MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
- Forget about what you learned or believe
- Disconnect charging lead wires from vehicle alternator. This means all of them
- Run a huge wire from alternator to an ACCESSIBLE Circuit Breaker rated 200% of rated alternator output amperes
- From this breaker continue to HOUSE batteries, same gauge wire
- With a 130 ampere alternator I would use FOUR GAUGE WIRE, the entire distance
- With a 270 ampere alternator TWO AUGHT wire the entire distance
- Run an equivalent gauge wire from the engine block to house battery negative
- At house battery positive use minimum 100 amp rated separator I would choose 200 amp and run the charge lead wire to the disconnected original alternator output wires.
Well good suggestion for someone wanting to increase the charging capability. Heavy wires are good but this setup is not for the average RV.
The average RV can use a lot of house loads while driving and you don’t want to drag down the chassis battery while driving. So the alternator needs to be connected to the chassis battery and then use a solenoid isolator to the house battery. Control the solenoid with a BIRD or bidirectional BIRD and if the house batteries drop the chassis battery voltage to low the house battery will be disconnected until the chassis battery reaches an acceptable voltage. The priority on charging must be the chassis battery and everything that runs off of the chassis battery.
Mex, Haven’t you posted that many alternators are not very good quality and offered suggestions on what to use? If so then maybe the first step should be to make sure the alternator is capable of delivering it’s full rated output.
