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Old 10-06-2020, 09:33 PM   #181
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I have two 100 amp hour batteries in my Kodiak Cub. They last a couple of weeks without the disconnect. They last several months with the disconnect turned off.

I always start with a full 18 hour shore power charge. Then I shut them off. The battery manufacturer says my AGM batteries will hold a full charge for 12 months if they are disconnected.

You can get battery disconnect switches and most automotive stores and departments. Or, you can just remove the negative cable from the battery.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!
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Old 10-07-2020, 03:40 PM   #182
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Hi, I was thinking of adding a bike rack to the bumper as well. What year is your Cub? I have a 2020 175bh.
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Old 10-07-2020, 03:41 PM   #183
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Thank You, TK and Persistent!

TK--Exactly what I was wondering--about the strength of that bumper! I'm going to research tongue A-Frame bike racks and if those are too pricy, I"ll bug my neighbor to help me weld the bumper.

Persistent--I'm going to try to save my batteries. I think one will be good. I filled up the water and have them on the tender now. If I need new ones, I'll look into those AGM. You seem happy with them...any negatives?
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Old 10-07-2020, 04:39 PM   #184
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I have the 2018 Cub 175 BH. I think TK has the same.
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Old 10-07-2020, 06:43 PM   #185
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AGM batteries

AGM verses flooded cell batteries is discussed often on IRV2. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

AGM's do not normally vent acid vapors and hydrogen gas. Flooded cell batteries do when charging.

AGM's are more tolerant of deep discharge due to the plate construction and mats between the plates. They run out of electrolyte before the plates can be damaged by flat out discharge. Users need less reserve capacity so can use them longer or have smaller battery banks. Deep draw flooded cell batteries usually have thick plate supports to reduce damage in deep draw situations. Thick plates mean slower charge and discharge. There is a need for more reserve capacity to prevent deep draw damage to plates.

AGM's can be stored fully charged and disconnected for about 12 months. Flooded cells can be stored for about 6 months. Always fully charge lead acid batteries for 14 to 18 hours and disconnect before storage.

AGM's require less maintenance. No need to monitor water levels. No need to clean and neutralize acid deposits around the batteries. No need to rebuild battery compartment hardware do to accelerated corrosion. Cable connections rarely need cleaning or replacing due to corrosion.

AGM's can be safely installed in occupied spaces and near other electrical devices. Hydrogen gas is not normally vented like flooded cells do. AGM's do require venting in case of malfunction.

AGM's cost more, but they tend to last longer when used for weekend camping and being stored during long winters. Flooded cells need tending, but often don't get it. This leads to early failure. Flooded cells are cheaper for daily use and recharging such as full-timing. I expect my AGM's to last more than 10 years camping one week per month. Full timers may need to replace every 3 to 5 years. They often use 6 volt flooded cell gulf cart batteries because of the lower purchasing cost per amp hour. They tend to install much more battery capacity than is actually need to get more charge cycles before replacing.

Flooded cell batteries are more tolerant of over charging. Just replace lost water with distilled water. AGM's may vent when over charged. The water lost to venting is permanent. Eventually the loss will will lead to capacity reduction.

Some RV charging systems over charge to help recover from deep discharge and storing at low states of charge. This may be called "conditioning" or "equalizing". This feature tends to cause AGM's to vent and eventually loose capacity. The WFCO charger in your Cub will not do that.

All of this suggest you would be better off with AGM batteries. However, the batteries you have are the cheapest. Use them until they no longer provide what you need.
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Old 10-07-2020, 08:32 PM   #186
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Thank you much for the detailed info. I'm gonna burn mine as long as they last and then go with AGM's.
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Old 10-07-2020, 09:48 PM   #187
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There will be a GFI somewhere, usually in the bathroom; it may have tripped. If it has not tripped then check that the circuit breaker is turned on.
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Old 10-07-2020, 09:56 PM   #188
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I bought a bumper receiver and a cargo carrier to carry my generator and gas; 500 lb capacity. I have had no problems with the bumper. The drop-down receiver is solid and holds the cargo carrier with the generator (65 lbs), 5 gal gas (40 Lbs) and some campfire wood so a bike rack should be no problem. Bought mine on Amazon: HiTow Drop-Down Bumper 2 inch Receiver Adapter for 4x4 inch Bumper Trailer Towing Cargo Carrier Bike Racks and the cargo carrier is a CURT 18145 48 x 20-Inch Basket Hitch Cargo Carrier, 500 lbs Capacity, Black Steel, 1-1/4, 2-In Adapter Shank. Amazon also carries bike racks which are reasonably priced.
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Old 10-08-2020, 12:24 AM   #189
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I didn't think of an a-frame rack, that's a really good options - thank you!
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Old 11-21-2020, 08:08 PM   #190
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Trailer Cover

Anyone have a trailer cover they recommend? I have a 2020 Cub 175BH and live in northern Utah so we definitely get our share of sun and some snow during the winter months.
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Old 11-23-2020, 12:22 AM   #191
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We just picked up a Classic Perma Pro on the recommendation of a local RV service shop. It fits well given the contours of the Cub 175 series and comes with a lifetime warranty. Time will tell.
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Old 12-18-2020, 04:18 PM   #192
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i have had good luck so far with one of the amazon covers. This is the one I got. My only complaint is that the gutters need some sort of cover so they don't rip the cover. Mine hasn't ripped yet, and warranty appears to be solid. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 12-18-2020, 04:35 PM   #193
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2021 Kodaik Cub

Fellow new cub owner here. My 2021 has both a solar port on the front right and a solar port on the roof. My question for you all is do any of you know how the roof solar port is wired in? My third breaker down labeled 'gen purpose' is double tapped with a house wire screw and a hot lead going back into the RV. And my last breaker is labeled inverter.


And is the rig prewired for an inverter, hence last breaker labeled 'inverter'? If so, i can't find the other end where it terminates.



Of course, called the dealer and manufacture and no one has a good answer.


Thanks for any help. Love this TT.
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Old 12-18-2020, 07:18 PM   #194
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Of course, anything is possible, but the neither solar port is likely linked to any 120 volt circuit breaker.

The port on the front right may be the same as mine. It goes to the battery box on the front "A" frame. The positive wire passes trough a fuse before getting to the battery. The fuse is inside the battery box. Any solar panel connected to it would require its own solar charge controller.

I don't recognize the fixture on the roof. My 2018 Cub does not have one. However, it probably does not go to any part of the 120 volt system. It is likely to go to the battery through a fuse. It may go to a cabinet or other space inside the TT and then to the battery. That inside space would be a good place for a solar charge controller.

You need a charge controller for any solar panels added. It would be separate from the converter/charger or inverter/converter/charger if you have one.

You may have gotten instructions for the solar wiring in the bunch of instructions for other appliances. You should have gotten a large pile of manuals when you bought the TT. If not, get it from the dealer.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!
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Old 12-18-2020, 07:36 PM   #195
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Thanks persistent! I might connect some power to both ports and test w voltmeter. I know the side port is a 'fancy' charger but seems like the roof port might feed in. Ill report back.
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Old 12-18-2020, 07:36 PM   #196
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Inverter

"And is the rig prewired for an inverter, hence last breaker labeled 'inverter'? If so, i can't find the other end where it terminates."

My 2018 Cub is wired differently. It does not have a breaker labeled "inverter" nor "General". Mine has one labeled "converter". It powers my WFCO converter/charger. The "inverter" breaker may be for a converter/charger. The inverter label may be a mistake. There is probably no reason to have a breaker in that panel for an "inverter".

Some RV's have inverter/converter/charger systems. People often call them "inverter". It is unlikely your Cub has that. A vary large battery bank usually is required to run the inverter system. Do you have a 400 amp hour battery bank?

Look in your pile of appliance instruction manuals. Do you have one for a WFCO converter/charger? Do you have one for an inverter? Smaller stand alone inverters are possible, but it is still unlikely to have a breaker in that panel.
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Old 12-18-2020, 08:16 PM   #197
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Solar on Roof and Power Panel Question

One the solar power connection near the front of the trailer in all likelihood just goes to the battery with a fuse. Pretty useless as there is not solar controller in that circuit so I would not use.

As to roof solar connection you may be lucky in that it connects to a conduit to run the solar wire to the charge controller which would be installed as part of a solar system. Only the factory can tell you where that conduit leads if there is a conduit.

Power panel wiring: I also had a split connection but in my case one side powered the converter and the other I have no idea as to what it powers. possibly the frig??
From you picture it looks like someone wrote in "inverter" so there may be one hidden away somewhere, look inside the cabinets and other areas you would not usually access. The dealer installed mine under the frig but failed to use the required wire size from the batteries to the inverter so it did not work; I had to uninstall it and reinstall it close to the batteries.

Good luck getting anything out of Keystone support. Each of my inquiries was answered with "see your dealer".
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Old 12-18-2020, 09:05 PM   #198
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Thanks for the comments. I played around with the breakers, the general purpose is connected to the converter and the handwritten 'inverter' is still a mystery. I will pull the converter and get behind the panel to see if there is anything else behind there (unlikely). I guess a lot of the 2021's have this 'inverter' hand written and the dealership doesn't have a clue why. At least the dealership where I got mine, who has been great but only a couple real knowledgeable reps. Dealer is in ID.



I did get confirmation that the solar roof port is in fact wired all the way down to the belly. It either terminates by the battery box or if i'm lucky behind the panel. The only way for me to confirm, aside from peering behind the panel, is a hammer chisel and some elbow grease to remove the belly. I'm going with option 1 for now.


My side solar port does have three wires coming from there and are not connected to the battery. So, i might run a portable unit there since I can still throw a charge controller in before it gets to the battery.



And yeah thanks, i've had the previous pleasure of scouring my manuals but they all have little description and information save for "contact Go Power" etc. I need a little more detail and appreciate the comments.
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Old 01-01-2021, 02:55 AM   #199
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Inverter Breaker Label Question Solved

I wanted to provide some helpful information for any 2021 cub owners here who might have a similar question as I previously posted. I was able to determine why the heck a 15a breaker on my panel was labeled 'inverter'.



Well, after much tinkering my 2021 cub is both prewired for solar panels (one on the front right side and another through a roof port) and for an inverter. I've tested both solar ports with a multi-meter and they are in fact properly wired (save for the solar controller that would need to go before battery, etc.) Inside my pass through storage is a black box, behind that box are both solar panel port leads for each port as well as some extra 14/3 wire (this is where you'd mount the solar controller and inverter). For the inverter, my guess is the intention is for owners to run a smaller inverter on just a handful of outlets, as opposed to wiring a larger inverter to the AC distribution box through a transfer switch. Note that these outlets would not be able to be run on shore power if they were wired to the inverter. But, you would have a freed up breaker. So, my 'inverter' breaker is a cue for dealers that don't have to do the grunt work of finding the wires when installing Keystone's solar package. And the 'inverter' breaker is fed to three outlets, one by the kitchen and two by the RV queen bed. Not everyone's will be wired like this, but in the event someone has this handwritten text on one of their breakers I hope this information helps. ALL of the kodiak's in ID had this 'inverter' text at the dealership I bought from. As others have said, neither the dealer nor the manufacturer will reveal this information.


Happy New Year
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Old 01-01-2021, 01:43 PM   #200
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Thank you for posting the description and the picture. Greatly appreciated!

Does one of the red and white pairs of wire go to the battery?

I am guessing the inverter in the Keystone kit has a switch that turns the 120 volt cable to the "inverter" breaker "off" when the inverter is turned "on".
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