Agonizing over battery options for our on-order Hawk Flatbed- HELP!

[Durango1]

So Sioux and I went through the optioning process for our new Hawk. Denny Saunders up in Jackson was very patient but I bogged down on batteries. (I am far from an electrician and get overwhelmed easily.)

Finally we jointly agreed to "kick the can down the road" by ordering the two battery set up from the factory but Denny saying he will credit us for the two batteries if we find something we like better between now and October. (Thanks, Denny!)

So what would you folks do? We don't have solar now on our 2012 slide-in Hawk and our two factory AGM batteries have never let us down yet. We move the truck at least every couple of days. And we don't have solar ordered from the factory for the FB Hawk either but will add it later. (More can-kicking going on here!)

So as I see it we can:

1. Stay with the double battery option we've already specced from the factory. They are two Exide group 24, 75 amp FP-AGM24DB batteries. OR...

2. Denny mentioned that given that the battery compartment on the Flat Bed model is vented to and accessible from the outside we could go with two 6 volt golf cart batteries. I know Solar Bob rhapsodizes about Crown batteries and they do have a CR235 model with a 235 amp capacity. (Or some say just go to Sam's Club and pick up two of their golf cart batteries.)

NOTE: Two of the above CR235's would easily fit in the battery compartment which is 22.5 deep X 11.0 wide X 14.5 tall. (I would install a slide-out battery tray to ease maintenance.)

3. Or we could go with lithium but given my abysmal electrical skills this fills me with doubt!

So Mr. OCD here doesn't want to over-analyze things but I'd also like the best performance possible. So that is your blank group slate. What would you all do. (Including any options I haven't listed above.)

BTW, I do plan to install a Tri-metric 2030-RV battery monitor so I can get even more compulsive over things. And thanks in advance for your advice and help!

Steve

 

[brianjwilson]

Do you have a compressor fridge?
How much solar will you install?
What are your other electrical loads?

I think for most people, the battery setup would be fine. I think charging them adequately is going to be more important. Solar to top off and maintain the batteries properly, and possibly upgraded wiring to get a better bulk charge to the camper batteries. The small wiring from FWC install isn't going to do a whole lot for charging while driving in my opinion.

After looking at the cr235 price, I'd be tempted to run two of those. Just have a good way to charge and maintain them.

 

[longhorn1]

Steve, I read all of these posts with complicated system and it appears that several people have ghost issues that they can't find. The more complicated the more opportunity for a partial or complete system failure. I'm not an electrical person, thus I relied on what I read, conversations with FWC and Sean Dempsey. We went with 2 AGM batteries, and 100W solar. With the 80L fridge and my CPAP machine we have had plenty of power and gone through several days of rain. To me this is the basic system and it as performed without a hickup. I think a lot of people think way over the top. Lithium batteries may be the thing of the future but they remain untested. Hopefully they will do the job. I applaud those that take some risks. I'm not one of those. So many of these posts are over my head



Sent from my SCH-I545 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[cdbrow1]

I would talk to these guys about Lithium Ion Iron batteries... I use them.

http://www.starkpower.com/

 

[longhorn1]

I would talk to these guys about Lithium Ion Iron batteries... I use them.

http://www.starkpower.com/

I have followed your posts. I think what you are doing is pretty awesome. Looking forward to seeing how they work over the long haul. I remember flying to East Lansing to visit my closest friend who was at Michigan State. i went to a chemistry lecture with a couple hundred students. Didn't understand a word the professor said. Just like all of the post on electrical and solar. I did take one step forward by purchasing the 80W Zamp portable. We used it once in Big Bend. I plan on using it more when we go to Vermont. Enjoy your posts. John

 

[ntsqd]

Given not an electrician and the general sense that I get from the OP's post I'll suggest leaving the Li-On batteries for the future. Stay with lead-acid as those are known entities, which will make any future possible problem solving simpler.

I've detailed it before but I'll do it again. Our charging system consists both a truck engine source and a solar source. The engine driven system consists of a Voltage Sensing Relay, an 80 amp breaker in the positive cable at each battery, and 6 gauge power & ground duplex wire making the connection. Separation, should the camper need to come off the truck, is handled by an Anderson PowerPole connector, which is bolted to the bed such that water flows thru it rather than pooling inside it.

Then we have a 100W solar panel on the roof with a Morningstar Sunsaver Duo solar charge controller mounted right next to the battery box. Given that the solar panel was supplied with the solar industry standard "MC4" connector and cutting them off voids the warranty I stayed with the supplied 10 gauge wire. I've not bothered to look into it but I was told here that PWM controllers don't benefit from max possible voltage anyway. So even though I'd have preferred to step the wire size up to 8 gauge for voltage drop considerations, I ran with the 10 ga. and the system works fine.

I do not think that I would buy the Sunsaver Duo again. If I were to do it over I'd likely go with something like the standard Sunsaver or (if I feel flush) a Sunsaver MPPT controller. The Sunsaver Duo offers two charge schemes if trying to charge more than one battery bank, a 50/50 split and a 90/10 split. I didn't like either being so fixed. I had thought that it would be nice to have the solar also keep the truck's starting batteries topped off. Turns out that the Voltage Sensing Relay already does that function since it senses charge from either side and connects the two when the charging side battery's voltage reads full charge.

HTH

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I am a proponent of KISS. I think your two Group 24 AGM batteries in parallel will be fine, fit your needs, and be reliable. If one fails, you can disconnect it and limp along with the remaining battery until you can get it replaced. Your camping style will dictate what you need to do for charging.

 

[Durango1]

Do you have a compressor fridge? Yes, the 2-Way Refrigerator/Freezer - 110 liter (AC/DC) from FWS. We have it in our 2012 Hawk and love it.
How much solar will you install? Don't know. Maybe 100- 200 W? (Told ya I am an electrical doofus!) But like I said I'm kicking this can down the road. (We do carry a 2000 watt Yamaha generator but seldom need to use it.)
What are your other electrical loads? The standard FWC furnace and some LED lights along with cell phone charging. We normally charge our computers off the cab inverter while travelling.

Good questions. And some great ideas from the others. So I've already been led to the conclusion that I should not be on the cutting edge with lithium batteries. (duh!)

So help me out with one simple question:

Option 1. Go with the FWC standard two Exide 75 amp 12 v batteries or go with...

Option 2. The two Crown (or another brand) 6 v deep cycle 235 amp batteries with a roll out tray?

My thanks in advance.

Mr. Doofus

 

[longhorn1]

Good questions. And some great ideas from the others. So I've already been led to the conclusion that I should not be on the cutting edge with lithium batteries. (duh!)

So help me out with one simple question:

Option 1. Go with the FWC standard two Exide 75 amp 12 v batteries or go with...

Option 2. The two Crown (or another brand) 6 v deep cycle 235 amp batteries with a roll out tray?

My thanks in advance.

Mr. Doofus

The 2 factory installed AGM batteries have worked like a charm. As Wandering Sagebrush said KISS.

 

[PaulT]

search for agm golf cart batteries. They are not cheap but do provide a lot of power. Even Trojan now has AGM golf cart batteries.

On the other hand, the factory 12 v AGM batteries provide 150aH of power and when they wear out can be replaced by someone who has lived with the camper for several years and really understands his needs quite well by that time. Campers need not be perfect from the start as witnessed by all the modification threads here.

Paul

 

[Durango1]

Campers need not be perfect from the start as witnessed by all the modification threads here.

Paul

You got that right, Paul. Just looking for the best start possible. Any other opinions/insights out there on the 6 volt versus 12 volt debate?

Steve

PS I can't argue with Longhorn's KISS comment either!