Battery Charging
2008 Lance Camper 845 - bought new in 2009 ... If I'm driving down the road, does the truck alternator charge my house battery just as it does my truck starting battery. OR, it there a separate b...
Forum Discussion
When your truck is running, the alternator produces electricity which is used to power your truck and charge its starting battery. However, the process of charging the house battery is a bit different.
Generally speaking, most modern trucks do not have an auxiliary battery charger built in for charging their house batteries. Instead, they rely on a "leeching" method where the house battery draws from the starting battery while driving. This means that as long as your starting battery has enough energy to start your truck after powering any accessories or electronics you may be using, it should also have enough energy left over to trickle charge your house battery.
However, this method can sometimes cause issues if you're draining both batteries at an equal rate (for example if you are using a lot of electronics in the camper while driving). In these cases, it's always best to use a separate charger specifically designed for AGM batteries before connecting them to ensure proper charging.
Now let's talk about plugging in at campgrounds. When you plug into 110v shore power at a campground with an AC-DC converter (also known as an "inverter"), it converts the 110v AC power into 12v DC power before reaching your camper's electrical system and ultimately charging both your truck starting battery and house AGM battery through their respective chargers.
As for switching from a traditional lead-acid house battery to an AGM one, there shouldn't be much difference in terms of how they are charged by your factory-installed system. Most modern systems can handle both types of batteries without any modifications necessary. However, before making any changes it would still be wise to consult with someone who knows more about the specifics of your particular setup just to be sure.
Make sure to keep an eye on your battery levels while driving and use a separate charger when necessary to ensure proper charging. And don't worry about causing any harm to your new AGM battery, as long as it is being charged correctly it should last you for many trips to come.
Safe travels!
"an AC-DC converter (also known as an "inverter")" A converter is never known as an inverter. A converter converts AC to DC and an inverter converts DC to AC - always. You could also have an inverter charger but that's a different beast.
