Dual battery system.

[apulido]

Thinking about a dual battery system. I am so use to military generators having two batteries to operate them. I am thinking about a solar panel power trickle charger for the battery system. Any thoughts anyone?

[TucsonJim]

I have dual AGM 6V batts in series in my Reflection. I also have two portable 100W solar panels. As long as we have good sun, we never need to run our generator when boondocking.

[gordofuchs]

Why do people use six volt as opposed to the standard 12 volt batteries ?

[RetiredVagabond]

Jim, I have a Reflection with 2-12 volt batteries and thinking about getting one of the portable solar 120 watt kits. Do you think it would be enough to top of the batteries using a few lights, cell phone, laptop, water pump?

[webpilot]

Why do people use six volt as opposed to the standard 12 volt batteries ?

6 volt batteries have thicker plates and have more capacity. 2 6v batteries have more capacity than 2 12v batteries. 6v batteries are true deep cycle batteries while 12v are a hybrid for deep cycle and cranking battery. That is my understanding anyway.

George

[TucsonJim]

Why do people use six volt as opposed to the standard 12 volt batteries ?

Here is some good information on 6V vs. 12V batteries:

http://www.rvdoctor.com/2010/08/rv-b...s-that-is.html

Also, I use AGM batteries vs. lead-acid batteries. Here's some information on why:

http://batteries-marine.com/agmvsflooded.php

Jim

[TucsonJim]

Jim, I have a Reflection with 2-12 volt batteries and thinking about getting one of the portable solar 120 watt kits. Do you think it would be enough to top of the batteries using a few lights, cell phone, laptop, water pump?

a

Good morning. 120 Watts will most certainly be enough to boost your battery charge with a full day of sunshine. You can go much further though if you convert all your lighting to LED vs. Incandescent. My son uses a 120 watt panel, and he didn't need to charge his batteries with the generator after six days of camping. BTW, one of the biggest drains on the batteries is the furnace fan. If you're not running the furnace, your battery charge will drain very slowly with the usage you indicate.

[RetiredVagabond]

Thanks Jim, I feel pretty good about going ahead with my purchase.

[samgallagher]

Since I do not do a lot of dry camping I opted for the EC-30W Remote Energy Mangement System by Cummins. The EC-30W is the first autostart system specifically designed for RV owners to install themselves. This provides worry-free control for most Cummins Onan diesel, gas, or LP generators. While high-end diesel RVs have added autostart as a factory option in recent years, most RVers who could use an autostart system on their existing RV don’t have one. Because the EC-30W is wireless, the average RV owner can install it on their own without paying for installation. At the same time, the EC-30W maintains several features that are unique to the Energy Command family. You can set the voltage of your generater battery to have your generator kick in automatically to maintain the charge. Also, when connected to shore power, if shore power cuts off it the generator will start then the AC will kick in...you have to set the tempertaure at which you want it to kick in. This is a really good safety feature if you have pets and you where not at the unit. If dry camping a lot then I concur with comments above on 6volt vs 12 volt, agm vs lead. I would also add an invertor along with solar. All great comments.