BATTERY QUESTION

[Lewis friend]

I want to use a deep cycle battery in the truck to run appliances.

Can i wire this battery to the truck's existing battery bank to recharge it?

[Rev.Vassago]

I want to use a deep cycle battery in the truck to run appliances.

Can i wire this battery to the truck's existing battery bank to recharge it?

If you want to do this, you need a diode isolator, or the deep cycle battery is going to shorten the life of the starting battery.

Here's some info I found on it:

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq7.htm#multi

[Blind Driver]

Those 4 1000amp batteries should be all you need

[Lewis friend]

I want to run a small quartz heater or similar all night---8 hours. Do you think the 4 batteries should be enough?


Like this:
http://www.biotechresearch.com/epure_heater.php

[Rev.Vassago]

I want to run a small quartz heater or similar all night---8 hours. Do you think the 4 batteries should be enough?


Like this:
http://www.biotechresearch.com/epure_heater.php

The system you linked to runs at 6.5 Amps and 750 Watts. I wouldn't expect it to run for more than a few minutes before your batteries are drained. That is the equivelant of running a small microwave off of battery power - it just doesn't work.

Then again, that system you linked too is WAY TOO BIG for a truck anyway. It is designed for a 300 square foot room, and your truck is about 80-100 sq ft, not counting any cabinets.

Running a sytem like that off of a standard set of batteries will GREATLY reduce the life of the battery, as the battery is not designed for a deep cycle such as that.

I would look into getting a diesel fired bunk heater. It does the job, and is designed for the application that you want to use it for. Webasto and Espar are probably the two biggest names.

[Blind Driver]

X2 on the diesel fired bunk heater

Mine blows so hot, I can heat up soup to a boil when the can it placed at the outlet 8)

[Crash935]

X3 on the bunk heater.

i figured it would pay for its self in less than 1.5 months of cold weather

[allan5oh]

You're right crash. One night it was almost -40, I decided to idle the truck. Used almost $20 in fuel!

[Crash935]

Its so cheap to run the darn thing that i go out the night before i leave and turn it on so that i atleast have a nice warm cab to climb into and dont have to wait forever for the truck to warm up.

Heres a link to ESPAR, they have a cost calculator on their sight,

http://www.espar.com/

[allan5oh]

BTW, that 6.5 amps is at 120 volts. 65 amps at 12 volts. That's some serious current draw.

[allan5oh]

To be honest, that heater is too small anyways. 750 watts is nothing. That's about 2500 BTU's. Espars put out over double that.

[Lewis friend]

OK, um....i probably can't run the espar because i'm a company driver and i don't know how i can route the exhaust tube out the truck without drillin.

It's a good product though.

What i think i'd like to do is get a small ceramic heater of 1500watts. 1500 seems like the smallest i can find. And that would probably be 900W on low setting.

Getting 1,2,or 3 deep cycle batteries is no problem.

Basically, i'm trying to figure out how to recharge these batteries.

[Rev.Vassago]

I think you'd be better off getting a 12V electric blanket before re-wiring the truck to add all those batteries. I doubt your company would approve of you adding all those batteries to the system, without putting a larger alternator on the truck (which ain't gonna be cheap). In the long run, it would be cheaper to explore different options.

[Lewis friend]

In that case, do you feel something like this would be safe to use in the trk? (i don't think/feel so)

http://www.mrheater.com/productdetai...catid=41&id=24

Would it be safer to use the 20lb. container and keep that outside on the catwalk? The fuel is now outside.

Actually, how much wattage does the blanket use? Can i get away with useing something like that all night?

[special k]

You won't have any problems with an electric blanket being on all night. Thats all I use and I haven't idled my truck yet this year. I run Ont/Mi so I see some cold weather. Looking at the gas heater I have used a similar heater in a pop up tent trailer but your company may object due to having a propane cylinder and red hot element inside the truck. If they don't care I would check the air with a carbon monoxide tester while it's running and maybe crack open the the sleeper vent by your head.

[xzostd1]

Buy a Webasto bunk heater and be comfortable and safe. I can sit naked in my truck in -10F (and nothing freezes!)
Then at 3AM my Webasto engine heater turns itself on and gives me a prewarmed engine ready to fire-up at 4:30
Bill

[Lewis friend]

I'm not sure how i can install a webasto type heater in a company truck without making any permanent type modifications (like drilling).

How much voltage do they use per night?

[xzostd1]

I'm not sure how i can install a webasto type heater in a company truck without making any permanent type modifications (like drilling).

How much voltage do they use per night?

I go to sleep showing 12.7 V
Sleep 7 to 8 hrs with the Webasto and cooler running. My Webasto engine heater comes on for 2 hours and I wake up at about 11.7v.
Bill

[Lewis friend]

So basically, what i'm asking is, will the truck start in the morning?

I thought you needed at least 12.8 V to start the engine?

[xzostd1]

So basically, what I'm asking is, will the truck start in the morning?

I thought you needed at least 12.8 V to start the engine?

My truck with a prewarmed engine has started at 10.5 volts. The key will be with the starter engaged and cranking can your battery's stay above 9.6 volts. When you are cranking with lower voltage the amperage draw will be higher (Ohms Law) (Voltage and Amps move inversely)
Bill