Re: [ihc] Battery question

[John Hofstetter <hofs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 25, 2004, at 2:30 PM, Ken Dude wrote:

> Way off topic here, but can I use a regular Interstate 875cca battery 
> for a SHORT time (1 week) in a travel trailer?   Reason being is the 
> bat is the trailer is dead and I'm only borrowing the trailer for a 
> week. Can't afford to replace the batts.
>
> Obligatory IH content: Will be pulled by my F350 with the IH 7.3 
> diesel. Woot!
>
> Hope you all are doing very well!
>
> Ken
A week of use in a Travel Trailer without being charged will run that 
battery completely dead. The battery people say that with a starting 
battery, one complete discharge reduces life of the battery by half.

If you are going to pull the trailer every day or two, so it  gets some 
charging from the truck, no problem.

That battery should have its reserve capacity on it somewhere. That 
number is the number of minutes that that  battery can supply 25 amps. 
So if the number is 60, you have 60 X 25 = 1500 amp minutes available. 
If your lights run 3 amps each and you run 2 of them at a time for 120 
minutes, you will use 3 X 2 X 120 = 720 amp minutes.  So, you could do 
that for two nights and be at the end of the battery's capacity.

John

John Hofstetter
Ol' Saline
www.goldrush.com/~hofs