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From: Ted Heise <theise@panix.com>
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: battery change questions
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2024 00:57:30 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: My own, such as it is
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On Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:34:58 -0500,
  sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
>  On 7/31/2024 10:10 AM, George.Anthony wrote:
> > Direct connect or via a DC/DC charger, what you get is more 
> > like a “trickle” charger would provide. It’s more for 
> > maintaining than charging. Heavier wire would help. If you do 
> > a lot of off grid camping solar might be the way to go or a 
> > small portable generator. The generator may be your least 
> > expensive option, especially if you are paying labor for any 
> > other option. Just like Ron Popeil says, “just set it and 
> > forget it”.
> 
>  For $300-400 you can get those smaller (~2,000-4,000 watts) 
>  portable generators that are easy to handle, can be used for 
>  other things too, and would charge up the batteries whenever 
>  you needed it.  The money you would spend having someone 
>  setting all the stuff up with the heavier wire and plug-ins 
>  could easily go over what one of those cost, and if your 
>  batteries go down while you're camping you have to hook back up 
>  to the truck again.  Just hook a small charger up to it and 
>  you're good. They're quiet and lost a long, long time on a tank 
>  of fuel.

Thanks, both.  What you say makes sense.  Based on some of the 
accounts I read, it seems the Acadia with suitable heavy gauge 
wires should be able to bring the trailer battery back to full 
charge during a day of towing, but I agree the install sounds like 
a major hassle.

I like the idea of a small generator, but the ones I found (e.g., 
those recommended by Wirecutter) are closer to $1k in cost.  They 
had a pretty poor opinion of the cheaper units.  In any case, even 
the smaller units seem like a lot more weight and space than I 
realy want (or can afford) and I'm not keen on having to carry 
fuel (or the noise in operation).

Leaning more toward solar panels mounted on the trailer roof, it 
sounds like something I could do myself and would be less prone to 
theft than portable units.  Not being optimally aimed woould be 
offset to some extent by being able to generate power during the 
day while towing.

I'll be mulling this all over, but more input is always welcome!

-- 
Ted Heise      <theise@panix.com>       West Lafayette, IN, USA