We store our MH a few miles away at a storage facility. Typically I bring it home once a month for the weekend and exercise the genny, plug into shore power to recharge the batteries. Can I recharge the house batteries at the storage lot by just running the generator for a half hour or so? Does the genny actually charge the house batteries? Also, when plugged into shore power does that in itself charge the chassis batteries.

Yes, the genset charges the coach batteries. How long depends on the charge output of your converter or inverter/charger depending on what you have.

RJL, While I cannot supply a specific answer for your coach, I can tell you some things that are very generally true. Most coaches will charge the house bank from either the APU (genset) or shore power. If the house bank is anything like down, an half an hour will do no good at all. An half an hour of running the APU that is only charging the house bank will do it more harm than good. If you feel you have to run it, then run it at a least one half load and for an hour. You much better off figuring out how to drain the fuel out of the carburetor an then leaving it alone. Nothing good happens to an engine that is idling. Matt

The key point here is:USE the battery disconnect switch.Connect when you want it to charge.DISconnect when it is just sitting.If you do that correctly, then they should be charging any time that AC power is present, regardless of the source.EVERY RV owner should have an inexpensive voltmeter so you can check and be sure instead of just guessing.And I agree that a half hour probably isn't enough; an hour would be better.....both for the batteries and the generator.....but the gen will not go up in smoke if you don't do it "exactly right".

Your questions tend to have no wrong answer as both YES and NO applies.Can You charge them by running the generator YES but it will take hours.. How many depends a bit on how far down the batteries are. but a full recharge from 50% SOC (Deep cycle only) is about a six hour job. From 75%SOC (MARINE/deep cycle) one hour less. from 90% SOC. about 2 hours. (both types) this assumes the proper (C/30) size converter)Does the grenerator charge the batteries NO. not directly but it powers the converter and THAT charges the batteries so the answer is yes.See what I mean by no wrong answer.

Thank you for the quick replies. Guess I'll just continue bringing the rig home once a month. Not that big of a deal, just being lazy I guess.

Battery/Generator question | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Feb 01, 2019
RJL,

While I cannot supply a specific answer for your coach, I can tell you some things that are very generally true.

Most coaches will charge the house bank from either the APU (genset) or shore power.

If the house bank is anything like down, an half an hour will do no good at all.

An half an hour of running the APU that is only charging the house bank will do it more harm than good. If you feel you have to run it, then run it at a least one half load and for an hour. You much better off figuring out how to drain the fuel out of the carburetor an then leaving it alone.

Nothing good happens to an engine that is idling.

Matt
enblethen
Nomad
Feb 01, 2019
Yes, the genset charges the coach batteries. How long depends on the charge output of your converter or inverter/charger depending on what you have.

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Battery/Generator question

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