hooking up a second battery

[swimmer_spe]

I plan to go camping for a weekend, but may not have power. I was thinking of bringing a spare battery and swapping it out. I also thought of just running jumper cables to the 'dead' battery. Would doing that work, or must I swap it out? I don't want to mess with daisy chaining it.

[2oldman]

swimmer_spe wrote:
one will be more dead than the other when I pack up to go to my next spot, over 5 hours away, where I will be back on shore power.

If you're back on shore you can charge then. Am I missing something?

[swimmer_spe]

pianotuna wrote:

swimmer_spe wrote:
Would it be better to throw the worst one on the trailer to charge off the truck while traveling?

Very little charging happens.

I agree with 2oldman. Leave home with charged batteries.

Two in parallel will provide more energy than using one, followed by using the other.

I will, but one will be more dead than the other when I pack up to go to my next spot, over 5 hours away, where I will be back on shore power.

[CA_Traveler]

From what you need I wouldn't have a worst one.

[pianotuna]

swimmer_spe wrote:
Would it be better to throw the worst one on the trailer to charge off the truck while traveling?

Very little charging happens.

I agree with 2oldman. Leave home with charged batteries.

Two in parallel will provide more energy than using one, followed by using the other.

[2oldman]

swimmer_spe wrote:
Would it be better to throw the worst one on the trailer to charge off the truck while traveling?

Yeah, but it would be better to leave home with 2 charged batteries.

[swimmer_spe]

Sagebrush wrote:
You can do that, swap them out or connect them together when you arrive. Keep the voltage above 12.4 if you want them to last. Recharge ASAP, sitting at low voltage for days will kill them. Get an $18 Camco double battery box and upgrade to a pair of GC2's, they will actually last a good bit longer if you give them basic care.

I don't have space on the tongue to fit 2 battery boxes.

I'll be bringing a wrench to raise/lower the tongue jack in the event of a bad battery.

Would it be better to throw the worst one on the trailer to charge off the truck while traveling?

[Sagebrush]

You can do that, swap them out or connect them together when you arrive. Keep the voltage above 12.4 if you want them to last. Recharge ASAP, sitting at low voltage for days will kill them. Get an $18 Camco double battery box and upgrade to a pair of GC2's, they will actually last a good bit longer if you give them basic care.

[pianotuna]

as soon as you arrive connect both fully charged batteries together in parallel.

[wopachop]

swimmer_spe wrote:

wopachop wrote:
Be careful if the spare battery is from an automobile. A car battery is not meant to be run down like a trailer battery.

Maybe everyone can chip in and rent a genny?

It's another deep cell battery. Where I am going doesn't allow generators or I'd be doing that. I have access to several.

Familiar with equalization charging? You could show up super charged. Every little bit would help.

[CA_Traveler]

A Marine Deep Cycle battery? They are compromised starting batteries and not in the deep cycle class regardless of the label.

[swimmer_spe]

wopachop wrote:
Be careful if the spare battery is from an automobile. A car battery is not meant to be run down like a trailer battery.

Maybe everyone can chip in and rent a genny?

It's another deep cell battery. Where I am going doesn't allow generators or I'd be doing that. I have access to several.

[swimmer_spe]

CA Traveler wrote:
Swapping is best. You can remove the negative battery cable and connect the jumper cables to it and the positive post.

Daisy chaining to me means serial - definitely don't.

I'd still do it parallel.

[wopachop]

Be careful if the spare battery is from an automobile. A car battery is not meant to be run down like a trailer battery.

Maybe everyone can chip in and rent a genny?

[CA_Traveler]

Swapping is best. You can remove the negative battery cable and connect the jumper cables to it and the positive post.

Daisy chaining to me means serial - definitely don't.