Simple set-up/Advice

[Zil]

There are many opinions scattered through out this and other forums. Mine, keep a starter battery for running the vehicle. Have enough house battery, second battery with the means to recharge, to operate all your other electrical needs. Maybe charging a cell phone or your GPS would be the exception.

 

[SternWake]

I've no idea if the battery in your vehicle is offered in a Marine version. Generally batteries fall into certain group sizes that were established long ago.

GM wanted side terminals on batteries to prevent the corrosion from the gassing and sulfuric acid mist which can cause the corrosion. The side terminals get the terminals out of the way of the gasses/mist.

I remember my old man had an Oldsmobile which was a nightmare with its side terminals continually loosening up and eventually stripping out the threads in the battery. I remember having to use a strap and some wedges to hold the side terminal onto the battery.

While there are small differences in voltage requirements between different battery makes, in general, it won't make a difference. The vehicles charging system is designed to keep a nearly fully charged battery, fully charged, without overcharging. it is not designed for the task which which we ask from it, which is to continually replenish and fully charge the partially depleted battery.

Laptop charging will eventually kill a battery, as short drives do not return much to the battery. For most people, the battery either starts the engine or it does not. A healthy battery at 20% state of charge can likely still start the engine, albeit slower. So most people have absolutely no idea where their battery is, in terms of state of charge or health, and an abused battery can need fairly intensive grid powered charging before it can be returned to its maximum remaining capacity. The Alternator cannot do it. It was not designed to.

I don't like condoning such behavior as it raises prices for everybody, but those who cannot add a secondary battery should buy a starting battery with a good warranty and intend on killing it prematurely to get a new one under warranty. Carrying a jumper pack will keep one from getting stranded. But keeping that jumper pack as near to full as possible is needed too.

 

[caseyc]

Ummmmm. Tablet?? Unless you are a serious gamer, or have many peripheral accessories attached to your laptop, can't you use a tablet instead? Tablets are relatively cheap nowadays. Will last for many hours on a single charge. Don't even need an auxillary battery for charging a tablet. Doesn't take much to charge a tablet. I know, cuz I have 4 different tablets charging from 12 volt outlets. I have both Windows and Android tablets of different size screens, make and models. I also have 2 Sony laptops, but hardly use those anymore. I do use my laptops when I want *real* computing power, or need to do things such as scanning and printing whereby accessories are attached to the laptops to do so.

 

[akrvbob]

I swapped the side terminal starting battery in my 2001 Chevy van for a Walmart top-terminal group 29 marine battery. It was a stretch to get the wires to fit, but they did.

I always replace my starting battery with a marine battery.
Bob

 

[SternWake]

akrvbob, Been a long time since I played with GM side terminals. were you able to you just reuse the same cable ends on the threaded posts on the Marine battery?

An AGm battery can be put on its side, and if the GM side cables were not long enough to stretch to the top of the battery, perhaps an AGM on its side will allow connection without modification to the battery cables.

AGM batteries are pretty much dual purpose batteries, probably as good or better than any flooded marine battery, but they are rated at a bit less capacity at the same size. My AGM is smaller than my flooded battery and is rated for about 40% less capacity, but under discharge the AGM battery holds significantly higher voltages. So while it is rated at less capacity, the AGM in my view is underrated and easily outperforms the larger flooded battery. AGMs can also charge, in the bulk stage, faster if the charging source is capable of feeding it more.

An AGM battery is still damaged by chronic undercharging, so if it fails and is not under warranty, it will hurt more, money wise.

X2 power is a Rebadged Northstar AGM battery, sold by Batteries Plus, and has a 4 year warranty and is a nationwide chain for if warranty service is required. Not cheap, but I am very impressed by my NorthStar. Holds higher voltages under load, and cranks the engine significantly faster. But costs 3x as much.

I've shoehorned a group 31 into my original battery location under the hood. It is significantly bigger than the 'recommended' size battery. I'd like to lower the battery tray an inch or two for a bit more clearance.

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If the GM battery cable ends do not fit on the marine battery threaded Studs, but the cables are long enough, one can cut the ends off and use one of the various other battery terminals available. Any new shiny exposed copper should be protected from the elements with some grease, vaseline or a large gob of Liquid electrical tape to seal it off from the atmosphere.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=battery+terminal

Some AGM batteries, like the sears Diehard platinum/Odyssey and NorthStar, probably others as well, will sell a marine version and a regular automotive version. There is no Internal differences in these AGM batteries, except that the marine battery has both Automotive posts as well as threaded studs. The warranty is usually less on the marine battery too. Getting the Automotive version might be cheaper and if the warranty is longer, don't fear using the AGM automotive version for deep cycle/ dual purpose/ marine duties.

 

[Zil]

There are adapters to put on the standard battery post that allows the side mount type cables to be used. The side mount cables will not fit the threaded posts unless you could get the screw part out of the end. Replacing the terminal ends on existing cables is a different project and deserves another thread.

 

[steamjam1]

That's pretty much all I have in my van:

1. An older Acer laptop
2. A 12v thermal electric cooler.
3. A 600 watt coffee maker I use every morning.

My setup is very simple. A 100ah deep cycle battery, an 1000 watt inverter, A 100 watt solar panel, and a constant duty solenoid. When I'm parked for the day someplace sunny I'll use the solar panels to charge the battery, when I'm on the go I'll flip the solenoid on and the vans alternator will charge the accessories battery. I keep a standard car battery charger around just in case...

My coffee maker is a 120V, 600 watt Black and Decker 4 cup. I use it for only about 1/2 hour each morning and I'll still have enough juice in the battery left over to charge my laptop, and both my cell phones at the same time. When I plugged it into my Killawatt meter, it indicated it was drawing 530watts when brewing.

I have one of those small thermal electric coolers that can only hold like a 6 pack of soda. I generally only use it when I need it but when I do, it only draws 3 amps when set to 12V so I can run it most of the day, or sometimes I'll just plug into my solar panel and it'll run as long as the suns up.

My laptop is an older Acer dual core laptop.

I cook using an old Russian built Bumble-bee gasoline stove. I usually run it on Coleman fuel or Naphtha, but will run just as well on regular test gasoline.

Hello all, First post and I want to make atleast a worthy one. So I plan on moving into a van I recently purchased but not for another 6 months until more money has been saved for emergency fund etc, But I would like to get a general setup that would be needed for my needs.

1. General Use laptop ran 24/7.
2. Coleman cooler
3. Cheap coffer maker.

This set-up to me is minimalist in some ways. So I wanted to ask you all since I have no idea where to start what would be a good set-up + price point to cover those needs? Also, how much would it cost to get it professionally installed (I live within Seattle to Olympia) and if it's too much I would be willing to pay someone with-in the area to do the install.

Thanks Guys and Gals. The Information that's been posted on this board has been invaluable and gave me a better understanding of "Off Grid" living.

 

[[email protected]]

Instead of buying a battery isolator, would you be able to just use a cutoff switch? Battery connected while driving to charge, and then switch to disconnected when parked and drawing from house battery?

Im cheap lol

 

[steamjam1]

Instead of buying a battery isolator, would you be able to just use a cutoff switch? Battery connected while driving to charge, and then switch to disconnected when parked and drawing from house battery?

Im cheap lol

Its not a battery isolator. Its just an NOS Napa Auto constant duty solenoid I got off Ebay for $10.

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Oh yeah and I originally wanted to just throw in one of those on/off battery switches and the plan was to just turn the switch "on" to charge the battery off the alternator, But I quickly realized that I didn't trust myself to remember to turn it OFF after the battery is charged. So I spent the extra $$ and bought the constant duty solenoid so that I can wire it to my ignition on wire at the steering column (I use a 12v relay) to make sure that when they keys out of the ignition, the system is isolated.

therefore defeating my own case of CRS.

 

[Ballenxj]

therefore defeating my own case of CRS.

You suffer from that too? :-/