Battery "double duty" question

3Pillons · 06-06-2012, 08:46 PM

Can anyone give me any reason why I couldn't use my battery to run a small trolling motor on my canoe occassionally? I figure it's the right type of battery and the camper will charge it back up when I'm done. I never boondock so having a dead battery in the camper is not an issue for me. I really don't want to have the spend the money for a second battery and charger. Thanks.

exjay1 · 06-06-2012, 08:55 PM

I wouldnt see why not as long as its not drained to the point it wont charge back up on the trickle charge. your tow vech will also charge it while in tow but ultimatly you want a good battery to activate the brakes if it ever seperates from the TV while in travel. I say go for it just keep a decent mulitmeter around to check up on the battery and charge state.

3Pillons · 06-06-2012, 09:02 PM

Good point about the brakes. It would likely have at least an overnight charge on it before being towed away so I'd imagine that 12 hours or better of charging should provide enough juice to lock up the brakes in an emergency.

RoyBraddy · 06-07-2012, 08:58 PM

One point about removing and reconnecting the trailer battery. The battery terminals are the same size for both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE terminals and it is very easy to get them switched especially in the dark..

If you reverse the battery terminas even for a second than most likely three fuses will instantly blow that are being used between your trailer converter/charger and the battery.

If these fuses get blown then you will not have any trailer battery charging capabilities using your trailer converter/charger unit. You will also not have 12VDC from your battery to operate your trailer 12VDc appliances/lights as well until the fuses get replaced. Your requirement to have a operating electric brakes on your trailer in case of a trailer disconnect will also be disabled and could get you in trouble with DOT or your insurance company if anything happend trying to make it back home.

I personally dont think this is a good idea removing your trailer battery to operate your boat trolling motor. You probably wouldnt even consider it all removing your truck battery to use on your boat...

Batteries from Walmart are not all that expensive. A lawn mower battery probably would run your trolling motor just fine on your boat. They cost around $35 I think.

If you have a 2KW honda type generator for your trailer it could be a very easy tasking to connect your trailer shore power cable to the 2KW generator using a RV30A-15A adapter and allow your trailer on-board converter/charger to also re-charge your boat trolling battery.

If you run down your trailer battery many times below 12.0VDC and dont re-charge it right away you risk doing damage to your more expensive trailer battery. I would not drain the trailer battery below 11.9VDC so you should puchase a digital multimeter to carry with you to keep a close eye on the battery DC Voltage when using it. If it get discharged down to 12.0VDC then discontinue using it...

Having your trailer battery go bad on you at home is one thing but having it fail while out on the road complicates things alot.

my two cents worth... Just things to think about....

David472 · 06-08-2012, 02:03 PM

If you observe connect-disconnect polarity, and watch the state of charge, all well and good.

Another consideration is the battery has a finite number of discharge-charge cycles in its life span, even if well cared for. You may find it cheaper in the long run to have a smaller, less expensive battery for trolling, instead of adding cycles to the life of your TT battery.

Chakara · 06-08-2012, 09:02 PM

Or, put in quick disconnect. Use the same type on the trailer and boat. Good to go - no risk of hooking up backwards.

I never bought anything like this or from this site - but something like these might work

If you always use hookup sites - why the heck not - that battery isn't really being used anyway!

-Chak

3Pillons · 06-12-2012, 03:52 AM

The battery itself is very clearly marked and the cables on the trailer are simple enough, color coded and fused. Both the trailer and the boat motor have simple loops on the wires and the the battery posts have wing nuts on them so switching out is a peice of cake. Like I said, I don't boondock so the trailer battery is just for safety and convenience while traveling and I realistically won't use the battery on the canoe more than a dozen times a year so I think I'll save the money. A deep cycle marine battery isn't just $35 bucks like for a lawnmower and my truck battery isn't the right type anyway as they are built for starting power, not continuous use like RV/Marine batteries.

David472 · 06-12-2012, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3Pillons

The battery itself is very clearly marked and the cables on the trailer are simple enough, color coded and fused. Both the trailer and the boat motor have simple loops on the wires and the the battery posts have wing nuts on them so switching out is a peice of cake. Like I said, I don't boondock so the trailer battery is just for safety and convenience while traveling and I realistically won't use the battery on the canoe more than a dozen times a year so I think I'll save the money. A deep cycle marine battery isn't just $35 bucks like for a lawnmower and my truck battery isn't the right type anyway as they are built for starting power, not continuous use like RV/Marine batteries.

Sounds good to me! Go for it.

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