I have never understood why RV owners tolerate the puny charge wiring that most manufacturers provide. My setup is similar to what Mex' describes and I can confirm that proper wiring between the alternator and TC/TT/MH house battery does indeed eliminate many of the issues RV owners have with regard to keeping batteries topped-up while driving.
- I use fuses (I have never blown one, though I do carry spares) instead of circuit breakers.
- I have a manual disconnect switch (rated 300A con't) instead of a separator, solenoid, or other controller. This is the easiest and most reliable way for
me to choose when to have the truck & TC electrical systems connected.
- The cables (yes, both + & -) from my alternator to the (2) truck batteries are 2/0 ga.
- The cables from the truck batt' all the way to the camper batt' are 2ga.
- I have a single 180A alternator from
DC Power.- The alternator is voltage regulated by the ECU, charge voltage is 14.2-14.7 depending upon ambient temperature.
- I have a dash-mounted digital volt/ammeter in my truck. When the house batteries are at low SOC, I commonly see an initial charge current in excess of 100A @ 14.7V... even at idle.
- This configuration allows me to easily charge the house batt's to 100% SOC while also running the fridge & H2O heater (on 12Vdc or 120Vac via inverter )or any other appliances while driving.
Cheers
-Mark
