Additional battery

[Thevon]

I’m sure this topic has probably been fully discussed, but I can’t figure out much on my phone. I have a 2006 190P Roadtrek and it only has one battery. My question is for those that have added a second battery to that little compartment in front of the rear passenger side tire. What size battery did you put in there and can you find the additional battery cables on the shelf? Is there anything else that has to be added if you install a second battery? I appreciate any help.

[BBQ]

.

When you have multiple batteries,
you should always have them in the same size, same make (if possible), and same age.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Thevon

I’m sure this topic has probably been fully discussed, but I can’t figure out much on my phone. I have a 2006 190P Roadtrek and it only has one battery. My question is for those that have added a second battery to that little compartment in front of the rear passenger side tire. What size battery did you put in there and can you find the additional battery cables on the shelf? Is there anything else that has to be added if you install a second battery? I appreciate any help.

05/04 190 here that only had one battery as you described. The optional second battery was on a slide out. Finding and installing a slide out (good luck) I ruled out and purchased a battery tray.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I shortened a long section in the front to be able to slide the battery into the hole, into the tray. I bolted the tray to the bottom. Conveniently the tray is such that used a strap under the tray to secure the battery. It is Easier to access than the battery behind the wheel with the slide!

My understanding is that Roadtrek ran the battery cable to the other side of the van directly. I found it easier to run the battery cable from the existing battery to the other battery directly. I used 4 gauge jumper cables. One end already had a ready made terminal end, just removed the clamps.

The maximum size is a Group 27 with either location. A group 31 I found was a tiny bit too large. There are some 'group 27' agm batteries that won't fit, too large.

My installation was with 2 new Walmart group 27 deep cycle Marine batteries. It as been 2.4 years and all is well. I have a one stage charger, maybe one of the last Roadtrek installed. I only use a simple battery meter. With Experience I can fairly well predict what the meter will read the next morning based on what it reads with whatever I'm using the night before.

If you decide to run the battery cables from battery to battery, I can let you know the route I used under the van. Then you could improve on it. I did spend time trying to think it out with someone second guessing me.

Bud

[Thevon]

Thanks for the info Bud, since the batteries will be close together, I think I’ll just connect them together.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Thevon

Thanks for the info Bud, since the batteries will be close together, I think I’ll just connect them together.

When batteries are paralleled, to equalize charge and discharge characteristics, it's best to have the power pick off point from one battery with the ground/chassis pick off common to the other battery.


A link I found useful when messing with batteries:

Battery Wiring

[Bud]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

When batteries are paralleled, to equalize charge and discharge characteristics, it's best to have the power pick off point from one battery with the ground/chassis pick off common to the other battery.


A link I found useful when messing with batteries:

Battery Wiring

Thanks cruising, but when trying to get past the first whatever in the website my head starts hurting. Please assist, what should I do. Thanks.

Bud

[booster]

The Roadtrek cabling on the units with one battery is terrible in the 190s of that vintage, and worse with 2 batteries, we had one wired that way. The battery cables ran all the way across to the other side of the van to binding post with #2 cable for each, and then back across the van to the inverter/charger with a single #4 cable. Really dumb setup.


The important thing with batteries in parallel is that each battery sees the same total cable length which is the length of the positive and negative for that battery added together. Shared cables don't count, and that is what cruising 7388's comment helps with. Our Roadtrek had nearly 6 feet of cable length difference from the factory.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Thevon

Thanks for the info Bud, since the batteries will be close together, I think I’ll just connect them together.

I forgot to mention. The buckle that came with the strap that came with the tray broke. I tried several more with all braking. I used that kind of buckle backpacking 30 years, no problem. I suppose the g forces with bumps is just too much even with the strap as tight as possible. Went to this kind of strap:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bud

[Bud]

Originally Posted by booster

The Roadtrek cabling on the units with one battery is terrible in the 190s of that vintage, and worse with 2 batteries, we had one wired that way. The battery cables ran all the way across to the other side of the van to binding post with #2 cable for each, and then back across the van to the inverter/charger with a single #4 cable. Really dumb setup.

The important thing with batteries in parallel is that each battery sees the same total cable length which is the length of the positive and negative for that battery added together. Shared cables don't count, and that is what cruising 7388's comment helps with. Our Roadtrek had nearly 6 feet of cable length difference from the factory.

booster, my 05/04 has the cable going across the van and stays there with the converter and separate inverter in the same compartment. As I mentioned my understanding is that Roadtrek went directly from the optional battery to that compartment where I did not.

It needs to be really dumbed down for me. What should I do? Thanks.

Bud

[booster]

Originally Posted by Bud

booster, my 05/04 has the cable going across the van and stays there with the converter and separate inverter in the same compartment. As I mentioned my understanding is that Roadtrek went directly from the optional battery to that compartment where I did not.

It needs to be really dumbed down for me. What should I do? Thanks.

Bud

Did you run two cables between the batteries one plus and one negative? Or did you ground the second battery to the chassis separately?

[Bud]

Originally Posted by booster

Did you run two cables between the batteries one plus and one negative? Or did you ground the second battery to the chassis separately?

negative battery to negative battery. Thinking ahead, if I should have grounded to the chassis: Any suggestions on where and the downside not doing it.

Bud

[booster]

Originally Posted by Bud

negative battery to negative battery. Thinking ahead, if I should have grounded to the chassis: Any suggestions on where and the downside not doing it.

Bud

Actually, if you are trying to balance cable lengths for the batteries, the way you have it will make it easier, I think.


Just make sure your jumpers from the first battery to the second are as close to the same length as practical, and then move the negative cable that goes to frame on the first battery and put it from the negative of the second battery to the frame.


The other option would be to move the positive cable from the inverter and charger to the first battery to the second battery, but that likely will be too short to reach.


What you wind up with is basically what Cruising 7388 described, two batteries parallel with the positive to the inverter and charger to one battery and the negative to inverter charger off the other battery.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Actually, if you are trying to balance cable lengths for the batteries, the way you have it will make it easier, I think.


Just make sure your jumpers from the first battery to the second are as close to the same length as practical, and then move the negative cable that goes to frame on the first battery and put it from the negative of the second battery to the frame.


The other option would be to move the positive cable from the inverter and charger to the first battery to the second battery, but that likely will be too short to reach.


What you wind up with is basically what Cruising 7388 described, two batteries parallel with the positive to the inverter and charger to one battery and the negative to inverter charger off the other battery.

Thanks for making my suggestion better understandable. For sure, equalizing cable lengths between 2 adjacent batteries is a cake walk compared to doing this with separated three or four paralleled batteries which ends up resembling a den of snakes. Our 800ah 210 has 3 adjacent batteries where the Onan would normally sit but the fourth battery is located way up forward. That disparate cable length has got to affect it's charging and discharging profile compared to the other batteries and leaves me wondering about its long term welfare.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Thanks for making my suggestion better understandable. For sure, equalizing cable lengths between 2 adjacent batteries is a cake walk compared to doing this with separated three or four paralleled batteries which ends up resembling a den of snakes. Our 800ah 210 has 3 adjacent batteries where the Onan would normally sit but the fourth battery is located way up forward. That disparate cable length has got to affect it's charging and discharging profile compared to the other batteries and leaves me wondering about its long term welfare.

Along with the lack of a battery balancer, the cable length differences is also one of the things that makes the AGM etreks eat batteries. 6 batteries are behind the rear axle, and two are in the engine compartment. The front batteries are said to be the most common first battery failure, as they are in the very hot Sprinter engine compartment and they get undercharged due to the long cable lengths they have.


It sounds like the 4 battery Chevies aren't a lot better.

[Bud]

Guys, I'm finally starting to get it, the ideal. I did not google enough 2.5 years ago.

cruising, "2 adjacent batteries is a cake walk", understand compared to your circumstance.

Thevon is just starting to add the second battery I assume that he wants to do it the ideal way.

Me? Mine is installed and I'm happy, 'seemingly the batteries too?'. I'm also in a lazy state of mood. So I'm wondering what is in it for me to: If I understand, I have to run a cable from the second battery positive or negative to the other side of the van.

After I estimate over the last 2.4 years 50 boondocks with no shore power down to an average of 55% state of charge, the last trip I did not suspect any lost of amp hours, but it could have been 20% less and I would not have known.

What would you do in a lazy mood state? OK dumb question, you would both 'fix it'. But what would you do if a lazy mood state and you were me? What can I expect to gain?

Bud

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Bud

Guys, I'm finally starting to get it, the ideal. I did not google enough 2.5 years ago.

cruising, "2 adjacent batteries is a cake walk", understand compared to your circumstance.

Thevon is just starting to add the second battery I assume that he wants to do it the ideal way.

Me? Mine is installed and I'm happy, 'seemingly the batteries too?'. I'm also in a lazy state of mood. So I'm wondering what is in it for me to: If I understand, I have to run a cable from the second battery positive or negative to the other side of the van.

After I estimate over the last 2.4 years 50 boondocks with no shore power down to an average of 55% state of charge, the last trip I did not suspect any lost of amp hours, but it could have been 20% less and I would not have known.

What would you do in a lazy mood state? OK dumb question, you would both 'fix it'. But what would you do if a lazy mood state and you were me? What can I expect to gain?

Bud

I wouldn't change the battery cable configuration at this point. IMO the single state charger you have is significantly more detrimental to the life of your batteries than disparate cable lengths.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

I wouldn't change the battery cable configuration at this point. IMO the single state charger you have is significantly more detrimental to the life of your batteries than disparate cable lengths.

In 04/05 Bud should have a Tripplite "smart" charger om a Roadtrek 190. It isn't a great charger, but better than a constant voltage one of years past. We had one in our 190 and it almost always would leave the batteries short of full, but that is what almost all of the smart chargers do so nothing odd about that.


All Bud would need to do to optimize would be move the negative cable that goes to the frame of the van from the first battery to the second.


I would agree that this is optimizing, and I would wait until a battery change to do it, if I did it at all. To get the most out of the change in cabling, he would also need a much better charger.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

In 04/05 Bud should have a Tripplite "smart" charger om a Roadtrek 190. It isn't a great charger, but better than a constant voltage one of years past. We had one in our 190 and it almost always would leave the batteries short of full, but that is what almost all of the smart chargers do so nothing odd about that.


All Bud would need to do to optimize would be move the negative cable that goes to the frame of the van from the first battery to the second.


I would agree that this is optimizing, and I would wait until a battery change to do it, if I did it at all. To get the most out of the change in cabling, he would also need a much better charger.

See #3 for Bud's description of his charger.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

See #3 for Bud's description of his charger.

That is interesting, perhaps it has been changed out?


I just looked at the literature on the Roadtrek site for 2004 (he said he has 2004 chassis 2005 model year, and it says "3 step inverter/charger with 45 amps charging", which are the Tripplite specs.


It would be interesting to see what is really in Bud's van, as all the latest generation Chevies I have heard about have had Tripplites.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Bud

I have a one stage charger, maybe one of the last Roadtrek installed.

Can you confirm that it's a single stage charger? Is there a model number on it?