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04-30-2012, 07:55 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern NY
Posts: 77
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Question for the group
Hello all -
My new x20e is great but we dry camp a good deal and I need more battery power. The tongue on my unit has the battery - group 24 - directly behind the jack then 2 20 lbs tanks. No matter how many times I measure I cannot find room between them and the front of the trailer for 2 batteries. This doesn't really break my heart as I didn't want to load the tongue up with weight anyway.
My WFCO is located under the fridge and over the front axle. Immediately behind it is a floor level cabinet large enough to house 2 6v AGM batteries. I intend to locate the battery bank here and remove the battery from the tongue. I will then wire the new bank into the WFCO and retain the original battery harness to power the runaway brakes. I also see/hope I will benefit from having the batteries closer to the charger. I will run larger cable and improve the charge capacity through this and the reduced line loss.
So my questions. Do I leave the current shunt in place? Do I need a new shunt - fairly certain yes here - and if so what size? I place this on the negative wire running from the battery to the charger? Anything else I missed or need to consider?? Thanks for your help.
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Dan in NY
2016 Jayco x213
2012 Toyota Tundra
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05-01-2012, 09:58 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Merrimack NH
Posts: 917
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mainenebula--Don't forget to vent the battery compartment somehow. larry
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Larry & Rachel Demers 2013 F150 Eco Boost Super Cab 6.5 bed 6 sp. 3.31 4x4 White Hawk 28DSBH
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05-01-2012, 03:13 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central PA
Posts: 1,236
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 19H F250
mainenebula--Don't forget to vent the battery compartment somehow. larry
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With AGM batteries you don't have to vent. The batteries do not off gas when charging. I purchased a AGM battery for this reason. 
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No I am NOT retired. I work full time.:D
Tracy from Central PA
2010 Jayco 17Z Ex-Port
2004 Ford Explorer V8 with the tow package
2010 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 132 - Nights Camping in My Z 102
2011 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 107
2012 Camping Stats
Nights camping 133 - Nights camping in my Z 128
2013 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 66 Nights
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05-01-2012, 10:15 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Central California
Posts: 2,283
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Isn't the break away powered from a pin in the 7 way connector? I didn't think that the TT supplied power to the break away, but rather the TV?
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05-02-2012, 05:43 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: South Central Ohio
Posts: 216
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clubhouse
Isn't the break away powered from a pin in the 7 way connector? I didn't think that the TT supplied power to the break away, but rather the TV?
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Not when it breaks away from the TV. The 7-pin connector provides power to the breaks when stopping normally. It also provides power to "charge" the battery on the camper. But when the pin is pulled on the break-away switch, it draws its power from the camper battery. The same setup is on my utility trailer and my stock trailer. Instead of Deep Cycle batteries, they use little specialized trailer batteries.
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Jim
1999 Silverado 1500 ECSB 4x4 5.3/3.73s
2009 Jayco 32BHDS
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05-02-2012, 07:09 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Saskatoon Sask Canada
Posts: 10,730
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clubhouse
Isn't the break away powered from a pin in the 7 way connector? I didn't think that the TT supplied power to the break away, but rather the TV?
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When the breakaway is activated it usually pulls the the umbilical chord from the TV
__________________
Seann
2004 Chev Silverado Duramax optioned past the max. 2009 Jayco Eagle 308 RLS 900watts of solar, Lithium batteries (400amp hour), 3000 watt (4000 surge) whole house inverter.
[LEFT][COLOR="DarkGreen"][B]104days202445/2023[B]2022/151/ 2021
93/2020]157/2019[B]219/2018[206/2017 215/2016, 211/2015, 196/14, 247/13, 193/12
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05-02-2012, 07:12 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Coastal New Jersey
Posts: 77
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Optima recommends installing in a vented compartment....
Joe
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2008 GreyHawk 31SS
2008 Ford Edge FWD Toad
BlueOx Aventa LX Tow Bar
SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO
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05-02-2012, 04:43 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Central California
Posts: 2,283
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Thank you Jim and Sean,
Your replies triggered the light bulb in my head to go off. That makes a whole lot more sense then what I "thought" I learned when I picked up our TT...should point out this is our first TT.
During the walk through with the dealer's service guy, I asked about a dead battery and what effected it had on towing. They said none since the 7 pin powered everything. Guess when you have a breakaway you aren't technically towing any longer :-)
Sorry for the deviation on the OPs question.
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05-02-2012, 07:31 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central PA
Posts: 1,236
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JaycoJoe
Optima recommends installing in a vented compartment....
Joe
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Not exactly. They recommend that the battery be in a ventilated area, not compartment. Unless you charge the battery at a high rate (above 15 amps) or in a very hot area the battery will not off gas.
__________________
No I am NOT retired. I work full time.:D
Tracy from Central PA
2010 Jayco 17Z Ex-Port
2004 Ford Explorer V8 with the tow package
2010 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 132 - Nights Camping in My Z 102
2011 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 107
2012 Camping Stats
Nights camping 133 - Nights camping in my Z 128
2013 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 66 Nights
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05-06-2012, 08:52 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1,393
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainenebula
snip.....
So my questions. Do I leave the current shunt in place? Do I need a new shunt - fairly certain yes here - and if so what size? I place this on the negative wire running from the battery to the charger? Anything else I missed or need to consider?? Thanks for your help.
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I am puzzled by your question about a shunt.
A shunt is a device normally used when measuring the current flow in a DC circuit. Could it be you refer to the fuse which is wired next to the stock battery?
__________________
2013 Jayco Eagle 31.5RLDS
2018 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
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05-06-2012, 10:03 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: The Dalles,OR
Posts: 133
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you should be able to get two group 27 batteries on the front just need to move the gas bottle to the front put the batteries behind them. I did it on my 213exp might work for you If you need picts. just let me know good luck
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05-07-2012, 07:08 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern NY
Posts: 77
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Thx for the thought. My issue is I have 2 20 lb bottles. I could reduce that to one but then I would need to play with the hoses, regulator, switch etc. Still I may end up doing just that
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Dan in NY
2016 Jayco x213
2012 Toyota Tundra
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05-07-2012, 07:15 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern NY
Posts: 77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David472
I am puzzled by your question about a shunt.
A shunt is a device normally used when measuring the current flow in a DC circuit. Could it be you refer to the fuse which is wired next to the stock battery?
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Your point may be the source of my confusion. I am not very familiar with what a shunt does but thought it was as you describe it. But I have on on the ground side of my factory installed wiring harness. Is it there just for the possibility I will get a volt meter? Or is a necessary component to my electrical system?
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Dan in NY
2016 Jayco x213
2012 Toyota Tundra
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05-07-2012, 07:56 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1,393
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainenebula
Your point may be the source of my confusion. I am not very familiar with what a shunt does but thought it was as you describe it. But I have on on the ground side of my factory installed wiring harness. Is it there just for the possibility I will get a volt meter? Or is a necessary component to my electrical system?
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A shunt is not a necessary item, unless its there to measure the DC current flow. A fuse, however, is a necessary item. A fuse has two connections, an input and an output. A shunt has those two, plus two others which go to a metering device. I suspect you are seeing a fuse and not a shunt. A photo may help to identify it for us.
__________________
2013 Jayco Eagle 31.5RLDS
2018 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
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06-07-2012, 12:32 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: King George
Posts: 2,761
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Are you sure you cant add something like this to your trailer that would mount on top of the tongue frame and mount between the Propane tank and the trailer wall..
photo from google images
You will need about 14-inches space. This will extend out over both sides of the tongue and if you just install two batteries in it will also give some tool storage space..
This diamondplate storage box is great for four or two GC2 6v Batteries and will give you around 12VDC @400AH of battery capacity if you install two groups or just 12VDc @200AH if you just install two GC2 6V batteies.
This also would be a great spot to lock-up your GC2 batteries for those off the power grid camping trips.
I can imagine space inside your trailer will be premium...
Be glad to share my info via emails if you might want to go this way... PM me...
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Roy and Carolyn
I claim Horse Creek Country in Southern Ill - Momabear is from North Texas
We live in King George VA
RETIRED DOD DOAF DON CONTRACTOR Electronics Tech 42YRS
"We're burning daylight" - John Wayne
2008 STARCRAFT 14RT OFF-ROAD POPUP with PD9260C and three 85AH 12VDC batteries
2010 F150 FX4 5.4 GAS with 3.73 gears - Super Cab - Towing Package - 2KW Honda EU2000i Gen
K9PHT (since 1957) 146.52Mhz
"We always have a PLAN B"
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