Charging observation/question

Let me put it two ways
One: YOU GOT IT

Two

Batteries--D---Switch--Everythign else

The D is where the "Detectors" (Co. Propane) hook up.

Everythign else INCLUDES the converter.

Finally DO NOT LET YOUR BATTERIES GET THAT LOW

RJL wrote:
Thank you all for the quick reply/answer. Just dropped the rig off at the storage facility where I store it and shut the batteries down. Didn't think to disconnect the negative battery terminal.... Gonna head over there tomorrow to square that away.

Thanks again.

If it's still pretty cold sometimes it's a good idea to pull the batts for the winter and trickle charge them on a bench in your garage. Granted it's a pain but beats having dead or ruined batteries when spring comes.

Thank you all for the quick reply/answer. Just dropped the rig off at the storage facility where I store it and shut the batteries down. Didn't think to disconnect the negative battery terminal.... Gonna head over there tomorrow to square that away.

Thanks again.

M&D taught me to ask only when I couldn't find the answer after a careful search.

Maybe we should just look to help the OP instead of criticizing someone else's answer. I have to agree with Brett on this one...Have a great day everyone.....Dennis

If you disconnect the batteries from the 12v system they will not charge.

If the detector is beeping... the batteries have been overly discharged and have permanently lost some capacity. Best to charge more often. If the RV sits outside without power consider 100+ watts solar for storage maintenance.

The 12 Volt Side of Life

The best answer, as it would confirm not just how the RV was supposed to be wired, but also how it is now functioning is to use a VOLTMETER. Easy for us to walk someone through this.

That, along with exactly what converter or charger he has would lead to a much better understanding of the charging function.

Totally agree we/the Forum are here to help. But, one of the "got-ya's" on any forum is without specific information many, many posts, even by very knowledgeable people are less than accurate for that specific RV.

wolfe10 wrote:

downtheroad wrote:

Does your owner's manual not address this?

Gosh, I guess we might as well just shut down the Forum completely and have a pop-up that says, "Do a search," or "Look in your owner's manual," whenever anyone asks a reasonable question.

Actually, the "Does our owner's manual not address this?"has a LOT of validity.

All we can do is SPECULATE on how that particular RV is wired. The owners manual will tell how it IS wired.

Not sure that's entirely true. Been a while since I looked at my manual but I don't recall it ever being so detailed as to show the wiring and whether the converter is on the load side or not. Most manuals are pretty generic. That's not to say the manufacturer won't have a wiring diagram but I didn't have one in my manual.

Op asked a legitimate question that I doubt the answer could be truly confirmed by most generic manuals. And it's likely he got his answer as fast and possibly more credible by asking here. That's what this forum is supposed to be for.

downtheroad wrote:

Does your owner's manual not address this?

Gosh, I guess we might as well just shut down the Forum completely and have a pop-up that says, "Do a search," or "Look in your owner's manual," whenever anyone asks a reasonable question.

Actually, the "Does our owner's manual not address this?"has a LOT of validity.

All we can do is SPECULATE on how that particular RV is wired. The owners manual will tell how it IS wired.

Agree, there are a lot of questions that do have "here is how they all work". This is not one of them.

Also, throw into the equation that some chargers, particularly smart chargers are smart enough to not even attempt to charge a deeply discharged battery which requires a "stupid" charger to get the process started. This could take the question in an entirely new direction.

Some RVs (probably a majority) do not charge the batteries with the converter when the battery disconnect switch is in storage mode. This is not universal; sometimes the converter is connected on the battery side of the disconnect switch, which means with it set to storage mode and plugged in the battery will still charge but you will not have any 12V power for the house circuits.

Apparently RJL's has the converter on the load side, which I think is more common, so the battery does not charge but the house circuits are powered by the converter under these conditions.

In general, there's very little reason to use the storage setting on the switch. If plugged in, leave everything connected. If camping, leave it connected. If stored without power for a long time, physically disconnect the negative battery lead so any loads not switched (often things like the LP detector or radio preset memory) don't drain the battery.