I am thinking about adding the second battery to my Bighorn 3055. Has anyone had experience adding one? Looks like there is a place up front to add the additional one but wondering if it is a simple add or anything extea I need to add to the system. Also, is it worth adding the extra battery if I want to camp where there is no electrical to plug into? Thanks in advance to the community for the help.
adding an additional 12 volt battery to my Big Horn 3055
- Thread starter unruhdm
- Start date
jimtoo
Moderator
Hi unruhdm,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.
You should get some ideas soon about your battery addition. I also have a 3055, but we do not do any dry camping, so have not needed an extra battery. A lot of the others have and they will give you all kinds of ideas.
Meanwhile enjoy the forum,
Jim M
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.
You should get some ideas soon about your battery addition. I also have a 3055, but we do not do any dry camping, so have not needed an extra battery. A lot of the others have and they will give you all kinds of ideas.
Meanwhile enjoy the forum,
Jim M
GOTTOYS
Well-known member
You need to use batteries that are similar in age and capacity. They need to connected in parallel not series. You should use a vented battery box to allow the gases to escape. One more battery will help but even more than that will help more. You will probably make it one or possibly two nights with dual batteries depending on your electrical usage. Adding more batteries is on my never ending list of projects for our Big Country...Don
convert
Reginald Hromek
I've got,to agree with GOTTOYS dependibg on usage 1 or 2 nights. I've installed an extra battery on my 2011 BIGHORN form the sole purpose of making sure my furnace runs to capacity on the cold friged nights on the way south in Dec or Jan. We usually stop at a Wal Mart for the one night and I want to be warm on the way South. I"ve noticed that running the furnace all night will even cause a noticable drain on the two batteries so I would believe they would not last very long dry camping for any length of time. Maybe look at generator that would supply enough power to keep you going. The cold nights I am talking are about 15-20 degrees and the furnace hardly turns off.
With my experience with my boat, 2 six volt golf cart batteries lasted considerably longer than 2 12 volt deep cycle batteries. On the way home from the dealer we stopped at a Sams club and bought 2 6 volt batteries. Spent a week at the Great Lakes Cruising Club summer rendezvous, still had 3/4 on the battery meter. Yes, they work.
TandT
Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
MC9, I agree. I put two 6 volt golf cart batteries in series on my former SOB, along with a cheap 45 watt solar setup from Harbor Freight. If I watched my useage, I could go about 5-6 days without another power source, as compared to only 1-2 days with the single stock 12v battery.
I am a believer in solar and I am going to do my present rig up with a better solar setup. Because I have a Onan 5500 taking up space, I am challenged as to where to put additional batteries. DW suggested doing a slideout under the frame, which I will look into. Don't know if the Lippert undermount drawers are large enough to except 6 volt batteries.
I am a believer in solar and I am going to do my present rig up with a better solar setup. Because I have a Onan 5500 taking up space, I am challenged as to where to put additional batteries. DW suggested doing a slideout under the frame, which I will look into. Don't know if the Lippert undermount drawers are large enough to except 6 volt batteries.
slmayor
Founding California Northern Chapter Leader
Just another option to consider, we put 2 sealed 6 volts in place of the single 12. They fit in the same compartment (sideways) and didn't have to have a battery box as there is no out-gassing. The sealed 6 volts are pricey, but in our experience at work, the average age for replacement is somewhere between 6 and 10 years. Besides, having a battery box built would have been expensive as well. Our battery was in the same compartment as my hydraulic stuff. All we did was weld up a little more support for the floor and stuff them in. Side benefit, no maintenance.
The trailer has been sitting in the driveway for 2 weeks. Running the fridge and other parasitic draws and I've still got 3/4 battery. with the 12 volt, even at it's peak, we would have gotten maybe 3 days. With the batteries we used, we tripled our available amp hours. The good, true 6 volts are also made to be drawn down and recharged many cycles as use with golf carts would indicate. They may cost twice as much as 12 volts, but you'll probably get many more months of service from them.
The trailer has been sitting in the driveway for 2 weeks. Running the fridge and other parasitic draws and I've still got 3/4 battery. with the 12 volt, even at it's peak, we would have gotten maybe 3 days. With the batteries we used, we tripled our available amp hours. The good, true 6 volts are also made to be drawn down and recharged many cycles as use with golf carts would indicate. They may cost twice as much as 12 volts, but you'll probably get many more months of service from them.
branson4020
Icantre Member
Hey Ray (or Deb) - what brand are those batteries?
slmayor
Founding California Northern Chapter Leader
The batteries are Full River brand. We've been getting pretty exceptional use out of them with motor homes and houseboats. Even at my cost, the bill made me choke...LOL. I just had to justify them by dividing the cost by the expected service life of 6+ years. Then they'll be about the same cost as the 12's or even a little cheaper. As with any 6 volt, sitting is the enemy that destroys them. They should be worked to get the longest life out of them. Re-training both Ray and I to not automatically plug the rig in to charge it has been the hardest part. Bill, my boss has some that are over 10 years old and still holding a charge. We'll see if we're able to be diligent enough to get the same life. Going to try to add solar this summer, and then they'll get the workout they're supposed to.
branson4020
Icantre Member
slmayor
Founding California Northern Chapter Leader
Not sure on cost for the T-125's or on the size? I'll be back at work on Monday and will let you know. We probably sell a dozen a week of the T105's (same footprint as a group 27 but an inch or 2 taller) and those should be in the ballpark of $140-$150 ea, no matter where you buy them. I'll let you know on Monday.
I havent even picked up my 3055 yet but have two T105's from my trade in trailer.
so there is only one stock battery on the 3055? I saw a box on the passenger side near the hydralics...is that the only one?
If you were going to put two, I assume you would have to move it to one of the underbelly storage areas correct?
if so, which one would you use and how would you vent the batteries? I want to install a battery shut of swtich as well, I know I had some sort of issues on my last trailer that caused a parasitic drain, and I could never find it.
I am really thinking of adding solar on this rig, as we store it in a storage yard with no power so I always have had to get a it a night early and park her on the street in front of our house to charge it....that was fine with the trailer, I doubt my neighbors will want this think sitting on the street.
so there is only one stock battery on the 3055? I saw a box on the passenger side near the hydralics...is that the only one?
If you were going to put two, I assume you would have to move it to one of the underbelly storage areas correct?
if so, which one would you use and how would you vent the batteries? I want to install a battery shut of swtich as well, I know I had some sort of issues on my last trailer that caused a parasitic drain, and I could never find it.
I am really thinking of adding solar on this rig, as we store it in a storage yard with no power so I always have had to get a it a night early and park her on the street in front of our house to charge it....that was fine with the trailer, I doubt my neighbors will want this think sitting on the street.
