Gary RV Roamer said:
OK, it's a truck camper. So who installed the plug, and how is it powered (wire size, fusing, etc.). What is the voltage at that plug with the engine running? It takes at least 13v to do any battery charging. And do you know how, or even if, the power at that plug is applied to the camper batteries? Just because the lights work does not mean batteries are being charged. [I confess to total ignorance about how slide-in campers employ the 12v received from the truck.]
When plugged to 120vac, there is an onboard charger that works to do charging (the 13.7v). That doesn't come into play when driving.
Gary......the camper was installed brand new on my truck by a factory rep in January of this year.....including the wiring.
The camper unit was transported from the factory in CA, to a location handy to me near Las Vegas, by trailer, along with 3 other pop up campers destined to other locations.
The man who drives the delivery truck is also an installer...employed by the factory. That is all he does.....deliver and install campers on customers trucks who can't get to the factory....not to mention the customer sales tax savings by delivering out of state from CA.
The camper power wire/harness/marine style plug are installed at the factory....all the installer had to do was connect the wires to a plug he installed on the inside truck bed.....then plug it in to the factory installed camper harness plug...all before lowering the camper into the truck bed.
I can only assume this man knows how to wire up a camper/truck and is supplied with the proper wire and connectors. I cannot see any size markings on the white wires that are attached to the truck batt and run back.
Access to this plugin...from the inside truck bed wall to the camper harness, is not visible from either outside or inside the camper.
I can reach that plug-in with my hand through a turnbuckle tie down access hatch inside the camper. But I cannot see it. It "feels" secure and is not dangling loose. I gave it a push inward as much as I could...seems to be engaged.
I won't be able to put a meter on that plug...I can barely get one hand on it as is.
To access that plug, I would have to jack up the camper off the truck bed. I really don't want to do that at this point.
A friend of mine is coming over today with a meter and we will start the verification process.....starting at the source (alternator/battery) and working back
I think what I will do is start the refer on DC and let it start draining the now fully (AC power) charged batts and get a baseline of voltage then and there.......then start the truck and see if that voltage increases with flow from the truck alternator.
From what I do know, the voltage from the truck alternator/battery current is sent back to the camper via this plug-in connection. That plug-in then goes to a battery separator inside the camper. The separator then is wired to the 2 house batts.
I am sure it is the same manner as if the current were going to the 7 way plug and then via a trailer plug, to the trailers batt system.
I suppose this thread should wrap up now and I truly appreciate your help and suggestions.