Expo Trailer Power Umbilical

[SAR_Squid79]

Well - I'm not completely sold on going with this umbilical route, yet. I'm just trying to figure out how powering the trailer can best be done to maximize space, reliability, and hopefully simplicity, and minimize cost.

I've also been eyeballing the Minn Kota Power Center. Thinking about getting one of these and dropping in the biggest Odyssey that will fit. And then I'll just have to run a wire back to keep a charge on the battery when the trailer's hooked up, and that way I can keep the fridge running when the trailer is unhooked at camp.

 

[ntsqd]

For exposed on a vehicle's rear bumper area the downside of the Anderson plugs (like in the Superwinch kit) is that they are not weather sealed in the slightest. The only thing they have going for them is that the act of connecting them causes the spring loaded contacts to wipe across each other. The contacts do appear to be silver plated, but I would use adhesive lined heat shrink over where the cable is inserted into them.

If you opt for a battery on the trailer then the charge wire can be run thru the regular trailer light connector. This would be my own preference. You'll still want something like the constant duty solenoid etc. up front to separate the truck from the trailer when not running, but the wire size can drop to 10ga. as the socket in the trailer light connector probably won't accept anything bigger anyway. You'll also want to have a ground wire in the light connector of equal gauge to the charge wire. On the truck side it can just ground to the frame near the rear bumper.

What do you have to give up in order for a battery to fit on the trailer?

 

[Robert Bills]

That is the same "power center" that I currently use in my Bantam trailer.

It is manufactured by Seasense.com, part no. 50090682, and available at many marine supply outlets.

It will work fine for powering your fridge and a 12v accessory or two. However, the largest battery that fits is a group 27. I am using mine with a Walmart group 27 model 27DC-6 deep cycle trolling motor battery rated at 115 amp hours, 720 marine cranking amps, 600 cca, about $60 when I purchased mine 3 years ago.

 

[SAR_Squid79]

That is the same "power center" that I currently use in my Bantam trailer.

It is manufactured by Seasense.com, part no. 50090682, and available at many marine supply outlets.

It will work fine for powering your fridge and a 12v accessory or two. However, the largest battery that fits is a group 27. I am using mine with a Walmart group 27 model 27DC-6 deep cycle trolling motor battery rated at 115 amp hours, 720 marine cranking amps, 600 cca, about $60 when I purchased mine 3 years ago.

Awesome! Thanks for the info... AGAIN!

...How do you keep it charged? Do you even need to charge it out on the trail?

 

[SAR_Squid79]

What do you have to give up in order for a battery to fit on the trailer?

Nothing, really. I just DO NOT want a H-U-G-E set up like the Chaser Trailers have. I'm sure it's great, and ************, and bulletproof, but look how big it is. This is way bigger than I want to do, and a little overkill, IMO.

 

[Robert Bills]

For exposed on a vehicle's rear bumper area the downside of the Anderson plugs (like in the Superwinch kit) is that they are not weather sealed in the slightest.

You can solve that problem with a connector cover, and switch to cut power to the constant duty solenoid that powers the wire to the connectors when you are not using jumpers.

If you opt for a battery on the trailer then the charge wire can be run thru the regular trailer light connector. This would be my own preference. You'll still want something like the constant duty solenoid etc. up front to separate the truck from the trailer when not running, but the wire size can drop to 10ga. as the socket in the trailer light connector probably won't accept anything bigger anyway. You'll also want to have a ground wire in the light connector of equal gauge to the charge wire. On the truck side it can just ground to the frame near the rear bumper.

See this recent thread regarding wiring your tow rig to charge a trailer mounted battery with your tow rig's alternator:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11386

I use a similar circuit, which will charge my trailer battery on the way to and from base camp, and on day runs with the trailer in tow. I have needed to hook up the trailer connector and charge the trailer battery while in camp only a few times, but can't recall how long it took because I did so in the morning while warming up my engine only 15 minutes or so before departing and didn't test to see whether or not I got a full charge. (I doubt it, but I got enough to keep my battery from ever discharging over 50% charge). Note, however, that most alternators don't put out much of a charge at idle, so you will need a hand throttle (or rock on the accelerator pedal) to keep your engine at 1000 rpm or so.

 

[Robert Bills]

That is the same "power center" that I currently use in my Bantam trailer.

...How do you keep it charged?

Through a 6-pole trailer connector. (7-pole is the most common, but my truck was already wired with 4-pole, 6-pole and 7-pole, so 6-pole is what I used on the trailer because it does not have electric trailer brakes.) If you are installing electric trailer brakes, or plan to in the future, you will need a 7-pole connector.

The connectors wire like this:

See the link to the thread regarding charging a trailer battery with tow rig alternator referenced above. http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11386

 

[ntsqd]

You can solve that problem with a connector cover, and switch to cut power to the constant duty solenoid that powers the wire to the connectors when you are not using jumpers.

As I see it the problem with that cover is that it only address' the connection side. The backside of the connector is always exposed to contaminants. I have no proof of this, but my suspicion is that the cover removes the inherent flow-thru ability of the connector & potentially makes things worse. I've never used one on the 'glass buggy, which has two of the mid size versions on it for it's winch.

I like the idea of turning off the charge wire when not needed, but I know that I'd forget to flip the switch. I have 10ga. power running to the rear bumper of both 4x's that are live all the time. Both run thru a breaker near the battery. Never had an issue. As we all know, proper routing is important.

 

[Azlugz]

I know this is an older thread but i have heard the Point of the Ford Starter Solenoid for years and I would like to shine some light here....hopefully.

As stated by so many, the Ford Starter Solenoid (FSS) is made for Short duration, High current situation where the Constant Duty Solenoid (CDS) is made for lower but sustained current duty.

Winching/jumping: The CDS would not normally be a good way to connect two batteries for a short term winch operation as you may verywell burn it out but a FSS would work great as it is designed to take the current and you would only have it in operation for a short time.

Dual Battery Setup: This is where the CDS shines as you normally would not draw excessive surrent and since it is designed for long use, it will not heat up the way the FSS tends too, it also has a more positive contact than the FSS. Part of the problem in the FSS lies in the contactors, they can have a tendancy to "bounce" and have "gaps" in the contact time, basically an intermittent contact time, not so much that you can see a voltage drop, but enough that it causes internal arcing and heat. This is not good for your alternator/electrical system over a long period as it can cause voltage spikes (not a problem in short term winch or jump situations)