alternator 12 volt charging

Question

I have a 1999 diesel super duty and a 2006 Bigfoot camper and I could never get the the house batteries to charge off the alternator when driving.
I'm getting 13.80-13.90 volts at the rear plug, 13.30-13.40 volts at the front of the plug and 12.80-12.90 inside the camper in the fuse panel. Half a volt loss here and there seems to not want to charge the batteries at all.
When I plug the camper into shore power I'm getting 13.50 volts.
Is there a way to run a dedicated charge wire right from the alternator or something else along those lines?

enblethen · Answer

I would guess that the wire installed is not large enough. I would run a larger set of wires from the chassis battery to the house batteries. I would not run straight to the alternator.
You should install a fuse or circuit breaker. You will be charging still at about a 30 amp rate.
Best way is to add a relay that is energized when the truck is in the "run" position. Relay instructions
http://www.tekonsha.com/support/installation/N7001.pdf

camper_jeff___k · Answer

YES!From an earlier thread today.Look in the TC University section too. There are several threads there about this exact topic with lots of pictures and information about. A good couple hours worth of reading.Jeff

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alternator 12 volt charging

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