Engine starting battery being charged while parked?

[DOTLDaddy]

I do not presently own a class A, but maybe someday . . . :@

While parked for an extended time, how does one keep the engine starting battery charged? I know the house batteries are kept charged via shore power, but does that also take care of the starting battery?:h

[tommykelly]

on the other hand...

"If" you have a 2006 Damon Daybreak...and it is as it was new...

the Converter/charger..and you leave it plugged in..the house batteries will over charge..boil them dry and render them scrap.

the chassis battery will not charge and with the slow drain..will discharge completely draining the battery and killing it also.

So plugging in once a month to maintain house battery and installing a knife switch on chassis battery has worked well.

[tommykelly]

the sure way to answer your question is...

unplug and nothing running..and put your volt meter across your chassis battery and read what you have.

then plug your shore power in and read your voltage ...I would do the house and chassis battery ...

there was nothing in the paperwork with my motorhome to let me know whether or not my chassis battery was charging and maintain and / or over charging while plugged into shore power...so many only charge/maintain and boil dry the house battery and the chassis battery slowly drains to dead...

luckily both mine charge and maintain while being plugged into shore power...still keep an eye on battery water..

[Clay_L]

jplante4 wrote:

Clay L wrote:
My Winnebago does not charge the engine battery from shore power/generator and the engine battery will discharge in about three weeks.
I installed a "Battery Minder Plus" 12 years ago and it has done a good job of keeping the engine battery charged.
See Battery Minder

The previous owner of my Monterey showed me a trick putting a small flat screwdriver under the battery cross-connect switch to keep it engaged will transfer some of the charge going to the house batteries to the chassis battery. I wouldn't leave it like this for long because I'm sure the solenoid connecting the batteries isn't designed for continuous on, but for short periods it should work to charge the chassis batteries.

Actually on most (all?) motor home the solenoid is a continuous duty type.
Besides the dash switch it is also activated by a wire from the RUN terminal on the ignition switch so the house batteries charge from the alternator while driving.
Still like you I don't think I would be comfortable leaving it activated for days on end.
The Battery Minder is a float charger and is designed to be left connected for as long as necessary.

[mike_brez]

I just got through putting one of these on mine

[Dale_Traveling]

My 2006 Hurricane will charge all the batteries from all power sources, shore thru the converter, generator thru the converter and engine from the alternator. Once the primary battery (house when using shore/generator or chassis when the engine is running) reaches 13.2 VDC the Battery Control Center will close the Aux Start solenoid and tie the two banks together and charge all. If the BCC senses a voltage drop on either bank it will open the solenoid and protect the banks from each other and a possible complete discharge of both.

There is a down side to this. My house batteries are golf cart deep cell while the chassis is a standard start battery. When on shore/generator the converter will go thru a three stage charge of both banks. Not sure what the long term effect this has on starting batteries. I could just activate the chassis battery disconnect to prevent.

[jplante4]

Clay L wrote:
My Winnebago does not charge the engine battery from shore power/generator and the engine battery will discharge in about three weeks.
I installed a "Battery Minder Plus" 12 years ago and it has done a good job of keeping the engine battery charged.
See Battery Minder

The previous owner of my Monterey showed me a trick putting a small flat screwdriver under the battery cross-connect switch to keep it engaged will transfer some of the charge going to the house batteries to the chassis battery. I wouldn't leave it like this for long because I'm sure the solenoid connecting the batteries isn't designed for continuous on, but for short periods it should work to charge the chassis batteries.

[Clay_L]

My Winnebago does not charge the engine battery from shore power/generator and the engine battery will discharge in about three weeks.
I installed a "Battery Minder Plus" 12 years ago and it has done a good job of keeping the engine battery charged.
See Battery Minder

[wildmanbaker]

J-Rooster wrote:
I have a solar panel on the roof of my coach that trickle charges to my battery. This solar panel works even when the sun isn't shining. Good Question Happy Holidays to you.

Could you tell us more about the solar panel that charges even when the sun in not shining? I would like to acquire an array of these, unless it is the "rotary type of solar panel", but I have never heard of one installed on a MH roof. lol!

[jerseyjim]

I have a TRIK-L-CHARGER, and for short term (a few months, for instance, snow birding) it works just fine. Keeps the 12V up. Plugged into shore power, of course.
However...MY experience, (NO shore power) anything much longer than a few months, the 2 6V batteries drain and the 12V battery has nothing to charge it...so all 3 batteries eventually drop. And then you have nothing. Jumper cable time!!!!! Then...you 've got to hope the batteries can come back up as to be usable.

To prevent this happening to me again, every 2-3 weeks, when in "storage", I start the engine and the generator. Let them both run for maybe 1/2 to 3/4 hour. That way all 3 batteries get taken care of.

[PatStab]

I put a trickle start type of charger in mine, I can't remember the name. It keeps all the batteries charged, I leave it plugged up all the time at home. If I don't flip the disconnect switch phantom electric users will drain the batteries in a week or so. Mine is also supposed to have a cycle that desulphates and also does not overcharge the batteries. It's been on it 2 years and has done well. I also have a switch that will connect the batteries for additional charging but haven't had to use it. My generator battery is separate and only charges when running, have a switch to turn it off and on.
So far it is all working.

[Peddler95]

I've had the Trik L Start permanently installed for a couple of years. Works great.

[J-Rooster]

I have a solar panel on the roof of my coach that trickle charges to my battery. This solar panel works even when the sun isn't shining. Good Question Happy Holidays to you.

[RLS7201]

Fleetwood motorhomes, except Flair and some class Cs, from 1996 on charge all batteries when plugged in or on generator. The change over was made in midyear 1995 so some Fleetwood motorhomes made in 1995 charge all batteries when plugged in or on generator.
All others can be made to charge all batteries when plugged in with a Trik-L-Start or like device.

Richard
95 Bounder

[turbojimmy]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

It is possible to add a Trik-l-Start to the system. If you want even more charging an Amp-l-Start can be used.

Yes! I just installed one of these in my Allegro. The chassis battery was draining as it sat. I keep the RV plugged into shore power 24x7 when it's parked at home. Some RVs have an option to connect the chassis and house batteries together via a dash-mounted switch. Mine does not. But I do have a solenoid that connects the chassis battery to the house batteries while the engine is running. It's mounted up front, near the chassis battery. It has connections for both the house batteries and the chassis battery. The Trik-L-Start has alligator clips - I just clipped one lead to the chassis battery, one to the house batteries and the third to the ground. It's very easy and seems to work well. I'll permanently install it one day, but right now the alligator clips work fine (I don't drive it this way, obviously).