Dump Trailer

[SkunkWerX]

No criticism from me, PatG has given some very in depth info.
I was probably being a bit broad.

I also agree with Pat, you need some beefy wire gauge, not 12.

Think "jumper cable" gauge.

Even with the batteries in parallel, the draw will come from the place it's easiest and most readily available. Your Dump Battery won't be acting as any kind of fuse. If the dump battery is a little lower in power than the tractor battery, the current is going to flow from the tractor battery.

Example; with the current set-up, the Deep Cycle battery cannot give up enough current, rapidly enough for proper dumping, therefor, if you simply hooked your tractor battery in parallel, the dumper would draw a good portion of it's needs from the tractor, rather than the Deep Cycle.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

No criticism from me, PatG has given some very in depth info.
I was probably being a bit broad.

I also agree with Pat, you need some beefy wire gauge, not 12.

Think "jumper cable" gauge.

Even with the batteries in parallel, the draw will come from the place it's easiest and most readily available. Your Dump Battery won't be acting as any kind of fuse. If the dump battery is a little lower in power than the tractor battery, the current is going to flow from the tractor battery.

Example; with the current set-up, the Deep Cycle battery cannot give up enough current, rapidly enough for proper dumping, therefor, if you simply hooked your tractor battery in parallel, the dumper would draw a good portion of it's needs from the tractor, rather than the Deep Cycle.

I appreciate all the input. One thing that I think everyone is missing here is that the only time I had a problem with the dump was when the battery started to lose charge. The first few dumps were even with a partially drained battery due to a faulty charger (see post #286 ) and it still worked fine. Therefore the statement "the Deep Cycle battery cannot give up enough current, rapidly enough for proper dumping" is only true if the Deep Cycle battery is low on charge.

All I'm really looking for is a system to charge the battery rather than boost the power. I looked, and my battery is indeed a marine/RV battery, so it is a hybrid.

I'm sure that using 00 cable would be the least resistance, most efficient power transfer, and last the longest, but the cost of the wire, connectors, and couplers for it will likely outweigh the benefit. What I'm trying to reach here is an adequate compromise that will maintain the charge on the trailer battery throughout the few hours that it might be used.

Maybe what I'm looking for rather than solenoids or isolators is a system that limits the amps going to the battery such that there's sufficient to charge it after a dump, but not so much current during a dump that it will cause failure of the wiring.

The wiring on a camper trailer hook up that charges the trailer battery is not very heavy guage wire. How is that controlled?

 

[SkunkWerX]

I appreciate all the input. One thing that I think everyone is missing here is that the only time I had a problem with the dump was when the battery started to lose charge. The first few dumps were even with a partially drained battery due to a faulty charger (see post #286 ) and it still worked fine. Therefore the statement "the Deep Cycle battery cannot give up enough current, rapidly enough for proper dumping" is only true if the Deep Cycle battery is low on charge.

All I'm really looking for is a system to charge the battery rather than boost the power. I looked, and my battery is indeed a marine/RV battery, so it is a hybrid.

I'm sure that using 00 cable would be the least resistance, most efficient power transfer, and last the longest, but the cost of the wire, connectors, and couplers for it will likely outweigh the benefit. What I'm trying to reach here is an adequate compromise that will maintain the charge on the trailer battery throughout the few hours that it might be used.

Maybe what I'm looking for rather than solenoids or isolators is a system that limits the amps going to the battery such that there's sufficient to charge it after a dump, but not so much current during a dump that it will cause failure of the wiring.

The wiring on a camper trailer hook up that charges the trailer battery is not very heavy guage wire. How is that controlled?

Marine/Starting is what it should say. Marine/RV just means Deep Cycle. In RV's they call them "coach" batteries, meaning to run your lights and such.

Your tow vehicle will put a charge your Deep Cycle while you are working.
Then you will have to do a real charge to bring the Deep cycle back up to full.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I looked at the fine print, and the battery says it's a "dual purpose deep cycle and marine starting battery"

 

[SkunkWerX]

I looked at the fine print, and the battery says it's a "dual purpose deep cycle and marine starting battery"

Starting!!! that's the word! Good deal.
Those are nice batteries.

OK, back to charging. The idea being, you can charge the battery at your garage over night. [x] check.

But, each time you dump, you are robbing the battery of some charge. Taking money out of the bank, so to speak. If it were only a few dumps, then you could simply charge it back up when it was parked. but if you are working on a good size project, numerous loads, there is a point of diminishing returns.

By hooking up to your towing vehicle (tractor's) system, you can be putting some money back into the bank while you are driving back and forth doing the dump work.

As PatG described, there are ways to wire this set up, such that, you don't drain your tractor's battery inadvertantly.

An inexpensive isolator is an easy thing to wire into the system. Allows the DUmp Battery to charge, but won't allow the tractor's battery to be sucked down.

Bottom line, you can have the tractor charging the Dump Battery while the tractor is running.

 

[2manyrocks]

On an RV, you get more of a slow trickle type charge when the RV is plugged into campground power. The RV can also be charged from the tow vehicle.

There is a very good book on RV electric power, batteries and charging methods. Sorry, I don't remember the name right off. It's been a while since I read it, but I think it said to use good quality batteries and that the most efficient and quick charging would be via the tow vehicle because of the higher amp input from the vehicle versus campground power.

The "isolation" unit you could get from an RV dealer at an high price or might find elsewhere for cheaper. RV campers want to avoid having the tow vehicle battery drained to nothing by the camper.

 

[mopacman]

My JD 140 has car battery in it. I would get a cheep set of jumper cables and hook to the tractor. That way you would have two batterys to run the trailer and use the charging system to charge both of them. Keep the tractor running at half RPM should help because the JD does not have an automotive alternator that puts out a lot at idle. The only reason you need a batt. isolater is to keep your batt. from running down when you are camping and cant start you truck to get home....Larry

 

[mopacman]

A way to reduce amp draw on the on the batt. would be use two cylenders. This would cut your Hydrolic pressure in half and amp draw in half. and make your lift operate half speed. If your pump slows down when at high pressure this might keep the pressure low enough to keep the speed up to make up for the slower dump speed. By doing this it would be better on the pump and batt......Larry

 

[sandman2234]

Sounds good, using two cylinders, but he already has the trailer built, so we are just trying to figure other ways to make what he has built work.
Sure wish you had been around when I built mine, as I had a pair of cylinders and a single scissor lift type cylinder. I went with the single, but often wish I had gone with the two and got more stability in the side to side motions.
David from jax

 

[Iplayfarmer]

A way to reduce amp draw on the on the batt. would be use two cylenders. This would cut your Hydrolic pressure in half and amp draw in half. and make your lift operate half speed. If your pump slows down when at high pressure this might keep the pressure low enough to keep the speed up to make up for the slower dump speed. By doing this it would be better on the pump and batt......Larry

The specs on the pump actually say that it can be adjusted for a higher pressure, lower flow. That may be an option. Thanks for that input.