Can I run my WFCO output to a REDARC BCDC?

NRALIFR wrote:
I don’t understand any of your concerns, and I have a Redarc BCDC1225 installed in my truck camper. I don’t have any solar though, so maybe that’s adding some complexity I’m just not picking up on.

Yes, the solar adds complexity because it means your statement below isn't true anymore. Without solar, sure. Unplug the truck and plug in shore power. But solar is always connected and potentially generating power.

NRALIFR wrote:
The Redarc and the WFCO converter charger aren’t going to be trying to charge the batteries at the same time unless you plan on being hooked to shore power with the truck running all the time.

Above is only true without solar.

NRALIFR wrote:
Connect the Redarc directly to the RV battery bank and don’t worry about the WFCO. It’s not doing anything until you plug into shore power. The Redarc will charge from the truck alternator if the truck is running, or solar if the sun is shining, and it will prefer solar if both are available.

Again, this is simple without solar.

NRALIFR wrote:
This statement makes no sense to me:
“3. However, if I'm under trees and in clouds, and the truck is off, I will eventually run out of battery power. So in that case I'd like to turn on the WFCO... and shut off the BCDC input to the battery.”

The above statement comes from a philosophy that I learned in another post on another forum. The guy had the same dilemma as me... with 1000w of solar, he said he shut his WFCO off... connected to shore power for A/C only...and (almost) never looked back. The panels created so much power that the DC consumed in the coach was far less than what the solar was putting out... so he actually didn't need the WFCO. It was ONLY one or two times that the weather was so bad... or he was under thick trees... that he had to flip on the breaker for the WFCO.

NRALIFR wrote:
Sounds to me like you’re camping without shore power, so what will turning on the WFCO do? Are you going to plug into generator power? If so, there will be no problem. The Redarc won’t be trying to charge the batteries because the truck is off, and the solar panels aren’t producing power because they are shaded. Even if the panels were putting out SOME power, the Readarc needs to see at least 9 volts from your solar panels before it will produce an output. If you’re getting some battery charging from your panels, why would you need to “turn on the WFCO”?
:):)

No, see above regarding shutting off the WFCO.

There are two issues here:

1. What happens when the solar array dumps 40a into the REDARC and the REDARC starts charging the battery at the same time the WFCO (connected to shore power) is also charging the battery?

2. Does the REDARC do a better job of keeping the AGM batteries happy than the WFCO. If yes, this fact alone is the reason to take the WFCO out of the equation (other than to power the REDARC DC Truck input).

If the answers to the questions above are:

1. Nothing Everything works perfectly

and

2. No, the WFCO and the REDARC both keep AGM batteries happy... then this is, in fact, a non-issue.

From a simplicity standpoint... I like the idea of the REDARC doing ALL the charging because if I start having battery issues I only have one throat to choke.

But I guess the point of this thread is to learn the answers to questions 1 and 2 above.