Chargeing batteries with a generator.

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RGP

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Posts
139
Our TT will carry us about two days on the battery when we camp without power. This was enough out West to get us by until our next stop. If the battery voltage dropped too low, a 15 minute jump from the TV carried us through an extra day. The problem was there were several places were thought might be nice to return to 4 or 5 days.

So the question is; would it be faster to run a small generator into the shore power to charge the battery or just run the battery charger directly from the generator to the battery?

I am not a fan of generators, so the faster the better.       

     
 
What is the max charge rate for the converter?
What is the max charge rate for the battery charger?
The bigger number wins!
 
You didn't mention the trailer year.make/model or the onboard charging system make.model,  but I can just about assure you there is no affordable external, automotive type charger that will be anywhere near as fast at charging as your built-in charger. The exception to that might be in the trailer is a 1980's vintage.
 
Many on-board chargers fail to go into the bulk charging stage, mostly due to inadequate wiring.  You need to check the voltage at your partially discharged battery when you plug in to a generator or shore power.  If it stays below 14 volts, either rewire with much heavier wires or use a quality battery charger.
 
I have a new Black and Decker battery charger vs the Waco three stage  charger in my 2010 Dutchmen Lite.

I was not sure if the Waco had the capacity.

I will have to get the manuals out and compare.
 
Just to be clear, your charger might have three or more stages, but that won't matter if your wiring is inadequate.  Always check the voltage at the battery to know what is happening.
 
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