Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
POSTSCRIPT: FOR THE FUSE COPS
J/K.
I know safety is important and the last thing anybody wants is an electrical fire next to two lithium batteries and 2 propane tanks.
First step was to fuse the big 2AWG cable running from the truck battery to the 175A Anderson connector. After looking at lots of options I chose a Bojack ANL fuse block and a 40A fuse (the charger draws just over 30A so I figured 40A was safe. If I ever need a bigger fuse I'll put one in but 40A seems good for now.)
While I was in there I looked at the fusing and quick-disconnect that I put in when I installed the 20A DC-DC charger. That was a somewhat complicated setup using a battery terminal fuse block with a Blue Sea 30A "square" type fuse. That was then connected to an RV quick disconnect with a knob that would disconnect the power to the DC-DC converter when removed (which was done every time we came back from a trip and no longer needed the DC-DC charger.) For a refresher, this is what it looked like when I installed it in 2020:
There were two things I didn't like about this setup: First of all, when the plastic knob was removed (breaking the connection and keeping power from going to the charger) that brass connector was just flapping around. The two pieces were just held together by a little bit of plastic since the screw connecting them was not there.
The second thing I didn't like was when the fuse popped (which has happened a couple of times over the years) it cost almost $15 to replace AND they have to be ordered online (at least I haven't found anyplace local that stocks them.) Of course, I only use this when we are on a trip in a remote area, so losing the ability to charge the power bank is a problem. My initial response was just to buy extra fuses and throw them in the glove compartment, but, again, they're $15 each, or maybe $25 for two - still a lot of money for an expendable item.
So, when I ordered the Bojack ANL fuse holder, I ordered a couple of extra. As you can see from this picture I have two of them in place, one for the big charging cable that goes to the 175A Anderson connector (top) and the second one goes to the DC-DC charger. This replaces the expensive Blue Sea fuse with a much cheaper ($6.99 for 3!) ANL fuse.
As a bonus, it not only replaces the fuse block, it replaces the quick disconnect. Because as soon as I saw that the fuse was held on by a couple of bolts, I thought "why couldn't I just replace those hex bolts with wing nuts, that way I can just unscrew them by hand and remove the fuse altogether when I don't want the charger to be powered."
So that's what I did. And since I don't want the charger to be powered when I'm just driving around town, I just unscrew the wing nuts, remove the fuse, and throw it in the glove compartment.
Lastly, I turned to the Anderson connector that goes to the trailer battery. At first I thought I'd use the same kind of ANL fuse holder, but at the local Auto Zone I came across this:
That's a very small "automatic resetting circuit breaker. I've never used one before but I figured a self-resetting breaker might be better than a fuse, especially given the very low likelihood that it would even be needed.
I had to buy a smaller ring terminal to get it to fit without the two rings touching each other, but I was able to make it work. Note the electrical tape on the copper lug just for a little extra safety:
And the whole assembly looks like this now:
And fits neatly into the battery box:
So all in all I'm going to call this project "finished" - for now. Of course, the real test will be in a few months when we start camping again, so it's possible that some of this may or may not work out the way I want it to. It's always a "work in progress" but I have fun doing it.
Thanks to all of you for your suggestions/recommendations/warnings! And safe travels to everyone!
J/K.
I know safety is important and the last thing anybody wants is an electrical fire next to two lithium batteries and 2 propane tanks. First step was to fuse the big 2AWG cable running from the truck battery to the 175A Anderson connector. After looking at lots of options I chose a Bojack ANL fuse block and a 40A fuse (the charger draws just over 30A so I figured 40A was safe. If I ever need a bigger fuse I'll put one in but 40A seems good for now.)
While I was in there I looked at the fusing and quick-disconnect that I put in when I installed the 20A DC-DC charger. That was a somewhat complicated setup using a battery terminal fuse block with a Blue Sea 30A "square" type fuse. That was then connected to an RV quick disconnect with a knob that would disconnect the power to the DC-DC converter when removed (which was done every time we came back from a trip and no longer needed the DC-DC charger.) For a refresher, this is what it looked like when I installed it in 2020:
There were two things I didn't like about this setup: First of all, when the plastic knob was removed (breaking the connection and keeping power from going to the charger) that brass connector was just flapping around. The two pieces were just held together by a little bit of plastic since the screw connecting them was not there.
The second thing I didn't like was when the fuse popped (which has happened a couple of times over the years) it cost almost $15 to replace AND they have to be ordered online (at least I haven't found anyplace local that stocks them.) Of course, I only use this when we are on a trip in a remote area, so losing the ability to charge the power bank is a problem. My initial response was just to buy extra fuses and throw them in the glove compartment, but, again, they're $15 each, or maybe $25 for two - still a lot of money for an expendable item.
So, when I ordered the Bojack ANL fuse holder, I ordered a couple of extra. As you can see from this picture I have two of them in place, one for the big charging cable that goes to the 175A Anderson connector (top) and the second one goes to the DC-DC charger. This replaces the expensive Blue Sea fuse with a much cheaper ($6.99 for 3!) ANL fuse.
As a bonus, it not only replaces the fuse block, it replaces the quick disconnect. Because as soon as I saw that the fuse was held on by a couple of bolts, I thought "why couldn't I just replace those hex bolts with wing nuts, that way I can just unscrew them by hand and remove the fuse altogether when I don't want the charger to be powered."
So that's what I did. And since I don't want the charger to be powered when I'm just driving around town, I just unscrew the wing nuts, remove the fuse, and throw it in the glove compartment.
Lastly, I turned to the Anderson connector that goes to the trailer battery. At first I thought I'd use the same kind of ANL fuse holder, but at the local Auto Zone I came across this:
That's a very small "automatic resetting circuit breaker. I've never used one before but I figured a self-resetting breaker might be better than a fuse, especially given the very low likelihood that it would even be needed.
I had to buy a smaller ring terminal to get it to fit without the two rings touching each other, but I was able to make it work. Note the electrical tape on the copper lug just for a little extra safety:
And the whole assembly looks like this now:
And fits neatly into the battery box:
So all in all I'm going to call this project "finished" - for now. Of course, the real test will be in a few months when we start camping again, so it's possible that some of this may or may not work out the way I want it to. It's always a "work in progress" but I have fun doing it.
Thanks to all of you for your suggestions/recommendations/warnings! And safe travels to everyone!