Trailer modification 24V / 12V
I need to modify a Military 24V GW to pull a civil 12V trailer.
The easiest way seem to be to make a false earth line from the middle point of the 2 batteries, and to connect a large diode in series with this earth line.
I guess this would be sufficient for short term use, up to about 5 hours. The batterys will be loaded differently, but I guess that will not be a problem for short term use.
Does anyone have experiance with this kind of modification.
Paul
Paal,
You do not say where you are living, I do know that a commercially available bit of kit is sold for just this purpose( try your local car or commercial motor factors ) we required same to tow a selection of trailers behind a 7.5t truck, said trailers usually being used for 12V vehicles, not sure whether ours was hard wired or plug-in though.
Seems a bit obvious but why not simply put 24V bulbs in trailer, depending on your usuage permutations of course.
Marcus
Seems a bit obvious but why not simply put 24V bulbs in trailer
good thinking batman, holy 24volty :lol:
& to Markus
Thanks for your answer !!
I live in Norway. Have not been able to find a converter kit from my nearest suppliers. Also I guess that such a device may be slightly fragile & complicated. Since there are many marker lghts on this trailer, the load on the device may be a bit much. I figure that one 40 A diode should be rugged. Also produces less heat.
I guess the converters produce about 60W heat, and the diode solution about 5W heat.
Paul
Stepdown transformers should be easy to source from scrap yards, electrical suppliers, car hi fi suppliers etc.
They are used all the time by truck drivers who want to fit hi fi units, cb radios etc etc.
Colin
transformers in name only Colin, as transformers only work on AC, but more relevently the diff with that suggestion is that one would need a seperate "transformer" for all circuits, ie. sidelights seperate from brakelights, seperate from indicators etc, otherwise simply lift 12V from across one battery only and use an ordinary relay switch driven off 24V circuit, so it could be done with 6 relays, bit clumsy though.
Marcus
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Thanks for the quick response !!
I have developed the dirty plan one step further. By adding a "dummy" load to the other battery, the batteries should be eavenly loaded. I plan to fit a rotating 12V yellow light to the other battery. We are going to transport a 11 metre long boat, so warning light is apropriate. ( a 12V stereo would also do the job, if played loudly)
The trailer will load battery nr 2 ( the upper half of the voltage) with 2x21W + 4 x5W =60W
Orange rotating light loads battery nr 1. 55W
Why I do not change the bulbs:
I am going to borrow a special sailboat-trailer. Assuming that unscrewing about 10 small marker lights will result in at least some breakage of fragile already broken plastic devices. Also , by modifying the vehicle, any other trailer could also be towed.)
Paul