Portable 12v system?

[utahredrock]

My new-to-me '62 Safari needs an electrical system overhaul--this isn't something I have the time nor inclination to do myself and it will be a while before I can pay to have it done.

I really want to be able to run my fantastic vent fan--that's the main priority. Second it would be nice to have some of the 12v lights work. In my trailer they are wired separately from the 110 lights.

Shouldn't this be feasible with a temporary/portable 12v system? Are there any products people would recommend?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

A more basic question would be: Are the portable systems any cheaper than putting in a "real" system. Both have a battery or two in them. Lead acid is always cheaper than lithium watt for watt. Both have some sort of charger. Getting things wired up to here or there is same / same either way. Help with something like this can often be a "case of beer and some hotdogs" deal. Just get the buddies to do the helping *before* the beer is all gone

Basic math on the fan that is running out in the driveway right now (yes it's *hot* if I'm in and out of the trailer, the fan is needed): The fan is pulling just about 2A as it sits right now. If I want to run it over night, that would be 24AH off of the battery. I'd need a 48AH battery just to run the fan. With a rational margin on the capacity, I'm at about 60AH. Toss in a few lights and a cell phone charger, I'm likely up into a 70 or 80 AH battery.

An 80AH battery is not what you will find in a lightweight / low cost / portable / lead acid based gizmo. It's something you will find in a $1,000 Lithium gizmo that weighs in around 50 lb. So yes, you can do what you need to do. For way less than $1,000 you can put in a couple of real batteries and a real charger ....

Bob

[utahredrock]

Bob,

That is a good question. I was thinking there might be something for under a hundred bucks. My trailer needs a pretty major rewiring after 55 years. I am at a point where it's beyond just hooking up some batteries to the original system. Unfortunately I can't explain why as I am fairly unsavvy on the electrical side of things. I do know that most of the original system on the battery end of things is gone and the wires are old.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

We live in a world where you can't *possibly* know how to do everything. Trying to learn how to do all of this and all of that ... there aren't enough years to go through all those books.

Noodle around among your friends. Find out who knows what. I'll just about guarantee that there is a pretty major body of knowledge there. They don't have to be pro's, people do pick up odd skills. We just don't pick up *every* skill.

Any task like this is 90% grunt work that anybody can do. The other 10% *does* need to happen along with it. Tearing out the wires is grunt work. Feeding the new wires from here to there is grunt work. Knowing which wires to tear out and what to put back in ... that is where the skill comes in.

Grunt work is not all heavy lifting. Get enough people together and it'll get done. Kids can pitch in along with everybody else. The trick is to turn it into a party.

Bob

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by utahredrock

My new-to-me '62 Safari needs an electrical system overhaul--this isn't something I have the time nor inclination to do myself and it will be a while before I can pay to have it done.

I really want to be able to run my fantastic vent fan--that's the main priority. Second it would be nice to have some of the 12v lights work. In my trailer they are wired separately from the 110 lights.

Shouldn't this be feasible with a temporary/portable 12v system? Are there any products people would recommend?

Specifically what is broken or worn out? Why do you think your trailer needs a wiring overhaul? Unless the insulation on the wiring is damaged there should be no problem using what is there.
Maybe only a few components are needed and the system would be good to do what you want, safely.

[joshjack]

I'll echo the above sentiment. DC wiring especially doesn't "wear out". Just being old doesn't make it bad. The potential problems might be worn insulation that is shorting out or something similar. Or a failed/shorted inverter - which could be removed without rewiring the rest of the system.