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Old 10-21-2016, 06:52 PM   #1
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Couple battery questions

I am getting the 2 6-volt batteries setup in my 17B on order. I currently have a single 12 volt battery in my aliner and check the voltage level with a meter in a 12v socket. I remember hearing somewhere that remaining volts does not actually tell you how many actual amps you have remaining - and that 6 volt batteries can be "run down" lower than 12 volt batteries. Is there a meter for measuring remaining amps? Am I completely off base here? I have alot to learn about batteries.
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Old 10-21-2016, 07:37 PM   #2
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There are meters, like the Trimetric, that will give you a remaining amp readout but you can get a decent approximation from the voltage level. Irregardless of dual 6v or a single 12v battery, try and keep it at or above 50% state of charge.



Are you getting the solar panel?
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Old 10-21-2016, 08:03 PM   #3
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Yes on the solar panel...
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Old 10-21-2016, 08:16 PM   #4
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You will be a happy camper with dual 6V & solar
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Old 10-22-2016, 05:37 AM   #5
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I believe the solar has a readout that gives you an amps remaining figure. In the case of the GoPower it's just converting the voltage level to a %, same as the graph above. Try it for a while, if it's not good enough you can add a good meter afterwards. Last I knew ETI won't install one anyway.
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Old 10-22-2016, 04:54 PM   #6
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Quote:
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I believe the solar has a readout that gives you an amps remaining figure. In the case of the GoPower it's just converting the voltage level to a %, same as the graph above. Try it for a while, if it's not good enough you can add a good meter afterwards. Last I knew ETI won't install one anyway.
I have the 2 x 6 volt with 95 watt Go Power solar setup, the displayed values work fine for me. I am off the grid often and monitor the state of the charge daily. Its all the information you really need to assess whether you are balancing usage and charge, and state of charge reduction rate.
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Old 10-23-2016, 04:59 PM   #7
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I remember hearing somewhere
...
that 6 volt batteries can be "run down" lower than 12 volt batteries.
This has nothing to do with whether they are 6-volt or 12-volt batteries, but it does depend on their construction. Better deep-cycle batteries can be discharged further down than "dual purpose" batteries; in the case of the specific models of batteries available from Escape, this does mean that the dual 6-volt batteries would be better than the single 12-volt, because they are constructed differently.
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Old 10-23-2016, 05:07 PM   #8
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I currently have a single 12 volt battery in my aliner and check the voltage level with a meter in a 12v socket. I remember hearing somewhere that remaining volts does not actually tell you how many actual amps you have remaining...
Is there a meter for measuring remaining amps?
When you say "amps", I assume that you mean the remaining capacity, which is measured in amp-hours, or how much current (which is measured in amps) for how long (in hours) the battery can deliver.

The Trimetric is an example of a battery monitor that keeps track of how much capacity of the battery has been used, and so how much is left. A voltmeter can't accurately indicate the remaining capacity, especially if the battery is discharging (being used) or charging when the voltage reading is taken. The tables of voltage to capacity are based on voltage measured when no current is flowing.

The remaining capacity indicated by the solar charge controller is based only on voltage, and is very approximate. It's certainly better than nothing, but more than one member of this forum has been misled by believing that the solar charge controller's reading accurately indicated charge level while charging.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:36 PM   #9
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Is this something I should have ETI install or is it something that can be added later?... theTrimetric
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:52 PM   #10
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Is this something I should have ETI install or is it something that can be added later?... theTrimetric
Escape will not install any 3rd party Battery Monitor, but they'll "prewire" for it. I believe the charge is $100.

If you go that way, verify the wire gauge they use and the shunt as well.
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:08 PM   #11
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Escape will not install any 3rd party Battery Monitor, but they'll "prewire" for it. I believe the charge is $100.

If you go that way, verify the wire gauge they use and the shunt as well.
On our forthcoming 21' we had to provide the wire, or wiring harness to ETI

and... also ETI wont install the shunt.

However the good news is that when ETI builds.... all negatives terminate to one post, then one wire runs from post to battery negative, as stock, so shunt install is easier.

We will have dual solar, plus all plug inverter, so (maybe) more negative wires coming to that one negative post, then a stock 21'
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:09 PM   #12
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On our forthcoming 21' we had to provide the wire, or wiring harness to ETI

and... also ETI wont install the shunt.

However the good news is that when ETI builds.... all negatives terminate to one post, then one wire runs from post to battery negative, as stock, so shunt install is easier.

We will have dual solar, plus all plug inverter, so (maybe) more negative wires coming to that one negative post, then a stock 21'
Good info.
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Old 10-24-2016, 05:58 AM   #13
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You have to supply the cables to ETI, and it does require some reworking of electrical connections.
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Old 10-24-2016, 06:51 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Losangeles View Post
On our forthcoming 21' we had to provide the wire, or wiring harness to ETI

and... also ETI wont install the shunt.

However the good news is that when ETI builds.... all negatives terminate to one post, then one wire runs from post to battery negative, as stock, so shunt install is easier.

We will have dual solar, plus all plug inverter, so (maybe) more negative wires coming to that one negative post, then a stock 21'
Hi Los Angeles
What cable did you supply ETI with? Where did you purchase it? I would like to have them prewire a battery monitor on our forthcoming 19.

Thank You
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Old 10-24-2016, 06:54 AM   #15
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When you purchase the battery monitor it should have a wiring harness, that is what you send to Escape.
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Old 10-24-2016, 07:10 AM   #16
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Thank You Jim
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Old 10-24-2016, 08:10 AM   #17
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It amounts to a 4 wire phone with RJ14's on the ends and pretty much any 4 conductor cable, I used an 8 conductor lan cable. For length you have to guess how far from the batteries to where ever you tell them to terminate it for the actual meter.

If you want to use the official cables you can get them from Best, as well as the shunt and meter.
TriMetric Battery Monitor

There are other brands out there too.
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:26 AM   #18
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My mistake, don't need the phone cable if you are just getting the monitor, the phone cable is for their controller. Just get a 4 conductor cable.
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Old 10-24-2016, 12:23 PM   #19
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I've posted this on another thread, but figured I'd share again. I know some users get into the very complex and expensive battery monitors, but if you are looking for a simple, yet powerful device in a small package you might consider the Doc Wattson battery monitor. It gives you amps, watts, voltage, amp-hours (Ah), kilowatt-hours (Kwh), peak amps and minimum voltage in a nice little package (only 2.8" L x 1.7" W x 0.83" D). It has a scrolling display. It is not backlit it's the camera flash reflection. I wired this up to measure draw from the battery but it can also be wired inline with a generation device (i.e. solar panel) to measure what is going into a battery.
www.rc-electronics-usa.com/ammeters/rv-battery-monitor.html

Picture is from install in a Scamp, but I also added one in the Escape under the driver's side dinette seat using the simple 3 wire hookup. You wire it inline on the ground line that goes directly to the battery and you bring +12V to the source side red connection to power the monitor. You need a switch to cycle power to reset amp hours, but if you wire it downstream of the Escape supplied battery disconnect switch that works too. Shunt is integral so install is very simple.
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Old 10-24-2016, 05:11 PM   #20
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The solar readout that Escape provides gives you the amps you are drawing and the battery voltage and % of battery remaining. Dual 6 volt has a lot more capacity than a regular 12 volt. We camped in Yosemite in the shade last week and had to use our furnace morning and evening, ran the water pump a lot and got up in the morning to over 75% battery remaining.
Well worth the money.
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