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01-24-2020, 10:17 AM
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#1
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Member
Name: Eva and Kirk
Trailer: Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe
Virginia
Posts: 48
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Battery Disconnect
New to us Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe apparently has some kind of DC load.
The battery is not holding a charge. It's a standard automotive battery so I'll be replacing it with some kind of deep discharge unit. However, when it is sitting I want to completely take all load off the battery such as the CO detector. I know other folks install switches or just a disconnect in the battery compartment. Before I fumble around in my autoparts store or Lowes, can anyone recommend a disconnect that works well?
thanks in advance
Evirk
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01-24-2020, 10:29 AM
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#2
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member
Name: J
Isle of Wight
Posts: 536
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
New to us Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe apparently has some kind of DC load.
The battery is not holding a charge. It's a standard automotive battery so I'll be replacing it with some kind of deep discharge unit. However, when it is sitting I want to completely take all load off the battery such as the CO detector. I know other folks install switches or just a disconnect in the battery compartment. Before I fumble around in my autoparts store or Lowes, can anyone recommend a disconnect that works well?
thanks in advance
Evirk
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https://littlehousecustoms.com/store.html#elec
search in there for ANDERSON DISCONNECT
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01-24-2020, 11:10 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
... However, when it is sitting I want to completely take all load off the battery such as the CO detector. ...
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Lots of ways to do it. Pick what works for you.
I put this switch under the front bench in my Scamp using a short run on Marine grade 10 gauge wire. (The single battery one with knob). It is inside the camper and not exposed to the elements or mischievous individuals. I also have a dual Anderson power pole connection built into the bench. One side is on the switched side and the other is not, so I can use it to power something, or to recharge the battery even even the battery disconnect switch is off and the rest of the camper is "offline."
Do you have a propane detector / alarm? They can pull the battery down in weeks. CO detectors are often powered by internal batteries (AA size or 9 volt). Propane detectors on the other hand are almost always hardwired to the camper's 12 volt system.
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01-24-2020, 01:38 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
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go to any marine supply store, they sell good quality battery disconnect switches.
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01-24-2020, 04:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Kenneth
Trailer: Scamp
Wisconsin
Posts: 1,864
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parasitic current draining battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
I know other folks install switches or just a disconnect in the battery compartment. Before I fumble around in my autoparts store or Lowes, can anyone recommend a disconnect that works well?
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The disconnect switch is a good idea (I just pull the main fuse at the battery), but you will also want to find the real problem. Hook in an amp meter at the battery and pull the fuses one at a time. Mine runs down also, but I know that it is the LP gas detector and the tracker doing it. Most tow vehicles have this problem also, but if driven every few days they still start. My 1997 f150 was at 0.4 amps and the new one is 0.5 amps. It is good to record the data, so you know when you really do have problems. (I have been told that they should be 0.050 after 1 hour but I have never waited that long.)
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01-28-2020, 02:47 PM
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#6
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Member
Name: Eva and Kirk
Trailer: Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe
Virginia
Posts: 48
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Thanks everybody. What I saw at a Rally was apparently the Anderson Disconnect but liking that marine switch.
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01-28-2020, 04:33 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
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a regular car battery is quite unsuitable for deep discharge usage. marine/rv batteries are only somewhat better. you ideally want a true deep cycle battery, these tend to be a fair bit more expensive, and I dunno if they are even available in a size that will fit in the group 27 'battery cafe' of a casita.
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01-28-2020, 06:10 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: Greg
Trailer: 2008 Casita 17' SD
Washington
Posts: 1,996
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I have one of these. Simple, positive and clean looking.
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01-29-2020, 11:07 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
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ah. Trojan "Signature Series" makes 2 Group 27 true deep cycle flooded batteries, the 27TMX and 27TMH, 105AH and 115AH respectively (20 hour rate), rated at 600 cycles of 50% discharge. These are kinda pricey.
big clue, any battery that specifies CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) is a starter battery NOT a deep cycle battery. Starter Batteries are optimized to put out a LOT of current, like 200 amps or more, for just a few seconds to crank a cold motor over. a deep cycle battery is instead optimized to deliver a steady current for many hours and do many 100s of 50% discharge/recharge cycles.
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02-01-2020, 12:20 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Name: Russell
Trailer: Casita
Arizona
Posts: 24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
ah. Trojan "Signature Series" makes 2 Group 27 true deep cycle flooded batteries, the 27TMX and 27TMH, 105AH and 115AH respectively (20 hour rate), rated at 600 cycles of 50% discharge. These are kinda pricey.
big clue, any battery that specifies CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) is a starter battery NOT a deep cycle battery. Starter Batteries are optimized to put out a LOT of current, like 200 amps or more, for just a few seconds to crank a cold motor over. a deep cycle battery is instead optimized to deliver a steady current for many hours and do many 100s of 50% discharge/recharge cycles.
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Very useful information John, and I appreciate your willingness to share your perspectives on a particularly important dimension of the camping experience.
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02-01-2020, 12:21 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Name: Russell
Trailer: Casita
Arizona
Posts: 24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Casita Greg
I have one of these. Simple, positive and clean looking.
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I have the same setup, and perhaps the same battery. What is yours?
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02-01-2020, 12:44 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Bob & Jackie
Trailer: 13' Scamp, 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 153
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Marine Battery Switch
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
New to us Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe apparently has some kind of DC load.
The battery is not holding a charge. It's a standard automotive battery so I'll be replacing it with some kind of deep discharge unit. However, when it is sitting I want to completely take all load off the battery such as the CO detector. I know other folks install switches or just a disconnect in the battery compartment. Before I fumble around in my autoparts store or Lowes, can anyone recommend a disconnect that works well?
thanks in advance
Evirk
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Marine switch under rear dinette seat
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02-01-2020, 01:14 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Larry
Trailer: Casita17'Spirit Deluxe (aka: Tweaker's Casita)
Southwest Ohio
Posts: 319
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
Thanks everybody. What I saw at a Rally was apparently the Anderson Disconnect but liking that marine switch.
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Hi Kirk,
The Anderson type disconnect is what I showed you at the Hungry Mother rally a couple of months ago. It not only allows me to temporarily disconnect my battery but it simplifies removal of the battery to put it on a battery maintainer in my basement when I don't use my Casita over the winter.
I might not have shown you the service shelf that I made out of an old piece of 1x6. That makes it easier to avoid the need to "basket catch" the battery when checking it or removing it from the Casita. :-)
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02-01-2020, 03:11 PM
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#14
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Member
Name: Eva and Kirk
Trailer: Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe
Virginia
Posts: 48
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Shelf
Hi Larry-
Actually was going to email you for more detail on your battery catcher. Not clear what is holding up the battery when it’s pulled out.
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02-01-2020, 04:51 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Larry
Trailer: Trillium
Arizona
Posts: 440
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Disconnect?
Hello,
Sometimes one can disconnect the battery on the fuse panel that
is part of the power converter/charger. Mine has a 30A fuse
for the connection to the battery... I just pull the fuse and all
is disconnected.
Larry H
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02-01-2020, 05:00 PM
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#16
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Member
Name: Babs
Trailer: Casita
Tennessee
Posts: 56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
a regular car battery is quite unsuitable for deep discharge usage. marine/rv batteries are only somewhat better. you ideally want a true deep cycle battery, these tend to be a fair bit more expensive, and I dunno if they are even available in a size that will fit in the group 27 'battery cafe' of a casita.
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Since it’s new to you, perhaps the previous owner overdischarged the battery so that it is now damaged and that could be why it won’t hold a charge. We ordered the battery disconnect switch from Little House Customs and use it when we store the Casita unused for any period of time. With a 75 dollar Wal-Mart battery, we can go about 4 days dry camping, and indefinitely if we can use our solar.
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02-01-2020, 06:11 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: Larry
Trailer: Casita17'Spirit Deluxe (aka: Tweaker's Casita)
Southwest Ohio
Posts: 319
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Battery Service Shelf
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evirk
Not clear what is holding up the battery when it’s pulled out.
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Hello (again) Kirk,
The short answer is that the 1x6 is holding up the battery (kind of like a poolside diving board).
You cut the 1x6 to the length of the battery plus the depth that the 1x6 can be inserted into the battery compartment. After removing the battery retaining angle bracket and the bolt, you slid the 1x6 into the compartment as far as possible and then add the length of the battery (plus another inch or so). I also added a "shim" on the external length of the 1x6 to compensate for the depth of the battery holder in the Casita so that the battery slides easily onto/off the 1x6 as you slip it out/into the Casita. See link in the notes below for complete how-to.
The service shelf makes it easier to check/add distilled water in addition to making it easier to remove the battery.
Final notes:
- I also had to grind down the bottom edge of my 2007 Casita's battery compartment opening slightly by about ⅛" so that the 1x6 could slide into the battery compartment and be level enough to slide the battery in/out.
- Credit for the idea and original design goes to Don Dayton who has posted many (many) "how to" tweaks in a series of blogs on Flickr
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02-01-2020, 08:20 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Bob & Jackie
Trailer: 13' Scamp, 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 153
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Battery Shelf
Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryB.
Hello (again) Kirk,
The short answer is that the 1x6 is holding up the battery (kind of like a poolside diving board).
You cut the 1x6 to the length of the battery plus the depth that the 1x6 can be inserted into the battery compartment. After removing the battery retaining angle bracket and the bolt, you slid the 1x6 into the compartment as far as possible and then add the length of the battery (plus another inch or so). I also added a "shim" on the external length of the 1x6 to compensate for the depth of the battery holder in the Casita so that the battery slides easily onto/off the 1x6 as you slip it out/into the Casita. See link in the notes below for complete how-to.
The service shelf makes it easier to check/add distilled water in addition to making it easier to remove the battery.
Final notes:
- I also had to grind down the bottom edge of my 2007 Casita's battery compartment opening slightly by about ⅛" so that the 1x6 could slide into the battery compartment and be level enough to slide the battery in/out.
- Credit for the idea and original design goes to Don Dayton who has posted many (many) "how to" tweaks in a series of blogs on Flickr
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Here are some pictures of my battery shelf showing connections for trickle charger when pulled and stored in garage, solar controller Mc connection and also battery disconnect when pulling battery out for storage. Marine switch inside trailer. Blue webbing makes it easy to pull out of compartment.
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