Quick Coleman pop up help -- battery!

[Gillian]

Update: I would still like some advice on batteries, but I've decided our lantern and flashlights will have to work for this trip. A lot of what I'm reading is confusing because it assumes a prior base level of knowledge that I don't have. I hate just going to the dealer and trusting them without having a clue.

We are going camping tomorrow and it just sort of sunk in that we won't have any lights inside because there are no hookups. We're resigned to no water, but I think the lights will be more difficult to deal with.

Anyway, we do not have a 12v battery set up. Is it difficult to do? Does anyone know if the hookups are there or if we will have to wire it (which means a no go because we can't get it done today or do it ourselves)?

It's a 2000 coleman/fleetwood santa fe. I didn't really see anything in the manual that was helpful.

Also, the battery won't power the outlets, right? I'm confused about what you can run off 12v/dc/propane.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We ran a small generator when we didn't have hook-ups on our pop-up so thats an option.

For running on 12V ours just had a switch they we switched under one of the bench seats. Ours had a converter so the outlets did run.We also hooked up the Jeep to the trailer and ran it to recharge the battery.

I would think most are like this good luck . We sold ours so I don't have the Manuals anymore to check for you.

Go on Coleman's web-sight they have PDf manuals I think as well that will tell you about the 12V systems

 

[tim5055]

First of all, check out my Batteries on your Pop Up Web Page. While I wrote it to cover changing from a single battery to either twin 12v batteries or twin 6v golf cart batteries, but it should give you some idea of what to do.

THIS PICTURE (OK, you have to ignore the second battery next to the LP tank) shows how a single battery should look on a Santa Fe (that photo is of my 2001 Santa Fe).

There should be a square of angle metal at the point of your "A" frame. This is the battery tray, and is where the battery sits. Under this point is where wires come out of the frame tubing, and you are looking for a white connector that you see in THIS PICTURE. Half of the connector is mounted on wires coming out of the frame tube, and the other half should have been in the bag of "stuff" the dealer gave you with the pop up (some dealers don't include it ) This is your battery connection. So, as long as you do already have the battery tray, here is you shopping list:

• A 12v Deep Cycle Battery*
• A plastic battery Box*
• The other half of the wire connector**
• A 12v 20a circuit breaker**

*Wal-Mart item
**FFT Delaer Item

Here is what you do:

• Place the plastic battery box on top of the tray on the pop up (it is not secured at this point).
• Set the battery inside the box.
• Wire the circuit breaker to the black wire on the loose connector (not the one on the pop up)
• Connect the White wire on the loose connector to the negative (-) terminal of the battery
• Connect the black wire on the loose connector to the positive (+) terminal of the battery
• Plug the two halves of the connector together
• Rout the wire out the edge of the top of the battry box, placing the top on the box
• Use the strap that should have been included with the box to wrap around the box, the box top and the metal tray to secure everything in place.
  
  A couple of notes:
  
  If the wire on the connector is not long enough, use at least #12 wire to exten them.
  
  The 12v wiring on a pop up uses residential wire color codes, not automotive. So, no matter what your friends say, the black wire is positive (+)!!!!!

 

[tim5055]

For running on 12V ours just had a switch they we switched under one of the bench seats. Ours had a converter so the outlets did run.We also hooked up the Jeep to the trailer and ran it to recharge the battery.
Go on Coleman's web-sight they have PDf manuals I think as well that will tell you about the 12V systems

Nope, no switch on a Coleman/Fleetwood Folding Trailer.

As Gillian pointed out, the manuals FFT provides are useless! Plus, Coleman sold the folding trailer division to Fleetwood in 1986. All manuals and support are on the Fleetwood web site, not Coleman.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Nope, no switch on a Coleman/Fleetwood Folding Trailer.

As Gillian pointed out, the manuals FFT provides are useless! Plus, Coleman sold the folding trailer division to Fleetwood in 1986. All manuals and support are on the Fleetwood web site, not Coleman.

Thanks I should have mentioned mine was a Scamper /Thor . I think you have them heading in the right direction.

 

[tim5055]

Thanks I should have mentioned mine was a Scamper /Thor . I think you have them heading in the right direction.

There are several ways that they are wired, depending on who mad it and what converter was installed. I jsut didn't want Gillian looking for a switch that isn't on a FFT.

 

[rbork]

ok, coming in late on this thread. OP- what was the problem? Did your Battery die?
Just curious as I read these threads and try to learn some things about my own coleman.
We have a 2001 Santa Fe that has been stored for almost 2 years now as we moved 3 times in the last 2 years. Needless to say- no time for camping and wondered if the battery would be dying? Tim 05?? Great instructions!
Hooray- our camping drought will end in 15 more days as we "get er" back on the road camping!!!

 

[Gillian]

Ok, we're back. We ended up running the refrigerator off of propane and using lanterns/flashlights. It was cool enough where we were to not need fans or AC. We found out our camper place removed our awning and reattached it upside down, which was kind of disappointing! I'm just glad we didn't drag the add a room with us.

The story with our Santa Fe is that it was passed from my SIL/BIL, who were long time popup users, to my other SIL/BIL who had it for over a year and used it for 2 nights and then to us (tent car campers). None of us were that close to the first sil/bil and then bil got sick and passed away, leaving no one who really knows a lot about it (SIL knows general stuff).

Anyway, there is no battery except for a small one we added for the brakes. At that time we always thought we could plug in somewhere and wouldn't really need a battery. Now that we know you can't even get water from the tank without power, and we will be going on this school camping thing every year, it seems like a good idea.

tim5055, I will read your page again. We do not have that cross bar on our a frame thing. Our local RV place (not the one that put the awning in the wrong way!) sells all that stuff though. Probably we don't have any bag of random connector pieces anymore, but I will look for them.

Also, we have 2 propane tanks with an ABS cover.

I'd like to get a long lasting set up. Is just one of those good deep cycle ones you talk about good enough? I'm hesitant to take it back to the upside down awning place, but we're going to call and talk to a manager to see what they might be able to do if we drag it down there again.

Thank you very much for all your help.

 

[GbG]

You should have a place already wired up for a battery - The dutchmen we had was a black and a white wire each with a connector already on them that fits the small thumbscrew connector on a deep-cycle battery. The wires were tucked inside the A-frame of the hitch.

I also didn't have a cross-frame, but I cut a couple treated deck boards that I had laying around and fit them in there to set the battery on it. To keep them in place, I just ran the strap around the boards, battery, and the propane tank frame.

Any deep-cycle battery will work for a pop-up. I use Interstate, because there is an Interstate Battery warehouse here in town and they sell blemished ones (something wrong with the outside - but are perfectly good inside) for a good bit less than new, pretty ones.

If you do get to the point where you want to go more than a few days on battery, you can get two 6v golf cart batteries and put them in series - you get a lot more use out them than you do with a single 12V

 

[rbork]

I know very little about the battery although it seems like your getting good advice. BUT we get water from the holding tank w/o a battery? whats that about? If I am not hooked up I just pump the faucet handle to get water instead of turning it when I am hooked up.

 

[tim5055]

BUT we get water from the holding tank w/o a battery? whats that about? If I am not hooked up I just pump the faucet handle to get water instead of turning it when I am hooked up.

You, you have a pump faucet. Pump the handle up and down for water when you are not hooked up.

Campers that have a water pump (which needs electric) have a residential style faucet, no pump included.