Charging House Batteries

MagillaGorilla wrote:
I guess it does not matter how it worked in the old RV, I am just wondering how it will work in the newer one.

Standard practice is for the charger/converter system to operate from either the shore power cord or from the generator, charging the house batteries. That's almost certainly the way the newer one would (should) work. I would guess it's how your older unit also is intended to work in general, though obviously it's acting differently for some unknown reason.

One possible exception may be if there's a fancy enough electrical management system and substantial other loads such that it deems some load shedding is necessary. It could possibly be set up to shed house battery charging (either partly or entirely).

nemo45 wrote:

enblethen wrote:
Verify that you have a transfer switch or whether you must plug the genset into a receptacle in the shore power cord compartment.
If equipped with transfer switch or if you must plug into a receptacle, the converter should charge the batteries.
That is if you are in deed talking house batteries and not chassis battery.

I was just going to suggest this. My old gasser which actually was newer than the DP I have now did not have a transfer switch and the power cord had to be plugged into a receptacle in the compartment the power cord goes in. My converter was also in that compartment. Needless to say it did not take me long to put a transfer switch with a built in surge protector in that compartment.

And, if that is the case, VERY easy to identify, since none of the 120 VAC appliances would work-- roof A/C's, microwave, etc if ATS was bad or the shore power cord had to be manually plugged into the generator output.

enblethen wrote:
Verify that you have a transfer switch or whether you must plug the genset into a receptacle in the shore power cord compartment.
If equipped with transfer switch or if you must plug into a receptacle, the converter should charge the batteries.
That is if you are in deed talking house batteries and not chassis battery.

I was just going to suggest this. My old gasser which actually was newer than the DP I have now did not have a transfer switch and the power cord had to be plugged into a receptacle in the compartment the power cord goes in. My converter was also in that compartment. Needless to say it did not take me long to put a transfer switch with a built in surge protector in that compartment.

Verify that you have a transfer switch or whether you must plug the genset into a receptacle in the shore power cord compartment.
If equipped with transfer switch or if you must plug into a receptacle, the converter should charge the batteries.
That is if you are in deed talking house batteries and not chassis battery.

MagillaGorilla wrote:
The gen does not charge the HOUSE batteries on my 96 Damon. Also it does not have an inverter. There is zero available 120 VAC power unless you are plugged in to shore power or run the gen.

the point others were trying to make is if the gen set is running then the house batterys will charge through your converter exactly the same way they charge when on shore power
It matters not if you had a inverter because that has zero to do with 12V charging systems
maybe for some bizzare reason on that old of a MH the plug in your using for the converter does not work on gen side?
All u had to do was test that plug at the time and simply plug your converter into one that was live on gen run
The new to you one will charge house batterys while driving and while running gen set

I guess it does not matter how it worked in the old RV, I am just wondering how it will work in the newer one.

wolfe10 wrote:
Let me ask the question a little differently:

When on 120 VAC, does your converter charge any battery bank?

Easy to verify:

Before plugging in or running the generator, check voltage at the house battery bank with a digital voltmeter. Plug in and check voltage.

If the 120 VAC is coming from shore power then yes the house batteries charge just fine. If the 120 is coming from the gen the house batteries do not charge.

Let me ask the question a little differently:

When on 120 VAC, does your converter charge any battery bank?

Easy to verify:

Before plugging in or running the generator, check voltage at the house battery bank with a digital voltmeter. Plug in and check voltage.

Everything is going to depend on how you battery control center (BCC) operates. I suspect with the new coach it will charge all batteries from all sources be it shore or generator using the AC to DC convertor or from the engine alternator. Easy to check with a multimeter. A charging battery will indicate something over 13 volts at the terminals when charging. My coach is a year old and will charge all.

The gen does not charge the HOUSE batteries on my 96 Damon. Also it does not have an inverter. There is zero available 120 VAC power unless you are plugged in to shore power or run the gen.