Thread: New to AULRO and looking for advice on set up for towing

Two things from a van owner,

The Gentleman that owns Traxide is a Vendor and long time contributer/member here, Tim will sort out any tech concerns you have.
Ultimately its always best to make the camper self sufficient, I am not a fan of Sun chasing with portable solar panels, but would much rather do that than rely on a tow vehicle supplying power.
If this is to be a long term thing I would consider Lithium storage,, much better bang per kg,,


is that 3? sorry, V8 owners arent good with figures,,

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Two things from a van owner,

The Gentleman that owns Traxide is a Vendor and long time contributer/member here, Tim will sort out any tech concerns you have.
Ultimately its always best to make the camper self sufficient, I am not a fan of Sun chasing with portable solar panels, but would much rather do that than rely on a tow vehicle supplying power.
If this is to be a long term thing I would consider Lithium storage,, much better bang per kg,,


is that 3? sorry, V8 owners arent good with figures,,

There are positives and negatives to both fixed and portable panels.

Fixed positives

Set and forget (except for cleaning)
Usually higher output
Solar regulator can be internal and usually higher output
Charges when travelling
more secure

Fixed negative

Not usually at the correct angle to the sun
If you park in the shade your panels are in the shade (usually)
Not portable to transfer to other vehicle or trailer
harder to setup (once only)

Portable positives

Can be setup in the sun while van is in shade
Portable (I set mine up at home to charge battery and run fridge through inverter when power was out for days)
not much setup required
You can chase the sun to get optimum output through the day

Portable negatives

Can be easily stolen
you have to move it to get optimum output through the day
usually lower output and less efficient panel and regulator
Only available when stationary

Ideally I will set up 300-500W fixed on my van roof and keep my portable panel for when I'm parked in the shade or for charging the car battery when parked for a while with the car fridge running. My portable panel works well and tops up the house battery to full easily on sunny days but takes some effort to drag it out and setup when camped.

To answer your questions...

I prefer to have my car auxiliary battery portable, not permanent. I use a lithium 125 Ah battery as my auxiliary battery, so it only weighs around 15 kg, not 40 kg, but every kg counts. I only put it in the car when I need it - like the fridge. Why cart it around all the time?

All I had to do was run a 6B&S - read, heavy - cable from the starter battery with a fuse at the battery end and a black 50 Amp Anderson plug on the other end. The cable lies in the channel behind the back seats when not needed. My battery is in a Korr battery box which has a series of sockets on it - 4 x 50 Amp Anderson, 1 x 175 Amp Anderson, 2 x USB and 2 x cigarette lighter Sockets on it as standard. I have installed a DC-DC battery charger - which does the same job as the Traxide unit as well as charging the battery from 12 Volts and solar - inside the lid of the box which is connected to a black 50 Amp Anderson plug for charging from the starter battery and that is where I plug in the lead from the starter battery. The red Anderson plug I use to plug in solar panels when camped to recharge the auxiliary battery. The two grey Anderson plugs on the box are for things like my fridge. The 175 Amp Anderson plug I usually don't use much, but I can run a high capacity compressor from it if I want to.





Any competent auto electrician can fit the Tow Pro - just make sure he knows that Land Rover have very kindly fitted a socket under the dash on the driver's side which has all the connections needed for the Tow Pro. Also get them to fit an 50 Amp Anderson plug near the tow bar so you can plug the camper in while driving to charge the batteries. I would recommend one with a cover, and make sure it is fitted well up out of the way so it does not get damaged by flying rocks.

Being me, and stuck in lockdown... - I have fitted a red 50 Amp Anderson plug at the rear and run the cable inside and to the rear of the rear seats so I can plug in my solar panels without opening the car.







Hope this helps.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs

If you can afford it, definitely get a lithium battery for the auxiliary. They are better in every way - even cost if you look at expected lifetime.

Originally Posted by Numb Thumbs

I have installed a DC-DC battery charger - which does the same job as the Traxide unit
If you can afford it, definitely get a lithium battery for the auxiliary. They are better in every way - even cost if you look at expected lifetime.

Hi Numb Thumbs and I hope that setup meets your requirements but two points, and note, I am getting calls about this type of setup once or twice a week, every week.

There is no comparison between what you get with one of my Traxide systems and a lithium battery setup in a vehicle. Two totally different systems and I will show the differences.

As for a lithium battery setup supposedly being better in every way, better than what? I’m sorry mate, but you are just plain wrong.

A lithium battery box is lighter than a lead acid battery box and even this is not quite as good as it sounds ( more on this later ). And this weight saving is where the advantages of a lithium battery setup ends.

But first things first. I have seen that battery box before and the instant I see things like a 175 amp “JUMP START” setup, this immediately indicates the manufacturer ( or who ever ) has no genuine auto electrical experience what so ever.

You can safely jump start any vehicle through a 50 amp Anderson plug with 6B&S cable, even when the cable is protected by a 50 amp auto reseting circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker will NOT trip while you are jump starting.

I would like to be very clear here, I use nothing but genuine Anderson Plugs and any info posted here is in relation to the genuine article, and most likely will not apply to the many Knock-Offs.

Again, the many different coloured Anderson plugs may suit your requirements, but in normal practice, this just creates unnecessary incompatibility for different devices.

Depending on the way someone wants to use portable solar panels, exploiting the solar reg in a DC/DC device can be beneficial. But if the solar panel is equipped with it’s own solar regulator, this makes it more convenient.

By using a solar panel with a regulator, the panel can simply be plugged into the standard Grey Anderson plug at the rear and then with a Traxide system, you are now able to charge and maintain both the auxiliary battery and the cranking battery.

We also provide an Anderson Star plug. A three way plug that can be plugged into the rear Anderson plug and the trailer or caravan’s Anderson plug and the the solar panel all at the same time, allowing the solar panel to charge all the batteries in the system.

Your system’s setup requires additional plugs and cabling, yet it is only capable of charging the one battery.

Your system also requires separate control of any cabling required to charge batteries in a camper trailer or caravan, whereas with my system, everything is achieved through the one single cable and Grey Anderson plug.

As for your suggested use of the 175 amp Anderson plug to run a compressor. With my system, this again can be achieved by simply plugging the compressor in to the single Grey Anderson p[lug at the rear.

This again not only simplifies the whole setup, but because the rear Anderson plug is protected by a circuit breaker, the whole operation is safe.

Your 175 amp Anderson plug is not protected plus, for the correct use of any compressor, you should have the motor running while using the compressor. With your setup, this would be of no use as the battery is the only source of power to the compress.

Now to the rear weight saving. You have a 125Ah lithium, which provides about 100Ah to 110Ah of usable battery capacity.

Because my system uses up to 50% of the cranking battery’s capacity to assist the auxiliary battery, you would only need an 80Ah auxiliary battery to have the same 110Ah of usable battery capacity.

Recharging time required is also completely different.

With your setup, if your Lithium is flat and you have a 40 amp DC/DC device, you will need at least 3 hours of driving to get it back up over 95%, and if you only have a 20 amp DC/DC, the most common size used, you will need at least 5 hours of driving.

With my setup, and with the batteries discharged down to their limit, you will have both batteries back up over 95% in around an hours driving time.

Your system only maintains the lithium battery, where my system maintains both batteries at all times and I have quite a few D5 customers who tow caravans, and their D5 charges all the batteries without the use of a DC/DC device anywhere in their setups.

Once again Numb Thumbs, if you are happy with your setup, good to hear, but as you can see, there is no comparison between the Traxide system and an lithium battery setup. A lithium battery set has no where near the advantages my Traxide systems offer and the Traxide systems are around half the cost.

It seems many with lithium as auxiliary,use something like an Argofet battery isolater,which will allow the lithium to be charged much quicker than a DC to DC device.

Still completely different to a traxide system as the batteries have to be isolated as soon as the vehicle engine stops,as they are different types.

No familiar with the D5 layout.....

1st decision is the type of battery......lithium appears to be the must have fashion item at the moment much like having Kings awning strapped to your roof rack....and before the a hi-lift Jack, everybody gotta have one.

Next is charging/isolating. I assume the camper also has battery that needs charging. Depending on your battery selection for the car you may need to have two charging circuit.

I’ve recently switched to lithium.....my hand was forced as there was really no other option.

Over the years it been a progression
Dual starter batteries with marine isolator to
Traxide with AGM to
Redarc basic VSR with AGM to
DC-DC with lithium

If you do choose Lithium and DC-DC i reckon it’ll serve you well.

Re: charging time, I have a 40amp DC-DC and have always been at 100% by the time we pulled into our next camp. I have missed the potential higher charge rate from a VSR. I also run my roof solar through a separate regulator so that the battery received charge from both alternator and solar.

Re: overall capacity, I don’t think there is a way of using the starter capacity if you go lithium....I was never keen on using the starter hence running the redarc VSR.

Re: weight, whilst there is a weight saving having a lithium I haven’t saved the net difference in weight between the AGM and Lithium.....as the DC-DC, 2000w inverter, battery monitor, cable have robbed some of the saving. But I know have 181 usable amp/hrs compared to maybe 60....roughly tripled my capacity.

Re: physical size of lithium, there are more and more options including slimline.

I also see portable kits gaining in popularity.....not for me but its an option.

Good luck....it’s a bit of a minefield, keep us posted on your final decision.

Originally Posted by scarry

It seems many with lithium as auxiliary,use something like an Argofet battery isolater,which will allow the lithium to be charged much quicker than a DC to DC device.

Still completely different to a traxide system as the batteries have to be isolated as soon as the vehicle engine stops,as they are different types.

Just have to be careful to not exceed the recommended charge rates....my lithium is max. 60amps therefore my 40amp DC-DC with x amount from solar matches my battery.

I think speed of charging isn’t as critical as it’s made out to be. Sure it can be considered but it’s not the main factor.

In my set up the lowest I’ve seen after breakfast is 68% (64ah used) and only once I haven’t seen 100% (92%) at the end of the day when stationary for the day. I’ve always been at 100% by next camp when driving. In my case I don’t see the need for any quicker charging.

Hi W&KO, you have posted up info relating to a one-up setup, which is based on your specific needs, as has Numb Thumbs, and this is a good think as the OP can get some ideas for what he may need to meet his own requirements.

I, on the other hand, have posted up info based on many thousands of users in common RV situations.

I might add that my systems would probably cover the needs of 95% of people who fit a dual battery system.

Now you did raise a good point and something I have been warning about for some time now, and that is that potential buyers of lithium batteries need to become experts on lithium battery specs, so they can do a fairly accurate assessment of any specific brand, before they buy it.

There is so much rubbish out there now, and buying a “NAME” brand of lithium battery does NOT make it value for money or even a good battery.

When quality lithium batteries are used, you can have some pretty incredible setups.

For instance, I have delivered Sterling 24v to 12v, 70 amp DC/DC charges to a company here in Queensland ( not a customer of mine ) but they set up motor homes with 800Ah of lithium batteries being charged with three 70 amp DC/DC devices wired in parallel. That’s a recharge capability of over 200 amps.

I know of a few caravan owner I referred to installers, where they have four 100Ah lithium batteries being charged with two Sterling 60amp DC/DC chargers, again wired in parallel.

The reason for the high capacity and high current charging is that they wanted to run air-conditioner powered by a Combi Inverter, while they were off grid, removing the need to have a generator.

But the vast majority of people on here are looking for the best setup that will not break the bank but will easily meet their needs.

Now to recharge times and sorry mate but this is one area where most people never drive long enough to fully recharge batteries, even with my systems.

Few people drive 5 hours when towing a caravan, with the average daily drive time in Australia being 2.5 to 4 hours.

The inability for DC/DC devices to meet the needs of people who free camp and then expect these devices to recharge their house batteries is a problem, caused by the fact few people drive long enough to allow for the slow recharging devices the chance to recharge low battery banks. And this drawback is almost never made clear to people buying DC/DC devices.

My systems don’t solve this same problem but they are able to leave the batteries with at least twice the used capacity replaced at the end of a days drive.

Ultimately, it comes down to horses for course but people need to know what is available and what are the pros and cons of any system they may be looking at.