Thread: Charging a battery box via a Traxide?

Hi Red and as long as you have a 50 amp auto resetting circuit breaker or 60 amp fuse in the box, connected to your battery box's positive terminal, charging via the Anderson plug at the rear will be the same as someone charging house batteries in their camper trailer or caravan.

Just plug it in and let it charge as you drive along and it will have no noticeable effect on your Optima.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Red and as long as you have a 50 amp auto resetting circuit breaker or 60 amp fuse in the box, connected to your battery box's positive terminal, charging via the Anderson plug at the rear will be the same as someone charging house batteries in their camper trailer or caravan.

Just plug it in and let it charge as you drive along and it will have no noticeable effect on your Optima.

Thanks, Tim. (Very quick response!)

Is it worth putting an ABG-25 in it to stop the battery getting too low?

If you plan on using the battery box in a way that is likely to over discharge it, then yes, an ABG-25 wouldn’t be a bad idea.

If you are only going to be drawing small loads and running them for short periods, then you should be safe without an ABG-25.

It’s the old saying “how long is a piece of string”, as it all depends on your planned use.

Forgive my high school level knowledge of circuits, but I want to make sure I've got this right.

You're saying I should have a 50A CB or 60A fuse between the rear Anderson plug and the battery box to protect it from a possible current spike hitting the battery when charging from the USI-160?

Something like this?
S5885 50A Surface Mount IP67 Waterproof Circuit Breaker - Altronics

Hi again Red, that circuit breaker will do the job but all you need is a standard 50 amp auto resetting circuit breaker, for about $10.

You might already have one fitted inside your battery box.

If you are not sure, take some photos of the inside of the lid and battery, and post them up here and we can steer you in the right direction.

This is the "wiring diagram" of the box
IMG_20190407_180445_copy.jpg

The circuit breaker in it is rated at 16A, and I'm assuming that's just protecting the power outlets
IMG_20190407_180521_copy.jpg

It's wired in with 14AWG (the main cables are 8AWG)
IMG_20190407_162759_copy.jpg

If the main cable is 8B&S ( 7.9mm2 ) then use no bigger than a 40 amp circuit breaker or fuse.

This will still be OK but you will need to fit an Anderson plug, to connect to the Anderson plug at the rear.

You will need to make this connection lead with either 8B&S or preferably with 6B&S ( 13.5mm2 ).

Also, try to get a genuine Anderson brand 50 amp Anderson plug. These are just much better quality than the copies.

Pretty much all done, but now I have a question about the orientation of the circuit breaker. It's a 40A auto reset as suggested.
It has two posts, one copper marked BAT, the other steel marked AUX.

Am I using this CB to protect from too much current coming from the rear Anderson outlet (from the crank and Optima) when charging while driving, or am I using it to stop the battery in the box from supplying too much current back to the crank and Optima when starting?

That is, what does the BAT side connect to, and what does the AUX connect to in this situation?

This is purely for charging. The accessory plugs on the box have their own 16A CB switch.