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First Steps There are many opinions on this topic and many questions out there. I will talk about how I like to start planning an installation. It will be up to you to read and decide for yourself how this information may help you. This post is about batteries and charging. First, decide what kind of off-grid energy use you want to get from your RV. If your time away from the grid will be short, consider increasing battery capacity to an amount that will not let you down before you are ready to come home. If you know you...

RV and trailer owners know that there is a battery indicator in their unit. What many do not know is the battery indicator provided by the factory is not accurate enough to ensure the battery bank is not discharged below 50% of full charge. A deep-cycle battery that experiences deep discharge regularly will have a much shorter life span than a battery that is consistently recharged before going below 50%. Another key factor for battery longevity is ensuring the battery is brought up to 100% charge every 7 days. Your Bogart Trimetric battery monitor is programmed with battery capacity in...

The Bogart Trimetric battery monitor uses current and voltage readings to track the power in and out of a battery. A precision resistive shunt is installed between the negative terminal of the battery and all the loads. All current going into the battery (charging) and all current leaving the battery (discharging) is measured. Electronic circuitry and a microcontroller record battery voltage and battery current. Because the Trimetric keeps track of current leaving or entering the battery, a very good approximation of the state of charge of the battery can be determined and displayed. Less Expensive Battery Monitor A battery monitor...