theoldwizard1 wrote:
Photomike wrote:
Charging while driving is a simple solution to almost free power.
Every light duty auto manufacturer will disagree with you !
The reason for all of these "smart charging systems" is that they have multiple test that PROVE that smart charging systems IMPROVE fuel economy by limiting the amount of power the alternator makes.
We are getting way off topic but:
First - I don't think many RV's are built on anything light duty. My truck that I had for the truck camper ran a heavy duty alternator. The motor home is on a F350 chassis and from what I could learn before I bought it runs a heavy duty alternator. My van definitely has a heavy duty alternator and has lots of power to not only charge but to run the inverter, etc. The difference in mpg driving a loaded brick down the highway and charging a battery or driving a loaded brick down the highway and not charging a battery is hardly, if at all, noticeable.
On that subject during the build of my vans electrical system I had the opportunity to talk to one of the suppliers of battery to battery charging systems. He gave me lots of information that I never knew but one point that he made is that many people operate on the wrong assumption that we are doing things outside of what a vehicle or a boat for that matter is designed to do with charging. In fact it is the opposite - a charging system is designed to charge and will do so as long as we do not do something stupid and it will do so with a number of batteries as all batteries will equalize in a system and charge from that point. The charging system does not know if you have 5 batteries at 12.5v or one, it will take longer to top up but it is doing the same thing as it was designed for. Consider it like operating your AC - it takes more power but we do not drive with the AC off as we are concerned that the alternator is not designed to power it - it is.
Back to my point in my original post - I was not arguing the specs on any one alternator and if it can or cannot charge. My point was that it is smarter to use an alternator when driving as you are accomplishing more than just charging as opposed to having the vehicle idle parked to charge. It will cost more per amp/hr sitting still idling charging then to drive and charge.
