BaseCamp Battery Hook-UP

[Wrightflyer]

Can someone post a picture of the battery hook-up for the basecamp please? I removed the batteries for winter storage and I am unsure of the correct re-install. Thanks

[Basecamp19]

I don't have a picture but I took mine apart yesterday in preparation for removing the battery box and installing (larger) LiFePO4 batteries, so I can describe the orientation from memory

Mine were the Lifeline AGM batteries that come with the solar package.

The two 12 v batteries were wired in parallel. They had the Negative terminals toward the front of the trailer. The Red wire from the battery box pass-through was attached to the positive terminal on the battery furthest from the road side of the trailer (so closer to the cabin and the shower). The Black wire from the pass through was attached to the negative terminal on the roadside battery (so towards the front of the trailer on the battery further away from you). Then the two battery positives were connected by a short red wire attached with larger bolts (in terms of the size of socket needed) and the two negatives were connected by the short black wire attached with smaller bolts.

I should have thought to take a picture.

[crozsr]

Here's a pic of my battery install in 2017 BC

Dave

[Basecamp19]

A purist would want the cable lengths to each battery to be equal and symmetric -- so in the picture that crozr provided it would be better to have the red wire from the battery box feed through to be attached to the positive on one battery and the black wire to be attached to the negative of the other battery.

[Wrightflyer]

Thanks everyone for such a quick response.

[16XBoondock]

Originally Posted by Basecamp19

I don't have a picture but I took mine apart yesterday in preparation for removing the battery box and installing (larger) LiFePO4 batteries, so I can describe the orientation from memory

Mine were the Lifeline AGM batteries that come with the solar package.

The two 12 v batteries were wired in parallel. They had the Negative terminals toward the front of the trailer. The Red wire from the battery box pass-through was attached to the positive terminal on the battery furthest from the road side of the trailer (so closer to the cabin and the shower). The Black wire from the pass through was attached to the negative terminal on the roadside battery (so towards the front of the trailer on the battery further away from you). Then the two battery positives were connected by a short red wire attached with larger bolts (in terms of the size of socket needed) and the two negatives were connected by the short black wire attached with smaller bolts.

I should have thought to take a picture.

I have a 2021 BaseCamp 16X on order and am trying to decide on the factory 180W solar option for $2400, or buying two quality group 24 80ah AGM batteries for $700, two 160W renology flexible solar panels for $600 to plug into the exterior plug, and upgrade the solar controler to a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/35 Solar Charge Controller for $320and a Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor with Battery Temperature Sensor for $230. This would cost all in $1850 and be a better system than the factory option. Maybe eventually mounting them to the roof as the solar wiring to the roof is there with or without the solar option. I am also interested in the LiFePO4 batteries but from what I understand the charge controler would also need to be replaced. Any info on your solar setup and LiFePO4 conversion would be very helpful.

[16XBoondock]

Originally Posted by Basecamp19

I don't have a picture but I took mine apart yesterday in preparation for removing the battery box and installing (larger) LiFePO4 batteries, so I can describe the orientation from memory

Mine were the Lifeline AGM batteries that come with the solar package.

The two 12 v batteries were wired in parallel. They had the Negative terminals toward the front of the trailer. The Red wire from the battery box pass-through was attached to the positive terminal on the battery furthest from the road side of the trailer (so closer to the cabin and the shower). The Black wire from the pass through was attached to the negative terminal on the roadside battery (so towards the front of the trailer on the battery further away from you). Then the two battery positives were connected by a short red wire attached with larger bolts (in terms of the size of socket needed) and the two negatives were connected by the short black wire attached with smaller bolts.

I should have thought to take a picture.

@Basecamp19

I am interested in the LiFePO4 battery setup you are installing. Any information would be great!

[Rolind]

Here is a pic of my basecamp with factory solar and agm batteries.

[16XBoondock]

Originally Posted by Rolind

Here is a pic of my basecamp with factory solar and agm batteries.

Thanks for the pic. It looks like there is some extra room in the box. Do you happen to have the inside dimensions (L X W X H) for the battery box? From your photo it appears group 27 batteries would fit.

[Rolind]

Sorry don’t have dimensions.

[Basecamp19]

The battery box is a complicated structure -- it has two wells that and a steel member that straddle a trailer steel frame member and then a rectangular section above the two wells below a cushioned top. Though the top and the outside vent implies the box is sealed, it has big gaps in the bottom parts.

Each well is about 10 1/4" high (to the top of the box) , 11" long, and 6 7/8" wide. The space at the top above the wells is 4 3/4" High (included in the 10 1/4 for the wells) x 12 3/8" x 16 1/2.

In installing two ReLiOn 100ah LiFePO4 batteries I took the box out, filled the areas on either side of the frame with insulation, and installed the batteries on their sides sitting at floor level -- they end up almost level with the top of the bottom shelf so I installed an 1/8" lexan sheet on top to serve as the shelf for the opening.

[Comtngrl]

Originally Posted by Rolind

Here is a pic of my basecamp with factory solar and agm batteries.

Have you had to replace them? How do you get the batteries out especially the one in the back? We have to take our ourt and thought we could do it ourselves? Anyone else has done this ?

[Rolind]

The first winter we owned our Basecamp, I pulled out the batteries and left them on a trickle charger for the winter. Shortly thereafter I had to get an epidural injection in my back. Not sure on cause and effect. They are heavy and in a very awkward location. You need to lift them one handed with your spine twisted and your body half stuffed under the sink. Next year we got an external solar panel and a charge controller and they never came out again. Good luck. I had decided that if they needed to come out again, I would rig up some sort of lever or block and tackle setup.