 50% on ocassion with no penalty. Due to their low internal resistance, they only lose about 3% of charge per month, compared to 30+% for lead acid and about 20% for gels.

Be careful with those gel cells......they are VERY finicky about recharge voltages. You have to use a charger with a special circuit just for gels! And you CAN use AGM's inside at they do not outgas like the others.

uwe · 01-11-2007, 09:12 PM

Why could the 16ft bambi not get the same battery box behind the propane bottles as the 19ft Bambi, and receive the 2 batteries? Is the tongue somehow smaller on the 16ft bambi?

scottanlily · 01-12-2007, 12:49 AM

Lewster is right on the golf cart 6 volts ,better way to go ,AGMs seem like the popular choice as they perform very well .Other threads have touched on the 6 volts as well ,search function should show more threads on it .

Scott

rickandsandi · 01-12-2007, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle

I'm thinking 2 group 27 gel batteries under the dinette inclosed in matching white melamine. Whadya think? Jamie

Greetings Turtle-

Two GELS is a way to go on this gut they still need to be vented to the exterior. Yes, they can go where wets celss can't like inside your AS, but ventilation is needed!

Check out the 19' Bambi setup with two batteries. This should work fine for you. We have been able to boondock for 4 - 5 days on a single battery charge being careful. We did pick-up a nice small gen 1000 for topping off the battery for longer stays and it works out really well.

lewster · 01-12-2007, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickandsandi

Greetings Turtle-

Two GELS is a way to go on this gut they still need to be vented to the exterior. Yes, they can go where wets celss can't like inside your AS, but ventilation is needed!

Check out the 19' Bambi setup with two batteries. This should work fine for you. We have been able to boondock for 4 - 5 days on a single battery charge being careful. We did pick-up a nice small gen 1000 for topping off the battery for longer stays and it works out really well.

That's why I recommend AGM's over gels......no outgassing and they do not need venting. Put them where ever you want.

Silvertwinkie · 01-12-2007, 07:00 AM

Lew, if I recall, you were putting in a new converter....does that play nice with the 6v batteries? Are the 6V batts AGM?

Turtle · 01-12-2007, 10:41 AM

The battery box on the 16 is wedged up front of the propane tanks. I'm not even sure if the larger group 27 will fit in the welded box frame. A little research on my part will give me the answer but I'm still looking for options. Still liking RDM's solution. Seems very adaptable to the type of camping being done. Take them along for boondocking, leave them home for the high falooten full hookup trips. Jamie

Motoman · 01-12-2007, 10:48 AM

I currently have more solar charging capacity (260 watts max) than battery capacity in our 25' CCD with two group 24 gel cells so I plan to acquire a third larger battery for those long late fall and early spring boondocking trips. I will use a 45 amp Anderson Powerpole connector rather than switches and other wires or connectors. I already have one on my batteries to power my amateur radio equipment when I am operating under the awning or at a nearby picnic table. The connectors are polarized so you can't plug them in wrong and I keep it permenantly connected via a 12-inch cable that is curled up inside the battery box until I need it. These connectors are becoming the standard for people that provide communications support to public agencies for public service and emergencies.

You can find the Powerpole connectors from several vendors by searching the web; http://www.andersonpower.com/product...powerpole.html is thwe manufactures web page.

smccollister · 01-12-2007, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewster

I've changed my GP-27 Interstate (garbage) batteries in my '06 19CCD to 2 6 volt AGM golf cart Lifeline batteries. Way more available amp hours, no gassing and you can draw them down to 50% on ocassion with no penalty. Due to their low internal resistance, they only lose about 3% of charge per month, compared to 30+% for lead acid and about 20% for gels.

Couple of questions on swapping to 2 6 volt AGM golf cart batteries:

1> where can you pick these up (e.g. Camping World, Sears)?

2> are there any wiring or other tasks involved for swapping these in?

These questions may be answered on another thread, so I will hunt around as well.

Thanks!

p.s. nice to see this thread start up after my original post in 2004!

ljmiii · 01-12-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle

The battery box on the 16 is wedged up front of the propane tanks. I'm not even sure if the larger group 27 will fit in the welded box frame....

The biggest Lifeline that fit my 2006 16' Bambi was the GPL-24T. I called around and I found a number of local distributors that had Lifelines but none that had the GPL-24T in stock. Tri State Battery Online Catalog ended up being both cheaper and easier.

ljmiii · 01-12-2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RDM16CCD

I have a 16' CCD and also wanted more battery capacity, but weight and space are limited, and sometimes I don't really need more, and would rather not take the extra weight. I have 3 scenarios I can deal with:...
3) I bought a Honda generator...

Very sweet setup...I like the flexibility. Which Honda did you go with?

RDM16CCD · 01-12-2007, 06:57 PM

lmjiii
I got a Honda EU1000i to run a Schumaker 3 stage battery charger (2, 20, or 40 Amp). When I want to recharge I power down everything in the trailer that I can switch off, then hook the charger directly to which ever battery setup I have - 20 Amp for the single group 24, and 40 for the 6 volt golf cart batteries. An hour and a half brings the batteries up to 80% or so, and doing it in the middle of the day minimizes the amount I bother other campers with the noise (but it's really pretty quiet).

I also have a Honda EU200i that I got for home to run the furnace or refirigerator in the house when commercial power goes down, but the smaller Honda does the job for camping, and is pretty light weight & fuel efficient. The bigger generator would run the small microwave I take when I go someplace with hookups, but usually when we're camping it's either a campfire or Coleman stove on a picnic table anyway.
Bob