What does the alternator charge

[4ever16]

I have a 2007 Allegro 35TSA 8.1 Liter gas motor, has two (2) six (6) volt coach batteries. Question does the alternator also charge the coach batteries as well as the motor battery ????
Thanks for your help...just left Anza Borrego Ca. the desert is beautiful at night.....
Happy New Year to all.........

[WyoTraveler]

4ever16 wrote:
Thanks so much for every ones help. I took my meter checked the coach batteries without motor running, and then with it running.....Motor DOES charge the coaches batteries.......must be one heck of an alternator....
Thanks again,

May want to also check, many MHs now also charge the starting battery when on shore power. Nice feature.

[4ever16]

Thanks so much for every ones help. I took my meter checked the coach batteries without motor running, and then with it running.....Motor DOES charge the coaches batteries.......must be one heck of an alternator....
Thanks again,

[accsys]

4ever16 wrote:
I have a 2007 Allegro 35TSA 8.1 Liter gas motor, has two (2) six (6) volt coach batteries. Question does the alternator also charge the coach batteries as well as the motor battery ????
Thanks for your help...just left Anza Borrego Ca. the desert is beautiful at night.....
Happy New Year to all.........

You need to look around in your bays near the house batteries for the charge solenoid. It should look like this

You will have two large red cables tied to the large terminals, one to the house batteries and one to the chassis batteries. This solenoid ties the two systems together when the ignition is on (the two small terminals. These are notoriously bad about failing and we always carry a spare.

You might also check out the Tiffin RV Network. On the left side of the home page is a link to the forum where you can get all kinds of info when you need it from some very experienced users of Tiffin products.

[gatorcq]

Might I suggest you call directly to and keep there phone number.

And secondly read ALL the manuals you find on board.
tiffin motorhomes

[Dutch_12078]

Heck, even my little old 1986 Toyota/Dolphin Class C charged the coach and engine batteries from the alternator. At least it did after I replaced the dead isolation solenoid.

If nothing else, any motorhome that has an emergency start switch on the dash that connects the coach batteries to the engine for starting if needed, is capable of charging the coach batteries from the alternator. If it's not doing that, then something is wrong somewhere.

[WyoTraveler]

My Monaco is a newer gasser, a Monarch, which is close to the La Palma model and the alternator charges the coach batteries. When parked and plugged into shore power the converter charges the starting battery. I agree with Wolf10. Probably a bad relay. NO manufacturer would build that way even in bottom line units. Manufactures make stupid mistakes but this isn't one of them. Replace the relay.

[AllegroD]

In a Tiffin alternate charges coach batts, if systems working properly.

[ArchHoagland]

FIRE UP wrote:

ArchHoagland wrote:
Well I hate to do battle with Wolfe10 as he knows his stuff but on a 2004 Monaco La Palma with the 8.1 gas engine it does not charge the house batteries.

I don't mind battling with you other guys...just Wolf10....LOL

So you're saying that, an expensive Monaco coach, in the '04 era, designed it so that driving from one camp site to another or, long term camping, or, traveling, that engine alternator is NOT SUPPOSED TO CHARGE THE HOUSE BATTERIES, CORRECT? And that it's (the alternator) is only supposed to charge the chassis batteries? I personally don't believe it was built that way. I have never owned one and, in all reality, I have no basis for my side of the argument.

But, as there are a few different styles of linking both sets of batteries to the alternator, I would surely think Monaco would have utilized at least one version of them, to keep the house batteries charged while driving. I mean, what happens if the generator goes south while you're dry camping? Are you just supposed to give up and go home?

Personally I'd have to dig into that wiring to make sure that something's not broke, disconnected, fried, bad ground, bad solenoid, bad circuit board, something!
Scott

I took it back to the dealer when brand new and they confirmed it.

Actually I prefer it that way. I don't want my engine electrical tied into my house electrical at all.

I've never had a problem with the batteries staying charged on house or engine side other than I do shut off my engine battery with the big disconnect switch Monaco installed.

I'm just the lowly bottom of the line entry model. In fact Monaco has some owners clubs and I'm so low I wasn't allowed to join them. They are for just the top three models that year. So don't pick on me, it's bad enough I'm an outcast. LOL

[FIRE_UP]

ArchHoagland wrote:
Well I hate to do battle with Wolfe10 as he knows his stuff but on a 2004 Monaco La Palma with the 8.1 gas engine it does not charge the house batteries.

I don't mind battling with you other guys...just Wolf10....LOL

So you're saying that, an expensive Monaco coach, in the '04 era, designed it so that driving from one camp site to another or, long term camping, or, traveling, that engine alternator is NOT SUPPOSED TO CHARGE THE HOUSE BATTERIES, CORRECT? And that it's (the alternator) is only supposed to charge the chassis batteries? I personally don't believe it was built that way. I have never owned one and, in all reality, I have no basis for my side of the argument.

But, as there are a few different styles of linking both sets of batteries to the alternator, I would surely think Monaco would have utilized at least one version of them, to keep the house batteries charged while driving. I mean, what happens if the generator goes south while you're dry camping? Are you just supposed to give up and go home?

Personally I'd have to dig into that wiring to make sure that something's not broke, disconnected, fried, bad ground, bad solenoid, bad circuit board, something!
Scott

[donfrump]

ArchHoagland wrote:
Well I hate to do battle with Wolfe10 as he knows his stuff but on a 2004 Monaco La Palma with the 8.1 gas engine it does not charge the house batteries.

I don't mind battling with you other guys...just Wolf10....LOL

well one of two things something is hooked up or miswired wrong from the factory or something has gone wrong over the years
Monaco would never produce a unit like that where one could not use the 12 volt system while travelling down the road or be able to make use of a inverter if so equipped completely useless. I know u could run the generater when batterys got low but Motorhomes are just not wired this way. They all use the alternater to charge the house batterys while traveling

[ArchHoagland]

Well I hate to do battle with Wolfe10 as he knows his stuff but on a 2004 Monaco La Palma with the 8.1 gas engine it does not charge the house batteries.

I don't mind battling with you other guys...just Wolf10....LOL

[donfrump]

wolfe10 wrote:
I am not aware of a single motorhome where the alternator does not charge BOTH chassis and house batteries.

If yours does not, pull out a voltmeter/get an electrician to find out what is wrong.

agree 100% with wolfe

[All_I_could_aff]

If that was mine, it would absolutely be charging the coach battery's while running. Most likely one of the relays or solenoids went bad, or as simple as a single wire connection loose or dirty.
And honestly, if by some small chance it was not designed to charge the coach while running, some 4 gauge wire would be rugged up to make it so

[time2roll]

Unplug and start the engine. Check the battery voltage. 13.4+ is charging.

[wolfe10]

I am not aware of a single motorhome where the alternator does not charge BOTH chassis and house batteries.

If yours does not, pull out a voltmeter/get an electrician to find out what is wrong.