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Old 05-18-2011, 06:03 PM   #1
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1977 25' Tradewind
Conway , South Carolina
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Battery and Converter Needs

Hi all, I'm sure this may be a repeat but I'm having no luck
with the search functions. Have a 25' 1977 Tradewind
and I need a battery and new converter, any suggestions
as to what size of each? Also thinking of switching to
Alum. rims, do the original hubcaps have any value?? I
have a set of 4 in pretty good shape, worth selling or
a trash item?? Also the antenna and lifting mech. as well
as the fridge venting piece?? Thanks again
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Old 05-18-2011, 06:42 PM   #2
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Check out Randy at BestConverter - Converters, Inverters, Electrical Supplies, Electronics He's got the answers and can supply what you need in the way of a converter/charger...

As to the battery question - don't know what size fit's your TT... the most popular sizes are: Group-24 (10 in long) and Group-27 (12 in long) Deep Cycle types...

Have fun with your project...
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Old 05-18-2011, 06:47 PM   #3
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This should work

Intelli Power 45 amp should be ample for your needs. Look on eBay for the best price. My '74 Argosy uses a Group 24 battery.
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Old 05-18-2011, 08:05 PM   #4
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If you ask Randy (and me ) we wil both tell you that while the IP is a good unit, there have been many failures of these. My best bet is the IOTA DLS series which are full 3 stage automatic charging. The most popular sizes are 45 and 55 amp designated as DLS-45IQ and DLS-55IQ.

I've installed or upgraded over 30 of these units and have not had a failure yet!
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Old 05-18-2011, 09:47 PM   #5
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Sorry Lew, I forgot you were so close to SC back there...

I agree as well, the IOTA units work great - I've been using the 45 amp model with three GP-27's for almost three years without any problems...

If I'd known I was going to add the third battery, I would have probably opted for the 55 amp model, but the 45 has still done a good job, rapidly recharging the batteries each morning when we're out in the boonies, here in the West!

I keep our AS on shore power most of the time when home, and the 'float' mode of the IOTA keeps the batteries up to snuff, ready to hit the road again!
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Old 05-18-2011, 10:20 PM   #6
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re: "while the IP is a good unit, there have been many failures of these" -- this is interesting. I wonder what cause. My sample is limited to tens but that there have been no failures in that sample for the last ten years or so. So I'm curious as to what is going on here.

As for the IOTA DLS series -- these do not appear to have any battery maintenance mode. It appears they do float only, which can contribute to plate corrosion. They do nothing like the IP, WFCO, or BatteryMINDer to inhibit sulfation.

It is poor battery maintenance during storage that seems to cause many premature battery deaths yet this particular modern technology does not seem to have much awareness in some circles.
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Old 05-18-2011, 11:00 PM   #7
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Our Iota DLS from Best has worked sooper...easy install too.
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Old 05-26-2011, 12:08 PM   #8
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Bryanl,
The Iota does have battery conditioning (equalization mode)
http://iotaengineering.com/pplib/IQ4manual.pdf
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Old 05-26-2011, 12:33 PM   #9
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I installed the IP9245 converter in my 65 Safari from Vintage Trailer Supply. It charges 3 group 27 Lifelines and works great. It was very easy to install.
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Old 05-27-2011, 08:05 AM   #10
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re: "The Iota does have battery conditioning (equalization mode)" -- good to know. interesting that it uses a 7 day period compared to the 14 hours in some others.

I also wish these guys would dump the 'equalization' name for this sort of thing. A proper equalization charge is an extreme thing done to equalize cell charge, needs careful monitoring, and should only be done in certain circumstances. Desulfating needs to be automatic and not require concerns about battery damage or electrolyte loss.
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Old 05-27-2011, 09:57 PM   #11
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No, No Bryanl. That is marketing 101, they would be foolish to dump it! We could and should argue its bunk but don't blame them at all.
What Both PD and Iota do is an attempt to address stratification. Its not a popular buzz word but that is all they do AT BEST. Equalization, even argued between battery manufactures and the BCI is totally different and somewhat undefined as you know so its hard to blame them for claiming it. We know better.
Desulfators are a much better way to prevent sulfation rather than wait for the need to equalize, IMO. Have been testing and proving that for years in my "lab" !
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Old 05-28-2011, 09:01 AM   #12
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re: "That is marketing 101, they would be foolish to dump it!" -- may be, but it causes confusion because it is inaccurate and misleading. IMHO, manufacturers need to lead on education, not follow ignorance.

What I see is folks who think they need to equalize their RV batteries and then go to Trojan's site, for example, to find out what to do. The result is risky, hazardous, and unnecessary.

That becomes an issue of trying to get across what equalization really is, what it is for, and why it isn't needed in the typical RV situation, and that tends to obfuscate what is really needed - effective battery maintenance during storage that minimizes sulfation and need for intervention (like adding water). -- (and minimizes the sort of plate corrosion that trickle charging tends to promote)

Equalization has that name because its primary purpose is to equalize charge state in a battery. Desulfation is only potential a side effect of that process. Most RV use profiles include sufficient charge and discharge current plus a sufficient time for effective complete charging that cell imbalance is unlikely - this is also why the hazards of hydrometry are unnecessary.

But people seem to have a penchant for cell contamination and acid splashing ... ;-)

We need to educate folks. They need to understand the role of sulfation in battery degradation and death and the two means (pulse charging and de-stratification) to inhibit it during storage.

I think PD and Iota (and other RV converter manufacturers) need to emphasize their battery storage maintenance techniques (where most RV batteries spend most of their time) and what that means for typical RV battery life as well as improved battery experience. It seems to me that that would be good marketing.

From anything I can tell, proper storage maintenance charging is more important to the user experience than what does get the marketing emphasis (multiple stage charging).

But then, my major skill seems to be irritating people, not marketing or selling things ... so what do I know.
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