OK, what i'm planning on doing is getting two (or more if nessesary) Optima Yellow tops (that's the deep cycle ones) model D 34's. This will give me 110 amp hours at 20 hours discharge rate (each battery has 55 AH's, so 55+55=110) and 138 amp hours at 100Hours discharge rate (69 per batt., so 69+69=138)

a) i'm not sure what 20hours vs. 100hours is all about. Please explain.


I plan to run those small ceramic or oil filled radiator type heaters that you can find at home depot and such that run at about 12.5 amps. Now, bear in mind i only want to run the heater for about 8 hours at night and no other electrical accesories, from my system.
So, we can see that i will use approximately 100amp hours a night----12.5 amps X 8 hours.

If i need to run other things, i will run the engine. Basically, when i sleep, i want no idling. But if i'm awake, i don't mind running the engine. If the temperature is at 20F or below, i will run the engine regardless. So, my objectives are pretty simple.

What i'm thinking of doing is getting a battery charger like this one:
http://www.invertersrus.com/xpower-2a.html

b) Will something like this work? I see that it puts out 2amps. Does this mean---assuming i use about 100amp hours a night, that it would take 50 hours to recharge the batteries? Obviously, if this is true then it's not going to cut it; We/i need something that will charge the battery bank in preferably under 5-6 hours even though i will realistically be driving for up to 10-11 hours per day.

The reason why i want a battery charger like this is because i'm a company driver and really can't/shouldn't make "permanent type modifications to the truck; This charger has a 12Volt plug that can be plugged into the lighter socket.

If worse comes to worse, i will use an inverter/charger that wires to the battery; I would just disconnect it whenever i go into a terminal for maintenance. But for right now, i would like to see if there is a simpler ("non-detectable") way.

What do you recommend?

 

That 12.5 amps is at 120 volts - if you power it off an inverter you will be drawing 125 amps from your batteries :shock: .

 

I plan on using one of these: http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-Direct.../dp/B000L88VSY . I presently use an older Coleman SportCat propane powered catalytic heater I got at Walmart for $25 that puts out 1000 BTU and it makes it bearable to sleep down to 20 degrees or so. It burns one half of a $2.25 cylinder in ten hours. The newer model is 1500 BTU which would be even better but uses a bit more fuel. The RoadPro heater is about 1100 BTU so should be as good as the propane without the expense and bother of the cylinders. But - it requires a directed wired connection as it draws too much to use the cigarette lighter. I have four new Interstate ECL batteries that are designed to have good deep cycle performance as well as start the truck (and only cost $100 each) and this heater should only draw them down to 50% in eight hours - that's about as far as you want to go for good battery life. The cigarette lighter plugin heaters are only about 500 BTU and are good down to maybe 35 degrees for sleeping? I've used one for taking naps while being unloaded 8) - but had to use the propane today in the northeast windy cold snap. I have a 41 inch flattop by the way so I don't know what a big condo would need - but I think they are better insulated than my old FreightShaker so worth a try?

 

Explain.

 

Go away Chad/Ron/Toon/Lewis.

 

Explain?

 

Electrical appliances are designed to run at a specified voltage (e. g. a 12V DC radio vs. a 120V AC TV).

Obviously one must be careful to apply the proper voltage.

BUT...they draw a certain amount of Power as well.
Power (P, in watts)= Voltage (V, in volts) times Current (I, in amperes)
P=VI
Now, that device does not care what the primary source of the power is...it just needs X many watts.
If you need 120 VAC and use an inverter to convert 12 VDC to 120 VAC the amount of current drawn by the device at 120 VAC is, in this case 12.5A. So, 120V times 12.5A is 1500W.
When the inverter supplies 1500W @ 120VAC it will also draw 1500W @ 12VDC from your battery (actually a bit more due to the energy consumed by the inverter to do its job...but we will neglect that).....
so.....1500W divided by 12VDC is 125A @12VDC.

 

OK, isn't the inverter going to provide power at 120/110 volts?

I'm still plugging the heater to the inverter with the two-pronged plug, not a 12V thing.

 

Yes..but that device draws 1500W of power at 120VAC....
The inverter must supply 1500W of power at whatever voltage it produces. To supply that much power is must GET it from somewhere (it cannot magically create it!)....the somewhere from which it gets it is its 12VDC power source. To draw 1500W AT 12VDC the current draw will be 125A...the only 12VDC thing that can handle that is not a cigarette lighter plug but a direct connection with a pretty substantial wire.