Can I do it without batteries?

[Kmikesell]

Howdy collective mind hive!

I have a power question. I put my TM in storage for the winter, (Can't fit in my garage right now but that's another story) and removed my 2 x Trojan 105's to keep them from freezing.

Now wife and I have planned a trip to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho for the Presidents Day weekend. We will have an 30 amp electrical hook up so we can use our portable heater, the heat pump and the TM's furnace as needed (Temp predictions for that weekend are - Highs in the mid 30's. Lows in the upper 'teens). It shouldn't be an issue as we've taken the TM out and boon-docked in similar temps.

The big question is: Do I have to put the massively heavy, incredibly awkward, PITA batteries back in their stuff cubby to allow me to use the 30 amps of AC at the campground? Or can I leave that joy along till Spring?

Inquiring mind need to know.

[ShrimpBurrito]

You definitely need a battery just to pull your TM out of your driveway, as it powers the break-away brakes on the TM in the event of a separation. Major safety issue, and also the law.

Additionally, assuming you have one of the older-style converters, there is no on-board DC filtering, and those circuits that are filtered are filtered through the battery. That wouldn't make any difference for most of the electronics in the TM, though overhead LED lights would probably have a slight flicker. I'm not sure how the furnace might behave.

To make it easier to install the batteries in my 2720SL, while standing outside at the rear of the TM, lift the bed an inch or two off the bed support arms, and slide the bed inside. Then the support arms will swing freely, and you can swing them out of the way to open the battery door. And with the bed now inside, you can stand upright, making it FAR easier to maneuver those batteries, and at the same time, not risk head injury or scraping your back against those nasty bolts on the support arms. Don't ask me how I know about this.

Dave

[ShrimpBurrito]

Also, lithium iron phosphate batteries are less than half the weight of flooded lead acid, and reportedly also provide nearly double the useable power. I'm in the process of switching over myself, but they are super spendy, and I only justified it by doing a solar upgrade, where they can be part of a solar tax credit.

Dave

[Kmikesell]

Thanks for the input. I will give the bed/support thing a try! As for the new batteries, I just dropped nearly $500, not sure I could convince the DW that a another 500 would be worth it.

You can get a solar tax credit for RV solar?

[Bill]

Dave is right about the breakaway brakes - don't leave home without them. But if you really don't want to manhandle those big Trojans, I think there is an option. Simply get yourself a smaller battery. For example, you can get a sealed (AGM) Lead-Acid Battery - 12V, 22 Amp-hours, Model# UB12220, for about $50 at Walmart. Remember that if the thing is discharged when you install it, the TM battery charger will immediately set out to charge it, possibly supplying more charge current than it likes. So make sure it is fully charged before you install it, and then don't discharge it before you have your campground hookup.At that point, the TM charger will simply maintain it,

If you buy a breakaway kit from an RV place, truck place, or even Walmart, it will include a small battery of 5-8 amp-hours. This battery is not intended to power any loads other than the brakes, but it will handle them in an emergency. I would suggest getting something a bit larger than that just so there is no problem with charge rate. In other words, don't buy a teeny battery.

Bill

[Kmikesell]

I really do appreciate your input/advice but breakaway trailers aint one of them. I think I may have an old marine 12v laying around somewhere, I could slap that in. I will have to see if I do, and throw a trickle charger on it. Great idea!

While I agree breakaway switches are an important added safety measure, the incidences of their use is so minuscule as to almost be nill. (Incidents of trailer miles driven vs full trailer breakaways). It's almost a belt and suspenders issue.

To be deployed all these things need to happen, and in TM land with the arguably ultralight trailers that TM's are, a breakaway is extremely unlikely.

* Hitch pin either not used/broken, or falls out.
* Tongue latch not applied properly, not applied at all, broken or opens "all by it's self (see not applied properly).
* BOTH safety chains/cables not applied, falls off or breaks.
* And if you are using an anti-sway of WDH that's one more connection that needs to be misapplied, applied incorrectly or broken.

I actually searched the inter-web looking for examples of a breakaway system being used, and couldn't find it.

One last thing, as I tell everyone I talk to, safety signs, regulations and limits are there for your protection. Violate them at your own discretion. AFWWIW, I use my breakaway switch connection EVERY TIME I TOW. [OK maybe not THIS trip LOL]

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Kmikesell

I really do appreciate your input/advice but breakaway trailers aint one of them.
While I agree breakaway switches are an important added safety measure, the incidences of their use is so minuscule as to almost be nill. (Incidents of trailer miles driven vs full trailer breakaways). It's almost a belt and suspenders issue.

When I lived in Beverly Hills (probably around 2008), there was a guy towing a travel trailer on the Hollywood Freeway. The trailer started swaying. The swaying was so violent that it ripped the trailer hitch off of the SUV that was towing it. In doing so, the connection that the trailer break-awy cable was attached to went with the trailer hitch. 3-people were killed in the ensuing, muti-vehicle, accident and the freeway was shut down for 3-days because of that accident.

I learned a big lesson from that incident and I started clipping the cable to a dog leash that I wrapped around the frame of me TV, instead of hooking it up where the safety chains go.

Low and behold, about 10-years later, I bought a Class A motothome and neglected to hook my break-away cable to my frame cable. Sure as hell, I was about 2-blocks from home, on my way to a campout and MY trailer hitch broke as I was pulling away from a stoplight. The trailer rolled backwards, about 20' and hit a car that was behind me. Thank goodness that car was there because it would have been a real mess if that trailer would have picked up speed, rolling back down that hill. These pics tell the story.

The moral of this story is, not only are trailer brakes important but where you attach the cable is equally important.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Wavery

I learned a big lesson from that incident and I started clipping the cable to a dog leash that I wrapped around the frame of me TV, instead of hooking it up where the safety chains go.

You make an excellent point. If the trailer's coupler is attached to the hitchball, and the hitchball plus the chains and the breakaway pull wire are all attached to the hitch, and you lose the hitch - things get real messy real fast. I like the dog leash idea, or at least something similar to it. I will figure out how to do it before our next big trip in May. I'm thinking (danger!) that I could attach a loop to some part of the pickup bed, and hang it out under the bottom of the tailgate. We'll see.

Bill

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

I will figure out how to do it before our next big trip in May. I'm thinking (danger!) that I could attach a loop to some part of the pickup bed, and hang it out under the bottom of the tailgate. We'll see.

Bill

Bill, I've gotta tell you. That whole incident shook me up so bad (because of the potential of it) that's when I decided to sell our motorhome, RZR and cargo trailer. Funny how stuff like that can shake a guy up. This is the guy that sailed around the world twice in a small boat. I don't shake-up very easily.

It doesn't take much to pull the plug on the trailer emergency brake. On my new set up, I just fastened a plastic couted 3/16 stranded cable (routed over the top of the hitch) to the under side of the bed, just forward of the trailer hitch.

When I took my motorhome into a custom hitch welder, he told me that those trailer hitches break off like that a lot. He had a whole pile of them in the corner of his shop.

[Tymanthius]

Originally Posted by Kmikesell

I really do appreciate your input/advice but breakaway trailers aint one of them. I think I may have an old marine 12v laying around somewhere, I could slap that in. I will have to see if I do, and throw a trickle charger on it. Great idea!

While I agree breakaway switches are an important added safety measure, the incidences of their use is so minuscule as to almost be nill. (Incidents of trailer miles driven vs full trailer breakaways). It's almost a belt and suspenders issue.

To be deployed all these things need to happen, and in TM land with the arguably ultralight trailers that TM's are, a breakaway is extremely unlikely.

* Hitch pin either not used/broken, or falls out.
* Tongue latch not applied properly, not applied at all, broken or opens "all by it's self (see not applied properly).
* BOTH safety chains/cables not applied, falls off or breaks.
* And if you are using an anti-sway of WDH that's one more connection that needs to be misapplied, applied incorrectly or broken.

I actually searched the inter-web looking for examples of a breakaway system being used, and couldn't find it.

One last thing, as I tell everyone I talk to, safety signs, regulations and limits are there for your protection. Violate them at your own discretion. AFWWIW, I use my breakaway switch connection EVERY TIME I TOW. [OK maybe not THIS trip LOL]

I had an 8x10 light utility trailer pop off the ball. And one of the chains snapped as well. And I've been towing trailers of many sizes for 30+ years.
If it can happen to something that light, it can happen to a TM. Don't ignore safety systems for real trips. If you're just limping it to where it can be repaired, that's acceptable.