# Hydraulic Dump Trailer Battery Problems? Get rid of the Battery forever!



## xalky (Oct 15, 2017)

I have a hydraulic dump trailer that I could never keep the Battery charged in. I got rid of the battery and I run it directly from the truck power. Problem solved. See How I did it. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more problem solving stuff.


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 17, 2017)

xalky said:


> I have a hydraulic dump trailer that I could never keep the Battery charged in. I got rid of the battery and I run it directly from the truck power. Problem solved. See How I did it. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more problem solving stuff.



Does the battery charge when you are towing, or not? Because of the long distance from engine bay of towing vehicle to trailer mounted battery you may be getting a voltage drop sufficient that the battery will not charge. You can overome this by fitting a  dc to dc charging module, close to the trailer battery, which will step the voltage supplied to the battery up to about 13.5v  This should ensure your battery is being charged every time tyou tow the trailer.

If the problem is that you don't tow thye trailer very often then you may need to put it on  acharger from time to time. Overnight about once a month should suffice.


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## RJSakowski (Oct 17, 2017)

bobshobby said:


> Does the battery charge when you are towing, or not? Because of the long distance from engine bay of towing vehicle to trailer mounted battery you may be getting a voltage drop sufficient that the battery will not charge. You can overome this by fitting a  dc to dc charging module, close to the trailer battery, which will step the voltage supplied to the battery up to about 13.5v  This should ensure your battery is being charged every time tyou tow the trailer.
> 
> If the problem is that you don't tow thye trailer very often then you may need to put it on  acharger from time to time. Overnight about once a month should suffice.



I believe that I saw that the battery was eliminated.  He is operating from the truck's batteries.

If he did have a remote battery, the voltage drop through the 20+ ft of #2 cable would be insignificant. The resistance of #2 wire is  .00016 ohms/ft or less than .01 ohms total.  This would correspond to a voltage drop of less than .1 volt for a charging current of 10 amps.  Charging systems on vehicles typically put out more than 14 volts.


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## dlane (Oct 17, 2017)

He's not using the trailer plug to run the hydraulic pump , seems he has a remote jumpstart outlet he's running the pump with


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## xalky (Oct 17, 2017)

The problem was that it would discharge from lack of use. There was a 20 amp circuit that ran off the truck to supposedly charge the battery while the truck is running, ...I suppose it did charge the battery but not nearly enough. So what would happen is that the battery was weak and draw power from the truck and blow the 20 amp fuse. The whole reason for doing what I did is to eliminate that crappy setup and just run the trailer straight off the truck.  Its 2/0 welding cable, not 2 gauge. The copper conductor is 1/2" in diameter, there is practically no voltage loss. No more having to charge that stupid battery. I can just hitch up my trailer and get the job done. I use the trailer to pick up break downs, when they call me, I gotta be ready.


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## Scruffy (Oct 18, 2017)

I bought the cheapest 6 1/2 by 12 dump trailer that could be bought back in 2004.have never had it charge off the truck. It’s good for 10 or 12 dumps hauling 5 tons then I put the charger on it for a while.
Trailer is worn out, floor spring hangers ect 
Thanks scruffy ron


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## Hukshawn (Oct 19, 2017)

The battery trickle charges when connected to the truck and running. We generally tow our 4 ton dump more than we dump it and it has never gone dead. We had also been advised by the trailer specialist shop it's a good idea to remove the plug from the truck if you are dumping a heavy load. The pump will draw power from the point of least resistance. If your battery is slightly flat the pump will draw from the truck and risk blowing fuses.


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## vocatexas (Oct 19, 2017)

I've got a 22 foot tilt-bed we use to move sea containers. The battery will usually last long enough to move three containers before it starts giving up. We mounted a 12 ton winch on the trailer when we got it and power it through 2/0 welding cable. There is a plug mounted under the rear bumper of the pickup that the winch plugs into. We added a plug to the tilt system so we can power it the same way if we need to. Having a 'plan b' is nearly always a good idea.


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 20, 2017)

Hukshawn said:


> The battery trickle charges when connected to the truck and running. We generally tow our 4 ton dump more than we dump it and it has never gone dead. We had also been advised by the trailer specialist shop it's a good idea to remove the plug from the truck if you are dumping a heavy load. The pump will draw power from the point of least resistance. If your battery is slightly flat the pump will draw from the truck and risk blowing fuses.



You can avoid blowing fuses by fitting a DC to DC charging module close to the trailer battery it will limit the current drawn thus saving the wiring and fuses, but will ensure the battery gets fully charged when power is available from towing vehicle. And you never have to worry about forgetting to unplug it.


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