Engine doesn’t seem to be charging house batteries

[Bo Harley]

My 2005 Monaco Lapalma doesn’t seem to be charging my house batteries when I’m driving.  I have new batteries.  When I get to our camping spot, sometimes it takes about 10 minutes on shore power for my slides to work.   After that everything is fine.  I have also ran the generator while driving to see if that helps and it doesn’t.  I am lost.   Any recommendations?

[cbr046]

I noticed running the inverter would keep the batteries charged. 

But on the trip home last night the batts wouldn't come up to full charge, LED staying on 50% level.  I was powering a small dorm fridge (new adventure) and this was the first time running the fridge while running lights . . . and trailer lights . . .. and dash fan on high. 

But your generator should charge the batts . . . .

- bob

 

[Fisean]

 Seems like the expectation is for the engine alternator to fully charge the starting battery's, which it won't, as it was designed to top off a fully charged  starting battery's. Our house batteries are charged by the generator and shore power. We took our 10 months old batteries back to Interstate where we learned that. They re-charged the starting battery's at 10 amps and it still took 36 hours on the industrial charger they have for a full charge. Our alternator finally failed and needed replacement, it can strand you if and when it expires. When we replaced the alternator we learned of its capabilities. Everything 12volt improved with that replacement , lights got brighter, ABS light never came on again. Then charging wasn't an issue because we were driving daily. Our alternator always appeared in good shape and had been tested by many technicians, just never under a load and that's where it was weak, how we don't know.  Bottom line shore power charges house batteries and engine alternator tops off charged starting batteries. We put a charger monthly  on the starting battery's to keep them up to fully charged when we're not driving. Hope that helps.  Although many say shore power should charge everything it 100% does not on ours and all systems are functioning properly.  

Edited November 8, 2021 by Fisean

[jegall]

It depends on the size of alternator mine is a 160 amp and charge’s all batteries.

 

[Bo Harley]

When I haven’t been driving this summer, it has always been plugged into shore power.   They charge right up on the shore power.   I drive an hour to camp.  By the time I get there they aren’t dead but the slides won’t open. I am new to this by the way.   My first class A.  Should I close the switch to the chassis battery when charging off the generator?   I just assumed when you where driving that the engine alternator would charge all the batteries.

Was thinking about changing the big boy solenoid?

[Bo Harley]

Alternator seems to be working fine