Battery Charging

I'm wondering...when you're plugged into a shore line, it's charging your house batteries, but is it also charging your engine battery?
Thanks.

Ruth

Normally when you are on shore power your engine battery does not get charged.  There are some rv's that are set up to charge the engine batteries, however not many.  I don't recall which ones do charge the engine batteries.

Some folks wire their rv so it will charge the house and engine battery on shore power.

If your concerned about the engine battery going dead check your manual for a bypass.  My rv has a switch (mom) that uses my house batteries to start the engine should the engine batteries be dead.  I carry a battery charger and an extension cord.  I run my generator to charge the car, or any of the rv batteries should it be necessary.  You can also use the cg's electric.  I find the battery charger is better than jumper cables, you can't always reach your battery with cables or another vehicle.

I doubt your unit charges the engine battery on shore power.  To be sure check you manuals and also call the manufacture.
Post the type of RV, make/model, 6 volt or 12 volt and someone with the same make/model will be along to answer you specifically.
Russ

Your Southwind is wired (via the BCC) to charge your chassis battery when you are plugged into shore power.  That has been a standard feature on most Fleetwood coaches (Bounder and above) since the early '90s. 

Actually quite a few motorhomes charge the engine (chassis) batteries from shore power. Fleetwood coaches do, as did National RV coaches, Newmar coaches, Country Coaches and I think most Damons too. Winnebago did not for many years, though, nor did Monaco. I think Winnebago has begun to do it now, though.

Since Ruth & Ken have a Fleetwood Southwind, theirs does indeed charge the chassis battery from shore power or generator. It also charges the house battery from the engine alternator while driving.

Thanks Gary..appreciate your explanation.

I started a poll here in the RV Forum 2 years ago about whether or not our motorhomes came from the factory with the built-in capability to charge both the coach and chassis batteries via the factory-installed converter/charger/inverter, and if not, whether the option to charge the chassis batteries was added later.  I only got 10 responses from RV Forum members showing that 50% of the coaches polled didn't come from the factory with the capability to charge the chassis batteries.  Here's the results of the poll:

Year Mfg.  Coach Model  Charger/Converter/Inverter Model  Max. Charger/Converter Amps  Charges both Coach and Chassis Batteries

2001 Rexhall Vision, MagneTek 950, 50, YES
1997 Fleetwood Bounder, PD-9055, 55, YES
1999 Fleetwood American Eagle, Freedom 2500, 130, YES
1996 Fleetwood Bounder 38Z, Freedom 20, 100, ADDED
2001 Dutch Star, Freedom 2500, 130, YES
2001 Tradewinds, Xantrex Freedom 2000, 50, YES
1997 Holiday Rambler Endeavor LE, Freedom 20D, 100, NO
1993 34' Itasca Suncruiser, Hart Freedom 1000, 50, NO*
1995 32' Winnebago Adventurer, PD9145, 45, NO
2003 Monaco Camelot, Trace RV2012-B20, 100, NO
  * means possible with jumper wire

If anyone wants to add their coach to the poll, post it here (in the same format as above) and I'll add it to the results.  If you want to read the full thread where this subject was discussed previously, click here:  http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=15983.0

Your poll confirms what I said about manufacturers and their charging system design. Monaco (includes HR) and Winnebago (includes Itasca) do not include "both battery charging". Most all of the others do.

On their Class A's Winnebago now adds an  "Automatic dual-battery charge control " which I think is a "Battery Tender".
The Battery Tender web site says it is a charger but with a bulk charge output of 1.25 amps it appears to be more of a maintainer.

At one time it was only offered on their diesel pushers and that started several years ago - 2006 maybe? I don't know when it was added across the line.

My 2005 Damon Intruder does have an intelegent battery control and does cross charge (Engine charges house, house charges chassis) so no need for an echo charger or trick-l-start.

Also, Engine charges towed,, but that is after market

My 2005 Damon Intruder does have an intelligent battery control and does cross charge (Engine charges house, house charges chassis) so no need for an echo charger or trick-l-start.

Click to expand...

So your poll entry, should you choose to make one, would look something like this?

2005 Damon Intruder, PD9255, 55, YES

Ruth, if you find that your coach does NOT have chassis battery charging, when plugged to shore power, then you should look at/invest in a nifty device called "Trickle Start."  They're available all over the web.  This device will "bleed" some of the house battery charge off and direct it to the chassis batteries.  I got one and installed it on my Itasca Horizon last fall and have been very pleased with its performance.  Cost is, I believe about 45-50 bucks.

http://www.bestconverter.com/Galaxy-Trik-L-Start_c_124.html

1999 Country Coach Magna, Xantrex 3000 RS, 150, YES

All Country Coaches charge both battery banks via Xantrex "Echo Charger"

tennsmith said:

Ruth, if you find that your coach does NOT have chassis battery charging, when plugged to shore power, then you should look at/invest in a nifty device called "Trickle Start."  They're available all over the web.  This device will "bleed" some of the house battery charge off and direct it to the chassis batteries.  I got one and installed it on my Itasca Horizon last fall and have been very pleased with its performance.  Cost is, I believe about 45-50 bucks.

http://www.bestconverter.com/Galaxy-Trik-L-Start_c_124.html

Click to expand...

The problem with using this method to repair a Fleetwood coach charging circuit is that the original solenoid is used to:

provide the aux start function (start engine from house batteries),
provide aux Generator start (start Gen. from chassis battery),
charge the house batteries from the alternator, and
charge the chassis battery from the converter.

The first two functions are accomplished through the aux start switch.
The second two function are controlled by the "BIRD" circuits.

Adding the "Trik-L-Charge" only accomplishes charging in one direction, so if the solenoid is, in fact, the problem, it is best to repair it and restore all four functions.  JMHO

rsalhus said:

1996 Fleetwood Bounder 38Z, Freedom 20, 100, ADDED

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Rolf, If I recall correctly, the above listed entry was from Karl Kolbus.  He stated that he added the function (and he did, by virtue of his Freedom I/C) but the coach came from the factory with the function originally available anyway. JFYI

1994 Thor Residency, PD9160, 60, NO

When I'm parked at home or camping, I plug in a trickle charger and clip the two leads onto my engine (chassis) battery.  That's how I keep mine charged, otherwise it will be dead within a couple days.

Rolf, If I recall correctly, the above listed entry was from Karl Kolbus.  He stated that he added the function (and he did, by virtue of his Freedom I/C) but the coach came from the factory with the function originally available anyway. JFYI

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Yes Lou, that was Karl Kolbus's entry.  I never knew whether his MH had the feature to charge the chassis batteries from the factory or not.  Thanks for pointing that out to me, I'll change it so it shows correctly if and when I ever re-post the poll results.  Have you noticed that a lot of members don't post an entry because their MH doesn't come from the factory with the ability to charge both coach and chassis batteries?  It's not like we're pointing out a gross oversight by certain MH manufacturers or anything, in fact, several members have stated they don't need nor want such a feature. 

rsalhus said:

Have you noticed that a lot of members don't post an entry because their MH doesn't come from the factory with the ability to charge both coach and chassis batteries?  It's not like we're pointing out a gross oversight by certain MH manufacturers or anything, in fact, several members have stated they don't need nor want such a feature. 

Click to expand...

Yeah, no one wants to call their baby ugly

I can't imagine why anyone would feel that cross charging (with proper isolation protection) is a bad idea.

The 2003 Monaco Camelot that doesn't (over)charge the chassis batteries from shore power is my entry 

Tom said:

The 2003 Monaco Camelot that doesn't (over)charge the chassis batteries from shore power is my entry 

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Very subtle, Tom, but I get your point. ;D ;D (and it has merit!)

LOL Lou, it was a reference to our prior (1985) Pace Arrow that overcharged the chassis battery from the converter. I used to disconnect the charging line to that battery.