Hi there. I have a brand new 2016 Arctic Fox 811S on my 2015 Silverado 3500HD. The truck has two batteries and two alternators (Duramax Diesel) and the camper has a pair of group 27 batteries with a marine on/off switch. My question is: When the camper is plugged into the 7-pin harness, is there any isolation between the two camper batteries and the battery bank in the truck, or will I need to install a charge relay or isolator? If I need a charge relay, I'll probably use the the Blue Seas ACR, which I installed in my boat to separate battery banks, and it works perfectly. I'm curious how I would wire it though. I assume the 7-pin harness has a charge wire present, which possibly connects to my converter, or direct to the battery bank? I'm pretty handy with 12V, but this is my first truck camper. Any insight would be appreciated.Thanks in advance!

Only Fords have isolation between truck and 7-pin plug. You will need to use an isolator or constant duty solenoid on other brands. If you want better vehicle charging capability, consider running a dedicated charge line to the camper with a heavier gauge than what is used in the 7-pin - Lance is the only one that normally does this on their unique connector, but it can be done with an Anderson connector between camper and truck.

I don't think the previous post is entirely correct......... In my GMC 2015 3500HD Owner's Manual, it says the trailering 12v pins only charge a camper (Truck bed / 5er plug) if the lights are on or the transmission is in tow mode. That suggests isolation to some degree.Put a multimeter on the pins at the plug.... that is my plan to see for myself.I had an interesting time trying to fashion the 7-way on the truck to the 7-way on the Canadian RV (Northern Lite) to the 5 way on the boat trailer.....Not all 7 way plugs -or adapters- are the same. A multimeter was my friend!

That would be something new for GM in 2015 - This was not the case in the past. I have 7-way Y-adapter that feeds the truck camper and my enclosed trailer. When I use my flat bed, I have a 7-way to 4-way that attaches to the Y.

NautiqueFamily wrote:I don't think the previous post is entirely correct......... In my GMC 2015 3500HD Owner's Manual, it says the trailering 12v pins only charge a camper (Truck bed / 5er plug) if the lights are on or the transmission is in tow mode. That suggests isolation to some degree.Put a multimeter on the pins at the plug.... that is my plan to see for myself.I had an interesting time trying to fashion the 7-way on the truck to the 7-way on the Canadian RV (Northern Lite) to the 5 way on the boat trailer.....Not all 7 way plugs -or adapters- are the same. A multimeter was my friend!That would be fantastic. I wonder what sort of charge amperage I can expect from the 7-pin. I am guessing a couple amps is all. I'll read the manual. Just got the truck last week. I'll poke the pins.

My 2007 Lance 1055 has an isolator built into it from the factory. I didn't believe it when I read it so I found it under the step up to the bed platform. The truck charges the battery bank in the camper but the camper does not draw from the battery in the truck when the ignition is off, and the truck does not draw from the battery bank in the camper... Easy peasy! In all other configurations of truck/camper I've had I had to install a battery isolator in the truck. All this to say check your owners manual for your camper at least.. Dak

Battery Charging and Isolation | Good Sam Community

covered_wagon
Explorer
Sep 19, 2015
I don't charge off the truck alternator anymore. It gets hot and can burn up diodes. Not good for the alternator to work so hard. I charge by quiet gen or on the grid. Solar panels someday when they get better.
dakonthemountai
Explorer
Sep 17, 2015
Ok folks.... I get it.... I was just trying to help. I didn't know this about Arctic Fox Campers, and Jefferyduncan apparently didn't know this yet either and also had not yet apparently read the manual about it, so I was only offering a different scenario and a suggestion to help find out...

Hope you soon get this resolved jefferyduncan. Sorry if I caused confusion.

I'm outtahere.. :)
Dak
deltabravo
Nomad
Sep 17, 2015
Bedlam wrote:
The Arctic Fox does not use an isolator like your Lance and relies on the tow vehicle to have its own separation circuit.

Ditto, and sine the topic was about an AF, I would surmise that's wy trailer-explorer posted that, but a more concise term would have been to say "AF doesn't use camper isolation"... and I will concur, AF doesn't put in an isolation circuit.
NautiqueFamily
Explorer
Sep 16, 2015
Lance uses its own wiring harness/plug to accomplish the charge..... wiring is different than stock 3500HD trailer plug as OP presented.
Bedlam
Moderator
Sep 16, 2015
The Arctic Fox does not use an isolator like your Lance and relies on the tow vehicle to have its own separation circuit.
dakonthemountai
Explorer
Sep 16, 2015
trail-explorer wrote:
jeffreyduncan wrote:
What's still not clear is if there is any isolation between battery banks. I am thinking there is not. I will check the owners manual for the Arctic Fox, since that's where it sounds like the isolation should occur.

I guess I could just unplug it.

J

Truck camper doesn't have isolation built in to it... it would occur at the truck

Not always true.... From my 2007 Lance 1055 owners manual:

"The battery separator eliminates the need to add an isolator to the truck electrical system. It allows both the truck and camper batteries to be charged from the truck alternator. The battery separator isolates the batteries, so that the truck battery will not be discharged from the camper use. The battery separator will begin charging the camper after the truck battery has reached 13.2V. If the drain on the truck battery is reduced below 12.8V the battery separator will disconnect the truck camper from the camper circuit, thus protecting the truck battery from excessive drain."

Of course my camper is 8 years old and not the same as the OP's, but it IS a possibility.

Dak
trail-explorer
Explorer
Sep 16, 2015
jeffreyduncan wrote:
What's still not clear is if there is any isolation between battery banks. I am thinking there is not. I will check the owners manual for the Arctic Fox, since that's where it sounds like the isolation should occur.

I guess I could just unplug it.

J

Truck camper doesn't have isolation built in to it... it would occur at the truck
trail-explorer
Explorer
Sep 16, 2015
mkirsch wrote:
On the 99-07 platform there was no isolation.

07.5 - 2014 (GMT 900 platform) was the same.... no isolation.
trail-explorer
Explorer
Sep 16, 2015
Bedlam wrote:
That would be something new for GM in 2015 - This was not the case in the past.

Ditto.

With 2015s being a CANBUS controlled electrical system, many changes must have happened.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Sep 16, 2015
On the 99-07 platform there was no isolation. Can't say for anything newer.

I would expect that the charge line is always hot.

That works great for me because it's how I power my camper.

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