Unique Trailer Electrical System

[tbone1004]

ok, so my apologies for this post, but couldn't find much on the topic.

Have a 6x12 enclosed trailer with a V that I am converting to a scuba trailer.
Proposed floorplan is below.



The red box on the right is an ArkPak, gray box on the passenger side is an Engel 45.

Trailer will have LED lights throughout, DC fans on the intake and exhaust vents on the side, as well as a charging station for GoPro's, dive lights, and a small computer running a monitor for looking at gopro footage. The ArkPak is obviously expensive and from what I have heard we are minimum 6 months from getting the new 730 which allows for charging of LiFePO4 as well as having a 300W inverter instead of 150w. At this point I'm going to be moving forward with the full build and will be waiting for the ArkPak 730 to be released before purchasing one. As of right now I do have a deep cycle battery and plan on hooking it up to run the fridge and run the lights as needed. Will hook it up to the main trailer distribution block, where I should get 15A out of that pin, which is fine to keep it topped off while going places *minimum drive will be about 4 hours, normal closer to 7*.


Now, the important bit, I have a Noco Genius 3500 that I plan to use until the ArkPak gets here. I'm thinking I'll just ring terminal it into the main 12V buss bar, and I plan on using the Anderson plug on the ArkPak to connect to the main trailer buss. For charging the ArkPak I intend on putting a shore power receptacle and have that connect to the ArkPak's AC Charger to get 7a coming in, and then have that also distribute to some AC circuits for charging the big DPV batteries you see in there. They're 24V and about 50ah each, so not something the ArkPak will be connected to. So, what are people using for circuits in their trailers? I don't have the option of a tongue box due to lack of any room up there, so do I build a master electrical distribution in the front and put something like what is linked below in there, that would handle AC and DC loads, and output to the ArkPak bypassing the charge controller, or do I just leave the Noco Genius in there for now and put standard Blue Sea Circuit breakers for AC and DC?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XRU6FM...TF8&colid=1C99NPJK9HFDE&coliid=I2Q8QYZQC7NJSP

My main concern right now is that because the G3500 doesn't have a 12V supply mode and is comparatively small, it will have issues despite the fridge only drawing 1.5A nominal. Is it worth it to purchase a G7200 which has a supply mode for the interim or just try my luck and manually connect the fridge to AC while it is topping off? Fridge would be the only amp draw during the night and would go on average 1 hour of use, 2-3 hours of just charging, repeat once, then charge only for the rest of the day/night as this is a support trailer.
thanks guys!

 

[dwh]

Some issues...

The Progressive Dynamics power center is a decent unit, with a 45a 2-stage (they don't call it 2-stage, but it is) power supply/charger. But...

A) You'll still need an inverter.
B) What sort of shore power? Only grid, or sometimes generator? How big a generator? Big enough to run a 45a charger?

The 3.5a Noco might keep up with the fridge, but will it keep up with the fridge, any other loads such as lights, and still be able to charge the battery? Maybe, but it might take days to get the battery charged.

 

[tbone1004]

A. I do have a 1000W inverter in the tow vehicle that is removable that I can bring in, but more importantly, will only be using AC when hooked up to shore power
B. Only grid, this is a support vehicle for where we will be diving, so it won't be without shorepower for very long. Certain locations won't have shore power but we will only be there for 8-10 hours so the pair of group 31's will be enough. The big DPV batteries will not be charging unless it is hooked up to shore power, and we plan on getting a 12V monitor so that isn't on AC either. Only other use would be for random stuff that has to be plugged in and we don't have DC-DC adapters for it.

The big thing I'm hoping for here is the limited use of unconnected power, with it being connected to the tow vehicle or shore power most of the time it should keep up. The question I'm hoping to get answered now is what is the best temporary solution to my issues until the ArkPak 730 is released? Do I stay with the Noco and know that since my trips are only about 3 days max, usually drive down Thurs after work, drive back after diving on Sunday, so only have to supply fridge power for 2.5 days and for over half of that time, it will be connected to shore power and then go with Blue Sea distribution panels; or do I spend the extra money get the power center which covers the distribution for me and then that gives me less need for the ArkPak and don't have to buy one until I need the portability? When I do get the ArkPak, the PD system allows me to only hook up to the ArkPak via the anderson connector since the PD would handle charging and that would be an extra battery. Reason for the ArkPak is I am currently building an expedition trailer to take camping/rock climbing that will have a bit more manners offroad, this trailer only has to survive access road type scenarios, and I want the ArkPak to be the platform for that trailer as well. Solar will be on the far away realm as my trips are short enough and generally have access to shore power when I need them so it doesn't make sense to invest now

 

[unseenone]

I'm doing something similar, with the Rover. See my recent post in the Traxide link under Land Rover section.

2 batteries, 1 Yellow Top AGM, 1 Deka 9A94R AGM
1 Traxide SC80 Battery Splitter (switching to a 160 soon)
1 100 Watt Grape Solar Panel (more would be nice if you have the room)
1 Morningstar 30A Prostar charge controller
1 Fridge
2 Ham Radio
1 Battery Charger for AA AAA etc batteries

I do not plug the vehicle into the house, but will plug the fridge in the house solar to maintain it while parked.

The system will maintain float on the batteries, as well as keep the fridge and ham running.

You can do something along these lines, with an Anderson plug to charge the trailer while you are driving, with a three battery version of the Traxide.

All in all it's a slick setup, you just need some halfway decent batteries, I do recommend Deka AGM Intimidators. They will be able to take the pounding in a trailer. Fridges don't necessarily hold up as well in a trailer as in the vehicle, so you can possibly expect issues to pup up, unless you can somehow cushion the ride.

Feel free to PM me about any of this..

Here is a image of battery voltage while running the system in the daylight. http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=11463&pos=0

Good Luck with your setup

 

[tbone1004]

thanks, will look into some of that stuff. Luckily the trailer will be mostly highway, and the access roads are very short, less than a mile at crawling pace most of the time, so I'm hoping the Engel will hold up to that relatively mild abuse. This thing is going to be rather heavy as well, currently look like around 2500lbs on a 3500lb axle setup, so it should help to damp everything

 

[dwh]

A. I do have a 1000W inverter in the tow vehicle that is removable that I can bring in, but more importantly, will only be using AC when hooked up to shore power
B. Only grid, this is a support vehicle for where we will be diving, so it won't be without shorepower for very long. Certain locations won't have shore power but we will only be there for 8-10 hours so the pair of group 31's will be enough. The big DPV batteries will not be charging unless it is hooked up to shore power, and we plan on getting a 12V monitor so that isn't on AC either. Only other use would be for random stuff that has to be plugged in and we don't have DC-DC adapters for it.

The big thing I'm hoping for here is the limited use of unconnected power, with it being connected to the tow vehicle or shore power most of the time it should keep up. The question I'm hoping to get answered now is what is the best temporary solution to my issues until the ArkPak 730 is released? Do I stay with the Noco and know that since my trips are only about 3 days max, usually drive down Thurs after work, drive back after diving on Sunday, so only have to supply fridge power for 2.5 days and for over half of that time, it will be connected to shore power and then go with Blue Sea distribution panels; or do I spend the extra money get the power center which covers the distribution for me and then that gives me less need for the ArkPak and don't have to buy one until I need the portability? When I do get the ArkPak, the PD system allows me to only hook up to the ArkPak via the anderson connector since the PD would handle charging and that would be an extra battery. Reason for the ArkPak is I am currently building an expedition trailer to take camping/rock climbing that will have a bit more manners offroad, this trailer only has to survive access road type scenarios, and I want the ArkPak to be the platform for that trailer as well. Solar will be on the far away realm as my trips are short enough and generally have access to shore power when I need them so it doesn't make sense to invest now

For what you've described, you don't need the ArkPak at all for the dive trailer. 3 days use, 1/2 the time on shore power, pair of group 31s. I'd say go with the PD and forget the ArkPAk. Reason is, you'll need the circuits/breakers in the dive trailer anyway and since it won't ever be long away from shore power, the 45a PD charger will get the batteries topped up fuller/faster when it is on shore power.

Use the ArkPak for the other trailer.

 

[tbone1004]

Plan would be to remove one of the g31's and put it in the ArkPak and use that to go between the two as well as the tow vehicle, and it would be able to handle charging duties of the other battery while it is plugged in, but looking at the cost of everything right now I'll probably just go with the PD sooner rather than later and build the box for it around one battery and have a 50a anderson plug going to the other one

 

[tbone1004]

Well, I'm just going to grab the PD now and build a semi permanent system in there with one G31. Looking at the cost of some of the Blue Sea breakers and fuse blocks it just doesn't make sense to spend the same amount of money and get a less capable system. When the new ArkPak comes out I'll grab one, put the other G31 in there and use it for reserve. PD looks like it'll be what I need and will certainly help to make the electrical system look more professional up front with the AC and DC circuits integrated in there.

thanks!

 

[dwh]

Only gotcha I see here is that the 45a charger might be too much for the battery. Battery manufacturers specify "maximum charge rate" as a multiple of amp*hours capacity. Some (most common) specify C/4 (capacity in amp*hours divided by 4) so a 100ah battery with that spec would require a max charger of 25a.

Others, in particular quite a few AGMs have no amp limit, as long as the battery doesn't overheat.

You didn't specify exactly which battery you have (or I didn't see it if you did), so check the specs on it to see if it'll be happy handling a 45a charge rate. I didn't mention this before, because a pair of just about any battery would be just fine with 45a.

 

[tbone1004]

Thanks, batteries in question are AGM so not concerned about them handling the charge even long term when they get separated. Other potential plan wrt batteries is to get some golf cart batteries, but I think the g31's will be enough to handle this.

 

[unseenone]

Don't go for the golf cart batteries, I can tell you from experience. Besides you do not want anything like that venting anywhere near your scuba gear. The AGM is a good bet. The right charge controller, like a Morningstar MPPT 45 or Prostar 30-M would be good. Despite your battery condition, the prostar for example will do a nice job maintaining the batteries. If you install the temp and voltage sensors it would also be good. You can take a temp sensor and cut it, and use the extra wire for the voltage sensor. It does require some soldering. The system won't interfere with communications gear, and it will quickly detect power usage, and keep the batteries in good shape, and right back to float, when they do not need to go through an entire charge cycle.

All in all, a nice system.

AGM can take a beating in a trailer, so that's a good place to be.

 

[tbone1004]

thanks, I was leaning towards sealed because of that, but was thinking if I did that I'd vent them outside, but it's worth the extra money for the sealed AGM's.