Trojan Boat Forum

I finally got around to tracing the red/pos wire running from my middle battery (no generator). It turns out that it runs right into the battery charger and doesn't go anywhere else. It's an 8 or 10 gauge wire and since the connector was changed at some point, I thought it was dedicated to powering something directly.

If the two engine/start batteries are actually the "house" (which I believe you guys confirmed) than this battery is essentially doing nothing and has for years. It's just sitting there getting charged.

I have the original Mariner 3 bank charger which works fine.

Does that make sense? My short term plan is to replace the single 12v with a couple of 6v Trojan batteries and hardwire my wet bar fridge. If my theory is correct, then this bank would only be handling the fridge and the start batteries would handle the rest of my 12 needs on the hook.

I don't have a battery isolater so I know I need to be careful until I get something else configured.

Bob

Bob,

Sounds like the PO keeped a fully charged spare battery. The port and starboard batteries do act as both, with each battery handling it's own side of the boat. You can turn off the 12v mains to check what each battery powers. That would give you a good idea of the port and starboard loads.

The only problem I see with using the center battery for the refrig is no way to keep it charged on an extended trip.

S.A.M. wrote:The only problem I see with using the center battery for the refrig is no way to keep it charged on an extended trip.

He said it was connected to the charger so it should get charged that way.
What he is planning is what I have... my house battery is for frig and inverter... lighting follows Trojan layout and handled by an engine battery.
My charger (3 leg) does both engine batteries and the house... the genny does it's battery.

"house" battery will get charged when at the dock. I called the company that makes the fridge and he figured I could get about two days out of a pair of Troajan batts of roughly 220ah.

So, now that I know how it works, I'll do this first and then get a more robust setup w/inverter over the next couple of months.

I'll do what Sherman suggests and go through ea 12v bank. Maybe I can live w/o one on the hook which would guarantee me at least one good start battery in case I run one dead.

Bob

No genny?

it has space and seacock already but that's it. Not going to happen this year...