Engine charging of coach batteries

lonewolf80 wrote:
Effy, not to beat a dead horse but if the alternator didn't charge the batteries are you saying they would go dead while on the road and not be charged until you could hook up to shore power? Sorry to say that doesn't seem right.

Yes, they will. If NOT charging, then the normal 12 volt draws on the COACH side will deplete the COACH batteries. Now, to EFFY's statement about what the Thor dealer stated. Just because a "Dealer" states something, does NOT make it so. I would verify that statement with THOR and have THOR send it to me in writing. I fix things all the time that both the selling dealer and the So-Called expert at the Factory stated was normal. Now, 99 and 99/100 of motorhomes charge ALL battery banks when the engine is running. I have 37 years as a Motorhome Technician and except for one specific model of motorhome about 20 years ago(orphan now), I have NEVER seen a motorhome that did not charge both battery banks. Most of the time, the customer thought it was not supposed to, until I fixed his system. Now, some(very few) motorhomes have a dash switch that MUST be engaged to engage the coach battery bank to the Chassis system. OLDER Winnebago's(Itasca's) had such a switch. Do NOT turn on that switch and the coach batteries did not charge. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION TO CHARGE THE BATTERY BANKS! Doug