Anderson plug

[swifty99]

Hi all, i have a camper trailer with x2 100AMPH batteries for my fridge on the camper. While on the move people are suggesting installing an anderson plug on the Hilux. Is this easy enough and do i need a second battery or is this over the top just for a few weekends away.

Any help is appreciated.

[creaky]

Is the intention to charge the camper batteries from the vehicle ?

If so, would suggest a proper DC-DC charger rather than just a direct feed from the main battery.

[swifty99]

Thanks for the quick reply, the camper trailer has a DC-DC charger on it already.

[creaky]

Well in that case, I don't see any reason not to charge it off the main battery. Just make sure the cabling is rated to sufficient amperage for the charger. An anderson plug is the right plug to use. Go for the full size rather than the mini.

[swifty99]

Brill thanking you. Are they easy to install??

[creaky]

Best to get a sparky to crimp the terminals for you as most people (me included) don’t have the best tools for crimping such heavy wires and terminals. Soldering not recommended unless it’s in addition to a good crimp.

[swifty99]

Brill. Need to get the Anderson, tow bar harness and electric brake controller so maybe I should look at an installer

[NomadNoosa]

Given your doing all of that yeah get an installer to do it. But make sure they use 6 b&s to limit voltage drop to your ct batteries. Just remember that you need to manually disconnect the andersens if your going to be parked up for a couple of hours unless you put in an isolater.

If you do it yourself it is an easy enough job that you'll complete in a couple of hours. Decent crimpers can be bought from Trade Tools and the like for about $30.

[dabbler]

Brill. Need to get the Anderson, tow bar harness and electric brake controller so maybe I should look at an installer

A few months ago, I had HR towbar and Redarc TowPro Elite fitted by Miami Towbars Gold Coast for a few hundred more than I could buy the bits and pieces. Plus they did a great job inserting the controller knob into an existing switch blank on my 2013. You can buy a Redarc controller blank/knob specifically for the N80.

But they wanted about $400 to run a fused 6b&s from crank battery to rear. I already had the parts and tools so did that job myself. It was probably a reasonable price if you don't have the tools or the confidence though.

My camper's dcdc isolates the cranking battery if voltage falls below alternator input but I still disconnect when not mobile (within reason).

[martynvella]

Depending on what sort of DCDC charger you have you wont need to isolate it, the charger will do it automatically. If it is difficult or impractical to run 6 B&S cable then 8mm or 8 B&S will work fine, just take an extra hour or so to charge your batteries in the camper from a low state which they should never get to in a couple of days anyway unless you have a huge, or two fridges.

Voltage drop wont be a problem in any other way as the charger is mounted at the camper end and overcoming voltage drop is what they are designed to do, this includes drop in the supply cables.

Good quality units monitor supply battery voltage in a momentarily turned off state so line losses dont affect the low voltage cut off until it is the supply battery voltage that is low, not a combination of low battery and supply line voltage drop. Most Redarc will operate from as low as 9 volts arriving at the charger.

[martynvella]

Another fallacy, A good quality solder job on the anderson plug terminals will work just fine, I have done many hundreds without crimping and have never had a problem reported back to me. Its just something the sparkies like to make you think you have to do, its crap.If you know how to solder battery cables then it will be ok.

Also a 50 amp plug is all you need unless the charger is 40 amps, they could stress a small plug.

[swifty99]

Thanks for the great responses by all, this is a great forum of knowedge