Looking for some insight on what is possible with the battery - been reading about trickle chargers and we will get one asap for over winter charging. I think all will be stored outside but I gather this is fine for battery life.
Am I correct in my understanding that this is a crank battery? Can we power much else other than the two lights over a few days away? Are there options other than solar to charge while traveling? I have a lot to learn; should I be researching inverters?
I am just working on this on my baby too... I replaced the dead deep cycle with two new ones from Crappy Tire, added a 1500 inverter and a trickle charger. New charge controller and 175W flex panel coming this week. So fun!
Before..... 2 Deep Cycle batteries and a wiring mess. PWM solar charger and HEAVY!!
After..... LifePO4 battery with expansion plugs MPPT charge controller, bus bars all hidden under protective cover. Master battery switch and external solar charge plug to augment rooftop panel. 200 watts of solar and 150 Amp/Hr battery capacity (2 batteries 100 + 50) Monitoring of charging + drain (Bluetooth as well)
More of a hobby and learning experience than a necessity.
Shed about 60 lbs of tongue weight from storage box.
So in looking up your Battery Model as Canadian Tire it is indeed a Marine Cranking battery as you stated.
"The same elements that make a starting battery ideal for cranking an engine also make them less than ideal for continuous discharge or “cyclic” use. That's why deep cycle marine batteries are another necessity for boaters"
So this battery has thinner internal plates and needs more care to make sure it does not run down too far. Keep it topped up when not in use. If you don't the plates inside will 'sulphate' and impact the batteries ability to take a full charge and it will get weaker and weaker.
From the pictrue it looks like it is only connected to the 'house' wiring for lights and maybe 12V outlets perhaps as the wires are rather thin.
My expectation would be that this battery if maintained will be sufficent for the purpose.
I have an inverter to run things that need 110 Volts AC so I have very big cables running of the battery for this purpose.
Thank you both. John, thanks for the link.
My battery actually says "marine starting" which seems to indicate it's not deep cycle 🤔
I actually had 3 batteries in the front box but the weight was ridiculous. I am currently upgrading to a single 100 amp/hr Lithium.
Agree with Forrest although I picked up a 'smart charger' a Noco Genius. The best way to protect your deep cycle battery is to keep it charged. Another thing about deep cycle batteries is running them down too far shortens their life. Good info at this link
Yes you can use this battery for more than just the light and fan. A trickle charger is a great asset to have for this battery also you can add another battery and connect the positive to positive and negative to negative giving you more time. Also a solar panel works quite well to keep the batteries charged while traveling or even while camping. Before going anywhere always charge your batteries unt they are complely change. Also you can leave a trickle charger on for long periods of time. Hope this help. Forrest