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Old 07-23-2015, 08:33 PM   #1
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1976 31' Excella 500
Providence Village , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 365
Old battery connections- new disconnect avenue....

Recently I finished up resto/modding a 1976 Airstream Excella 500 - our Aluminum Falcon.... You can see that part here:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f233...-a-123551.html

But I never got around to installing a battery for off grid camping... Well after a few weeks of gatherings parts... I now have battery power.

As we all know (or maybe not) the older AS's like our 76 had an obsolete battery disconnect that is no longer made, or those that have them want an arm and a leg for them... So I upgraded and made my own... And while we can wire direct having the ability to disconnect from the trailer THEN remove the battery to work on is great.

Cut off the old connector
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Here's a short list of what you will need...

our system had 6 ga wire so I kept with that.. And please remember this was to my situation and may be different than yours. At the moment an inexpensive battery (so I can learn) and leaving it in the factory battery box)..
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1-2 feet 6 ga (or whatever ga you have in the trailer)
Wire cutters
Wire stripper
60/40 solder
Blow torch
New battery
5/16 battery loops (or whatever size fits your particular battery),..
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Vice grips or table mounted vise
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Quick connect system from your local golf cart shop.
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So I started off prepping and measuring the cable ends versus the quick connect tabs
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Stripping the wire and adding the solder to the clip tabs (as I was out in the country I used a leveling brick and a pair of vsie grips, and my cooking torch)
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Place 3/4 (ish) full of melted solder (or slightly over)
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Do not let this cool too long and start heating up the wires switching to the solder filled tab and then back then press the wire hard into the solder while heating so the solder wicks into the wires - I wrapped the actual cables around the awning pole to cool, the cables in the battery box just keep them off the plastic...
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The battery end to the quick connect
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After the cables are mounted to the battery slide the battery in and click the quick connect together...

Now turn on your lights and have a beer...
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Old 07-23-2015, 08:37 PM   #2
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1976 31' Excella 500
Providence Village , Texas
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Picture of the quick connect
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Old 07-23-2015, 10:35 PM   #3
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1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland , New York
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How well does the quick disconnect work. I bought one when I did mine. Wired it all up and found it so difficult to pull apart, nearly impossible, I cut it out. The battery has screw posts, so it only takes 60 seconds to remove if I want to.
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Old 07-24-2015, 08:43 AM   #4
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1976 31' Excella 500
Providence Village , Texas
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Very easily. Just a bit more tension as a light plug- just enough, but not that you have to struggle.
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Old 07-24-2015, 11:18 AM   #5
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I just put stainless steel wing nuts on the battery posts. Disconnects in seconds
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Old 07-24-2015, 11:29 AM   #6
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1976 31' Excella 500
Providence Village , Texas
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Posts: 365
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gearheart View Post
I just put stainless steel wing nuts on the battery posts. Disconnects in seconds

Great idea- unfortunately in the original battery box, using a group 27 I do not have the room to do the cables in the box.
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Old 07-24-2015, 12:59 PM   #7
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1978 25' Tradewind
Metro Phoenix , Arizona
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If you're an inter-nut like I am, there's a huge selection of battery connectors on eBay.

I also got one of these cheap hydraulic crimping tools - it works like a charm. (Any excuse to buy a new tool!)
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