I have a 2007 Coachmen Concord DS275 and discovered that the only way to charge the chassis batteries is by the alternator. Shore power charges house batteries only. This is a real issue for me as the engine cracking speed is critical in starting the 6L Ford diesel. I also have a solar system but it too is house only. I would like to be able to use the solar charging as needed to keep the chassis batteries fully charged. The battery interconnect solenoid would seem to be what I need to use but when I activate it (apply 12v) the headlights turn on which greatly reduces the charging efficiency. Any ideas appreciated.

Very common problem. You can charge/maintain the engine batt with its own little charger or parallel the engine batt with the house batts to charge/maintain them all with the converter.I use a 2a charger that stays at 13.4 volts forever when it is plugged in. It came with two sets of wires. One with clamps and one with a 12v plug. I use it inside the Class C by plugging the charger's 120v plug into a receptacle and plug the 12v into the dash cig lighter socket. That keeps the engine batt at 13.4v.There are lots of other ways to get it done.

Thanks for the ideas. I like the look of the Trik-L-Start. I should be able to simply install it across the interconnect solenoid - I think. Sounds ideal to me as I will always have active solar charging every day and can just let it keep the starting batteries charged.

ISTR reading on here that there is a trick to the trickle start? It only works when one set of batts is higher voltage or some such? So there could be a scenario it doesn't do what you want? I completely forget what that was about - except it worried me so I don't have one. Maybe a false alarm here, don't know.Somebody will know whatever that was about----EDIT--Engine batt must be 1/2 volt lower than house to let any current flow from house. Says here battery disconnect must be "on" (meaning "closed"? who knows??? )https://winnebagoind.com/resources/service/pdfs/2006-04%20Trik-L-Start.pdf

I put a Trik-L-Start on my 2007 Class C (when I had one). Problem solved.BFL13 wrote:ISTR reading on here that there is a trick to the trickle start? It only works when one set of batts is higher voltage or some such?When the RV is plugged in to shore power, the converter/charger will be putting out AT LEAST 13.2v. Again, problem solved. (And, the Trik-L-Start only lets power flow one direction. Set to charge the chassis battery, it won't pull power FROM the chassis battery.)BFL13 wrote:Says here battery disconnect must be "on" (meaning "closed"? who knows???That means the house battery must be charging from the converter/charger.

House/chassis battery issue | Good Sam Community

BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2020
On solar no converter, it would be intermittent, but that would be ok as long as you got some sunshine now and again while in storage.

I also have a connector I rigged up using two 12v plugs so I plug one into the TV set's socket (on house) and the other into the dash cig lighter socket (on engine). Had to do some meter work to get their polarities right on the joining wires between plugs since they don't mark them pos and neg.
ramsaymike
Explorer
Aug 18, 2020
This is essentially what I had in mind by using the battery interconnect solenoid. I think the Trik-L-Start looks like a good install and forget solution....
lane_hog
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2020
On our Winnebago, I ran a positive wire from the house battery compartment to the engine compartment... Only connected it when in storage so it could benefit from the solar panel.

The proper way would have been to put diodes in-line to prevent pulling the coach batteries down to whatever the starter battery was at... we scrapped the Winnebago before I got around to that.
ramsaymike
Explorer
Aug 18, 2020
Anyone know of a source for the Trik-L-Start in Canada???
RJsfishin
Explorer
Aug 18, 2020
just connect the positives together thru a toggle switch on the dash gives me manual control for charging either direction, and from either source
Bobbo
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2020
I put a Trik-L-Start on my 2007 Class C (when I had one). Problem solved.

BFL13 wrote:
ISTR reading on here that there is a trick to the trickle start?

It only works when one set of batts is higher voltage or some such?

When the RV is plugged in to shore power, the converter/charger will be putting out AT LEAST 13.2v. Again, problem solved. (And, the Trik-L-Start only lets power flow one direction. Set to charge the chassis battery, it won't pull power FROM the chassis battery.)

BFL13 wrote:
Says here battery disconnect must be "on" (meaning "closed"? who knows???

That means the house battery must be charging from the converter/charger.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2020
ISTR reading on here that there is a trick to the trickle start?

It only works when one set of batts is higher voltage or some such? So there could be a scenario it doesn't do what you want? I completely forget what that was about - except it worried me so I don't have one. Maybe a false alarm here, don't know.

Somebody will know whatever that was about----
EDIT--

Engine batt must be 1/2 volt lower than house to let any current flow from house. Says here battery disconnect must be "on" (meaning "closed"? who knows??? )

https://winnebagoind.com/resources/service/pdfs/2006-04%20Trik-L-Start.pdf
ramsaymike
Explorer
Aug 18, 2020
Thanks for the ideas. I like the look of the Trik-L-Start. I should be able to simply install it across the interconnect solenoid - I think. Sounds ideal to me as I will always have active solar charging every day and can just let it keep the starting batteries charged.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2020
Very common problem. You can charge/maintain the engine batt with its own little charger or parallel the engine batt with the house batts to charge/maintain them all with the converter.

I use a 2a charger that stays at 13.4 volts forever when it is plugged in. It came with two sets of wires. One with clamps and one with a 12v plug. I use it inside the Class C by plugging the charger's 120v plug into a receptacle and plug the 12v into the dash cig lighter socket. That keeps the engine batt at 13.4v.

There are lots of other ways to get it done.
Dusty_R
Explorer
Aug 18, 2020
Check out a Trik-L-Start.

Dusty

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