12 volt battery only

[poolman03]

It's my understanding that my 1963 Sovereign only had battery supplied 12 volt system. No inverter or converter. Most all of the battery box wiring is gone but still some evidence of a breaker and some wiring.

I would like to go back simple and original.

Can anyone help me with deciding to go battery only or full out?

[xrvr]

Didn't some of the old ones have a battery charger instead of a converter charger.? Had to be someway to charge the battery.

[Protagonist]

There must have been a converter, at least, even if there wasn't an inverter/charger. I can't imagine that you'd have a battery with no way to recharge it. So that one circuit breaker you found might have been for the converter to provide 12v power for battery charging while on shore power.

[xrvr]

I believe they were very rudimentary chargers, if memory serves right. Come on vintage people help us here!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by avionstream

I believe they were very rudimentary chargers, if memory serves right.

Maybe. But there's no need to put a rudimentary charger back in.

When I was still working for a living, I had to deal with maintenance and repair on structures that were eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. It was important for me to understand what made the structure historical and what didn't. Applying the same principles here, restoration doesn't mean exactly duplicating the way it was unless the trailer is going to end up in a museum somewhere. The original wet-cell battery can be replaced by an AGM, and the original charger can be replaced by a modern multi-stage charger to help improve battery life, while still being true to the spirit of restoration in other respects such as using only 12v electrical wiring and propane-fueled appliances.

[idroba]

Most of those original and somewhat experimental (by Airstream) systems are long gone and forgotten, and it is just as well. As I recall, some of them had a 120 to 12 volt transformer and a relay. If the unit was plugged in, the 12 volt system got power from the transformer, and it may not have even been DC. But it might have had a diode or selenium rectifier to make it into DC, I am not sure at all now.

There is just no reason with today's systems to try to replicate the original, unless you are doing some museum quality piece.

It is easy to make a simple 12 volt DC electrical system for your rig. Get a Progressive Dynamics 9245 converter/charger and a 12 volt deep cycle battery. Charge the battery with the PD, and add a simple fuse box or individual fuses for the 12 volt circuits you will use, such as the water pump and lights. Add a charge line from the tow vehicle if you want, be sure to fuse it at the trailer battery end. You can use that wire to run a power jack if you want one. A few light circuits, pump, maybe a furnace and you are up to date, but simple.

[Thalweg]

My 1962 Tradewind is very close to original. It has a separate 120 volt system and a 12 volt system. I have two lights in each fixture, one 12-v and one 120-v. There is a circuit breaker box in the rear for the 120-v outlets, and AC wiring. The furnace wiring and 12-v lights go directly to the battery, which is mounted on the front of the trailer above the propane tanks. I can see no evidence that there was ever a charger installed for the 12 volt system. It is tied to the umbilical (7-pin) so that in theory it charges the battery from the tow vehicle. I kept everything stock, except that I added a converter into the system so I can run the 12-volt without the battery, and now the battery charges while plugged into shore power.

I really like the system. It's simple, and a unique conversation starter.

[poolman03]

Perfect Guys. im going to run a Progressive Dynamics 9245 converter/charger snd basically leave everything else original. Thanks