Suppose I am staying at an RV park for a few weeks. My engine battery powers my slides and is only charged by driving (or running in place). I need to retract the large slide sometimes due to wind (so topper doesn't tear). In order not to run the engine battery down, would it be okay to hold down the battery boost button while running the slide in/out, so that my house batteries can boost the engine battery as it runs the slide? I know I can always start the engine and run it for awhile. But this other idea seems even easier.

Aren't you plugged in at the "RV park"?

Engine battery does not get charged from being plugged in, nor from running generator....only gets charged from actually running engine.

Purchase a Battery Minder and leave it on all the time. When you plug into shore power it will be keeping the battery charged but not boil dry

The answer to your question is Yes, it is OK.

If the starting battery is near the house batteries, just connect any kind of a jumper (12ga or bigger) from the positive of the starting battery, to any positive on the house batteries, Then all batteries will stay charged.Just remember to remove it when dry camping.Or in my case, both solenoids were under the dash, so I just brought both positives to a switch on the dash marked "BOTH". Works fantastically :)

Battery boost button | Good Sam Community

GENECOP
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2013
Aren't you plugged in at the "RV park"?
Janss
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2013
Engine battery does not get charged from being plugged in, nor from running generator....only gets charged from actually running engine.
Vet_Man
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
Purchase a Battery Minder and leave it on all the time. When you plug into shore power it will be keeping the battery charged but not boil dry
Mandalay_Parr
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
The answer to your question is Yes, it is OK.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
If the starting battery is near the house batteries, just connect any kind of a jumper (12ga or bigger) from the positive of the starting battery, to any positive on the house batteries, Then all batteries will stay charged.
Just remember to remove it when dry camping.

Or in my case, both solenoids were under the dash, so I just brought both positives to a switch on the dash marked "BOTH". Works fantastically :)
YC_1
Nomad
Jul 25, 2013
Yes to your question. As for the topper flapping I use a long pole to drape a rope over it and then tie each side just under the slide. No more flapping and pulling the slide in.
Dusty_R
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
We have an Itasca Spirt. When parked for a few weeks, plugged in to shore power, the engine battery needs to be charged once in a while, so I block that boost button on with a pencil to charge it.
So yes that will work just fine.

Dusty
I_am_still_wayn
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
Janss wrote:
Engine battery does not get charged from being plugged in, nor from running generator....only gets charged from actually running engine.

Not necessarily an absolute truth. The coach could be wired to do this very thing!
rk911
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
Janss wrote:
Suppose I am staying at an RV park for a few weeks. My engine battery powers my slides and is only charged by driving (or running in place). I need to retract the large slide sometimes due to wind (so topper doesn't tear). In order not to run the engine battery down, would it be okay to hold down the battery boost button while running the slide in/out, so that my house batteries can boost the engine battery as it runs the slide? I know I can always start the engine and run it for awhile. But this other idea seems even easier.

yes, it's ok but unnecessary. your starting battery should not run down simply by running the slides out and back in. but to give you some peace of mind just leave the engine running when you run the slides out and re-start the engine before bringing them back in.

or...add a trik-l-start battery charger. this will keep your starting battery charged when your RV is plugged into shore power.
ksg5000
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
If it were me I would start the engine - or purchase Trik L Start.