Charge Control

[arcticfox2005]

2011 Winnebago Access model 26Q. Factory brochure says it has as standard equipment "automatic dual-battery charge control". If it is operating as designed, what exactly does it do? In particular, with reference to alternator output when engine is started.

 

[Boat Bum]

In my experience it typicaly means that once one battery reaches full charge it will automatically switch to charging the second battery. The way it is setup determines which battery charges first, usually the starting.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It means it will charge both house and chassis (engine) batteries from external power, e.g. shore or generator or alternator. Typically one set of batteries has charging priority until more-or-less fully charged and then the second priority battery bank gets charged.

 

[arcticfox2005]

Chet and Gary, thank you. What you said is what I believed but the service manager of a Winnebago dealership told me that no such control existed. This was before I found the original factory brochure, so I took him at his word. Thanks again.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

What you said is what I believed but the service manager of a Winnebago dealership told me that no such control existed.

Shame on that service manager! Fleetwood coaches have used them for decades, even on entry-level models. Both RV Custom Products & Intellitec make them. They are generally known as battery charge controllers or BCC, after the original Intellitec product name. You can also add an aftermarket module to a single battery charging system to handle a second battery bank. Winnebago even did that for a year or two before changing over to dual controls. The add-on modules are known by various names, e.g. Xantrex Echo Charge or the LSL Trik-L-Start

 

[Boat Bum]

You're welcome. I personally set something like this up on my boat. The engine would charge the starting battery and the house battery. When I added a third house battery it was connected to and charged by my three bank smart charger, while connected to shore power but not once I unplugged.

To make sure my third battery was charged while underway I put a battery combiner on battery #2 (house) and new #3 battery. Now, while underway my first two batteries charged as before from the engine only now once battery #2 reached sufficient charge it would switch to my #3 battery for charging.