Ordering, tomorrow! 2nd battery option?

[Stokeme]

I am ordering a Grandby Shell w/some extras. I will attempt to DIY my own solar. I would rather obtain my own batteries. However, w/FWC, The first battery is standard & mandatory.
My question is: What do you get with the 2nd battery option? Do they wire in a 2nd lead? Or do they just add a wire harness between the two batteries? What is the value of the 2nd battery option, besides another battery?
Finally pulling the trigger! Going big ... I was going w/Hawk but the 8’ Camper gives me & the Mrs. plenty of room to fight ... with our own neutral corners. A good buddy is an aluminum fabricator. I will post pictures if anything cool gets done.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

They will probably just parallel in another battery beside the first. That’s how my old Grandby came. If you are not going to have a compressor refrigerator, I don’t think you’ll need it. If you do have a furnace, and plan on staying in one spot for a while, it would be a good idea to add it in.

 

[camper rich]

We ordered our FWC Grandby in Sept of 2016 and were able to delete the battery so that I could install two Lifeline 6 volt Golf Cart batteries. The wires were in place and the only thing special that I did was to change the wires between the two batteries to #4 wire.

The downside to doing this was that FWC really didn't check out the wiring and we later found the converter had not been hooked up properly to charge the batteries. Had we ordered a battery they probably would have been able to spot that in CQ.

BTW, Are you having FWC add the roof wiring for the solar panel?

 

[nikonron]

I had no problem ordering my Eagle shell with no battery. Did all my own wiring that way too. Ron

 

[Kali]

When I discussed with Pete @ FWC he said that I would definitely want a second battery with the 130 Liter fridge that I am ordering my Hawk with. So I guess it depends on if you are getting a compressor fridge, and what size.

 

[Stokeme]

The Shell Model was altered for 2017. The standard build, which is mandatory, includes the furnace & tanks, one 12V battery & wiring, 12V outlet, hydraulic lifter arms as well.
Solar wiring for the roof & rear is also standard.
They are going back to less standard items, as per usual, for 2018.
Is the 2nd battery option just a battery?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Yup, and two wires.

If you’re going to install a second battery, it would be best to ensure it’s the same mfr/type/age as the first. The easiest way to do that is to get it from FWC.

Did you look at ATC? Mandatory isn’t a big part of their vocabulary, flexible is...

 

[nikonron]

I'll second going with ATC, Four Wheel is getting out of control. Customer is number one in my book. Ron

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/14905-fwc-or-atc-opinions-facts/

 

[JeffB]

Just got a 2017 Fleet with a second battery and it is wired in parallel. Second battery and wires is all. Would be really easy to add a second if the first is already there.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

If you are young and your back is in good shape you can live with ice chest. As you age those 60 pound ice chests are going to get heavy. Eventually you will purchase a compressor fridge. Ordering your shell pre-wired for two solar plugs and two 12 volts ports will save you money in the future.

The biggest reason to order the auxiliary battery system is the compressor fridge and furnace. Most of the front loading fridges draw 4-5 amps per hour. The portables 2,9 - 4 when they cycle. Our Engel draws 2.9 when it cycles on. Averaging 1.5 per hour over 24 hours. One 80 amp hour battery gives 40 usable amps as your 12 volt devices wont run when the voltage drops below 12 volts. So at a 4 amp per hour draw one 40 amp battery will last 10 hours. Dark hours in winter about 14 .

If you run the fridge and the furnace both will stop working at about 3 am (I know from personal experience). Buy two batteries.

These two devices are reason you need at least 150 watt solar panel on the roof. They charge at 5.1 amps December 22nd and 9.1 June 22nd.

An easy way to determine the need for one or two battery's is to add up the total number of amps. Divide into 40.