Charging Amps engine alternator vs Generator
After spending 3 days dry camping in my Class C at Yosemite, I fired up my generator to defrost some bagels in the microwave. I have a Xantrex Battery Monitor and noticed I was down about 65 amps for...
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from the OP-- Out here dry camping at the beach. New battteries were charged with a Vector Smart Charger 40 amp. Took about 5 hours to get to full. Then I installed the batteries. The sat for 2 days with the Inteli -power converter charger attached. I watch the amps slowly drop on the Xantrex battery monitor down to zer0 charging over those 2 days, It was fully charged this morning when I disconnected my shoreline power. After sitting for an hour or so before we took of on this trip, the voltage was 12.8 volts at the battery monitor. Now to confuse me. The engine battery was fully charged before leaving using the Vector charger again. However, when we arrived at the beach, the Xantrex battery monitor read 12.7 volts and the battery /tank monitor reads 2/3; not FULL????
Something is screwy with this system. I just checked the Xantrex battery monitor and it reads 12.7volt and down 8.3 amps after 9 hours on house batteries. I checked the battery connections at the Inteli-power converter/charger from the battery. It read 12.45volts. I went outside and checked the house new house batteries themselves with the ammeter and got 12.45volts. The battery/tank monitor reads 2/3. If I only used 8.3 amps which sound exactly right for my 9 hours on the batteries, how come everything is showing 75-80%. It should be down only 5-10%.
Could the alternator not be charging the house batteries whle driving and the engine is drawing off the house batteries?
Something is screwy with this system. I just checked the Xantrex battery monitor and it reads 12.7volt and down 8.3 amps after 9 hours on house batteries. I checked the battery connections at the Inteli-power converter/charger from the battery. It read 12.45volts. I went outside and checked the house new house batteries themselves with the ammeter and got 12.45volts. The battery/tank monitor reads 2/3. If I only used 8.3 amps which sound exactly right for my 9 hours on the batteries, how come everything is showing 75-80%. It should be down only 5-10%.
Could the alternator not be charging the house batteries whle driving and the engine is drawing off the house batteries?
