Re: [A/S] Univolt and Solar Power

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob,
 The charge line from the tow vehicle does NOT "go through the UniVolt".
Look at http://bart.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm for a block
diagram of how a typical RV is wired. You could easily disconnect that
charge line and not miss much, various technical considerations limit
the charging rate to less than 5 amps anyway.

Also, you don't install "new batteries for solar", you replace the
existing batteries. Attempting to keep the original and adding
additional capacity as you describe will lead to problems. One more
thing: you must be VERY careful when adding batteries because of their
weight. The more 'improvement' you want to make, the more careful you
have to be. Terry Tyler related adding a battery to the far outside of
one of his trailers and regretting it mightily when the frame extensions
wouldn't handle the load.

Something everyone needs to remember when modifying their trailer is the
concept of "dynamic load", as engineers call it. This isn't rocket
science, and can easily be visualized and experimented with as follows:

Get a 1 X 6 board about 3' long and place it on 2 low supports, one on
each end. Something like concrete blocks. Chances are that it'll hold
your full weight, or at least "substatial weight", if you're careful
about stepping onto it. However, if you bounce on it just a bit, you'll
easily break it. Who hasn't placed a piece of firewood on a support
(another log?) and stomped on it to break it?

That's the difference between "static" and "dynamic" loading.

If you want a wakeup call, get in your trailer and have someone drive
your rig around for a while. Have him drive on some typically rough
roads while he does this, not just the newly-paved ones. You'll wonder
how anything holds together in that trailer!

                                              <<Jim>>