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All_Who_Wander_'s avatar
All_Who_Wander_
Explorer
Feb 04, 2018

Charging motorhome batteries with a solar trickle charger

We have a 31' 2000 Fleetwood Class C motorhome. We put a cover over it to store it over the winter, but that has covered our built-in solar charger. As a result, all of the batteries are dying. We have purchased a solar trickle charger that we attached through the cigarette lighter and it seems to be charging the actual truck battery but not the living quarters batteries. Our rv has the battery disconnect. Right now it is off. Do we need to turn on the disconnect to charge the living quarter batteries? Has anyone encountered this situation? This is the first year that we have covered the rv.
Class C
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Feb 04, 2018
    The simplest solution would probably be to have a separate panel/trickle charger for the house battery. The two batteries are isolated when the engine isn't running, disconnect switch on or off. (That might technically be a bit of a simplification depending on the exact setup and kind of isolator involved, but it's conceptually close enough for what you're asking regardless.)

    I suppose another perfectly reasonable solution is to just not cover the RV for the winter. I don't cover mine.

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