3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
professor95 wrote: EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here. In...
Forum Discussion
Professor95
Can one use the 12vdc on a genset to charge the trailer batteries? How?
In other words, without going through the 120vac.
Can one go directly to the batteries? Can one go through the 12vdc electrical trailer connector. Are their any disadvantages? ie: damage the batteries or the converter etc.
Thanks
You can use the 12 volt DC output to charge the trailer batteries. Just run a #10 or larger set of cables from the 12 volt output to some alligator clips connected directly to the battery. A set of cheap jumper cables with one end cut off and attached to the connector on the generator would work fine for this. No damage should come to the TT converter by directly charging the batteries from an external source. I guess you could go through the TT to TV connector to charge the battery, but this would require making up an adapter/connector like the one mounted on your TV. Certainly more trouble than removing the lid on the battery box to access the battery terminals.
That said, I will tell you that I personally would only do this in an emergency situation. The 12 volt DC output from the generator is not regulated. The charging voltage can swing considerably, possibly rising well above the maximum charging voltage you should apply to your TT batteries. There is also no way to control the charging current. I would imagine that you could add an "old" style external automotive voltage regulator in this circuit between the DC out on the generator and the battery, but fail to see the point in going that far.
When I take my generator camping and know that I will need to refresh my 12 volt batteries in the field, I also carry a good quality 12 volt battery charger with me. I connect this to the batteries and plug it into the generator 120 outlet. I do not use the onboard converter in the TT to recharge the batteries with the generator since it typically has a lower charging rate than my auxiliary charger.
This may be more than you wanted to know....... sorry about that. But, I hope somewhere in here you will find an answer that works.
