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Charging Chassis Batteries On Shore Power


FishAR
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Since I found my chassis batteries dead as a hammer a few weeks ago this obviously isn't happening in my coach.

My owner manual says

"For example: While the motorhome is driven the alternator on the engine will charge the house batteries. Likewise, while the motorhome is plugged into shore power, or the generator is running, the engine batteries are being charged. Each system will supply 12 Volt DC power to the 12 Volt DC distribution panels."

I've searched here and other places and just become confused, ird, bird, and so on.

In my rear electrical bay I see a device called trombetta. Is this the device I'm looking for that could be bad and not allowing my chassis batteries to charge from shore power? I see no large devices in my front electrical bay.

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Our  04 Holiday Rambler Endeavor didn't charge our chassis batteries when plugged into shore power. We replaced it with an Automatic Charging Relay (ACR). 

Jim

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It is very difficult to provide accurate information when the poster Does Not include year and model of the coach in question.    Chuck B 2004 Windsor

 

"Since I found my chassis batteries dead as a hammer a few weeks ago this obviously isn't happening in my coach. My owner manual says "For example: While the motorhome is driven the alternator on the engine will charge the house batteries. Likewise, while the motorhome is plugged into shore power, or the generator is running, the engine batteries are being charged. Each system will supply 12 Volt DC power to the 12 Volt DC distribution panels." I've searched here and other places and just become confused, ird, bird, and so on. In my rear electrical bay I see a device called trombetta. Is this the device I'm looking for that could be bad and not allowing my chassis batteries to charge from shore power? I see no large devices in my front electrical bay."

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26 minutes ago, Chuck B said:

It is very difficult to provide accurate information when the poster Does Not include year and model of the coach in question.    Chuck B 2004 Windsor

 

"Since I found my chassis batteries dead as a hammer a few weeks ago this obviously isn't happening in my coach. My owner manual says "For example: While the motorhome is driven the alternator on the engine will charge the house batteries. Likewise, while the motorhome is plugged into shore power, or the generator is running, the engine batteries are being charged. Each system will supply 12 Volt DC power to the 12 Volt DC distribution panels." I've searched here and other places and just become confused, ird, bird, and so on. In my rear electrical bay I see a device called trombetta. Is this the device I'm looking for that could be bad and not allowing my chassis batteries to charge from shore power? I see no large devices in my front electrical bay."

It's in my signature. I figured that would be good enough, that's why it's there.

 

Anyway

2007 Monaco Camelot 42PDQ

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FishAR,  

I had a 05 Windsor, one step up from the Camelot, that had the same problem. I installed a trick l start which robs voltage from house batts while they are charged or charging and deposits voltage in the chassis batteries. It’s easy to install in the RRB and is smart enough to wait until the house batts are charged so you don’t nd up with both batteries run down.

 

Duncan H

2014 Entegra Anthem 

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As a temporary measure when on shore power one can use jumpers with alligator clips in parallel between the house batteries and chassis batteries so long as the resting voltage between the sets is similar. Don't do this if one set is discharged because the charged set will charge the other with a very heavy current flow. Batteries with different standing voltages connected in parallel also present challenges for the charging system.

Edited by Gary Cole
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1 hour ago, FishAR said:

Learned some stuff, went down to the coach, no BIRD so no chassis battery charging from shore power. I came across this video where a guy adds a BIRD to a panel identical to mine but I don't think I'll do that.

 

 

I don’t think using the battery boost like this (video) is a good idea.  It’s serves in an emergency, but if the chassis are low it likely will put a undue heavy load on the house batteries.  Good if needed in an emergency!

Tril-L-Start, or something similar, to give a continuous change over time will keep the Chassis batteries topped out while on shore.  The Trik-L-Start gets it power from the house batteries when they are charged good. I’ve used one for years and no low battery.

 

Edited by David White
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Call me crazy, but why not mount a regular AC to DC charger permanently on the chassis batteries wired into a nearby house AC line so when the house is in charge mode on the inverter (when mine is in charge mode it turns inverter on which turns on AC in the house) it will always keep the chassis batteries topped up?

 

Jarred A.     04 HR Nav

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  • 1 year later...
  • Solution

Old topic of mine being responded to here,

What I did was buy a noco genius battery maintainer and plugged it in the block heater recp in the engine bay.. Bought an extra length of wire to connect the plug in portion and the alligator clips portion and permanently mounted it so the charger cable would reach the batteries.

 

When parked it's hooked up. When motor running or when traveling it's unplugged and stored in the basement. 

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This is an old post and the OP has a solution. For those using this for research, a Blue Sea ACR to replace the combining relay is generally considered one of the best options. The existing relay on my 2004 was not a latching relay. Current must flow thru the coil to pull the relay in and my dash switch was a momentary on so it had to be held on to combine. Lots of current would flow thru the relay coil and it can get pretty hot. The Blue Sea ACR auto charging relay, has circuitry that monitors both sides of the really for voltage. if one is at charging voltage, it will combine the two when in auto. Chassis combined to house when engine running, house combined to chassis when shore power inverter charging. when it auto mode, it drops out if both are at resting voltage. factory provided switch has three positions: do not close relay, auto mode, and close relay. I use "do not close" during generator and main engine running, other wise I get a charging error on the dash. I use the combine if wanting to boost chassis from house. most of the time it is on auto. used it for over a year and 10k miles and would not have a coach/boat without the BS ACR or something very similar.  many others here have  stated the same thing. under $100, installation is simple. pull the two cables and the coil wire that comes from dash switch, two screws to remove old relay, maybe drill new holes for the ACR, screws,  reconnect the cables and wire. this will give you the ability to manually pull in the coil or it will work in auto. Requires a second wire to install the factory switch for full function. I ran the first six months or so with out full function and then ran a 4 wire bundle from front Elec compartment to rear battery compartment and installed the factory switch.  I equalize my house batteries after I have added water and use the "do not combine" to isolate house at 15 vdc from maintenance free starting batteries.  The other advantage of the combiner is that when running the main engine and there is a need from the inverter, the 200 amp alternator will supply maybe 100 amps into the house batteries thru the ACR.

 

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