Thor Outlaw - Charging through the Garage Charging Posts?

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lmichel

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Jun 28, 2014
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Taking a long shot in case someone might be able to help..
I have a Thor Outlaw Class A (37RB) 2016.
The garage has very beefy charging posts that are designed for charging/jumping toys that might be stored back there. 
Think 12v battery posts, behind a hinged, plastic cover. 
I'm currently building/testing a 'foldout' array that is mounted inside the back, swing-down gate.  On a whim, I decided to connect the output of the charge controller to the garage charging posts.  Well, what-a-ya-know... The coach batteries started taking a charge.  Gee, no shunt to stop current flowing in the wrong direction.. 

HOWEVER, when I went into the coach battery compartment just to inspect, I can hear a definite relay click - exactly every 30 seconds.  Disconnect the charge controller and the click stops.  But a volt meter at the input of the inverter shows a constant charging voltage coming in.  So there's a relay trying to do something, but it doesn't seem to affect the incoming charge current at all.

I can see a 100Amp DC fuse in line from the posts to the coach batteries, but no relays that I can tell.. 
Since my controller is limited to 60amps out, you think I'm ok?  What the heck is clicking and why?

 
On a whim, I decided to connect the output of the charge controller to the garage charging posts.  Well, what-a-ya-know... The coach batteries started taking a charge.  Gee, no shunt to stop current flowing in the wrong direction.. 
Click to expand...

I'm not clear on what "charge controller" is being connected here. One that is already in the RV, some external device, or something else?  And what does it control?

Your Rv's 12v system consists of a converter, a charger and maybe an inverter as well. The charger has some degree of "charge control" built in to mange the charging process. There may also be a battery disconnect relay.
 
I have 4 X 165W panels connected in series to an Outback FlexMAX 60 charge controller.  The job of the charge controller is to step down the voltage coming from the panels and raise the current.  So, I have about 68V at 5.5Amps coming in to the controller and 13.1V at 23Amps coming out and headed to the batteries. - typical.   

I think my B.I.R.D is the device doing the clicking.  I *think* it's sensing that I'm somehow plugged in and trying to switch.  Then, after the switch it sees that I am indeed not plugged into shore power and it is reverting back.  Then the whole cycle starts all over again?
The weird part is that during this whole 'clicking thing', nothing is interrupted.  The DC system in the coach is very stable, the inverter shows a constant 13.1V, no lights flickering, etc.  Over time, the coach battery voltage climbs from 12.0 in the morning, to about 13.8 by the afternoon.  So in short, everything works just fine.  Except for the clicking in the battery compartment - which makes me nervous LOL





 
The BIRD is designed to keep a motorhome's chassis battery charged when the rig is plugged into shore power.  When the house voltage rises to a certain point it connects the house voltage to the chassis battery to charge it.

In a trailer, the point of connection is the charging line in the trailer's umbilical cord.  Unless the trailer is connected to the tow vehicle there's no place for that voltage to go.  The voltage on the charging line rises and the BIRD thinks the chassis battery is fully charged, so it disconnects.  The voltage on the charging line then drops to zero, so the BIRD reconnects and starts the cycle again.

There's no problem except for the sound of the clicking relay.
 
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