Battery Charging and Isolation

[jeffreyduncan]

Hi there.

I have a brand new 2016 Arctic Fox 811S on my 2015 Silverado 3500HD. The truck has two batteries and two alternators (Duramax Diesel) and the camper has a pair of group 27 batteries with a marine on/off switch. My question is: When the camper is plugged into the 7-pin harness, is there any isolation between the two camper batteries and the battery bank in the truck, or will I need to install a charge relay or isolator? If I need a charge relay, I'll probably use the the Blue Seas ACR, which I installed in my boat to separate battery banks, and it works perfectly.

I'm curious how I would wire it though. I assume the 7-pin harness has a charge wire present, which possibly connects to my converter, or direct to the battery bank? I'm pretty handy with 12V, but this is my first truck camper. Any insight would be appreciated.


Thanks in advance!

[covered_wagon]

I don't charge off the truck alternator anymore. It gets hot and can burn up diodes. Not good for the alternator to work so hard. I charge by quiet gen or on the grid. Solar panels someday when they get better.

[dakonthemountai]

Ok folks.... I get it.... I was just trying to help. I didn't know this about Arctic Fox Campers, and Jefferyduncan apparently didn't know this yet either and also had not yet apparently read the manual about it, so I was only offering a different scenario and a suggestion to help find out...

Hope you soon get this resolved jefferyduncan. Sorry if I caused confusion.

I'm outtahere.. 🙂
Dak

[deltabravo]

Bedlam wrote:
The Arctic Fox does not use an isolator like your Lance and relies on the tow vehicle to have its own separation circuit.

Ditto, and sine the topic was about an AF, I would surmise that's wy trailer-explorer posted that, but a more concise term would have been to say "AF doesn't use camper isolation"... and I will concur, AF doesn't put in an isolation circuit.

[NautiqueFamily]

Lance uses its own wiring harness/plug to accomplish the charge..... wiring is different than stock 3500HD trailer plug as OP presented.

[Bedlam]

The Arctic Fox does not use an isolator like your Lance and relies on the tow vehicle to have its own separation circuit.

[dakonthemountai]

trail-explorer wrote:

jeffreyduncan wrote:
What's still not clear is if there is any isolation between battery banks. I am thinking there is not. I will check the owners manual for the Arctic Fox, since that's where it sounds like the isolation should occur.

I guess I could just unplug it.

J

Truck camper doesn't have isolation built in to it... it would occur at the truck

Not always true.... From my 2007 Lance 1055 owners manual:

"The battery separator eliminates the need to add an isolator to the truck electrical system. It allows both the truck and camper batteries to be charged from the truck alternator. The battery separator isolates the batteries, so that the truck battery will not be discharged from the camper use. The battery separator will begin charging the camper after the truck battery has reached 13.2V. If the drain on the truck battery is reduced below 12.8V the battery separator will disconnect the truck camper from the camper circuit, thus protecting the truck battery from excessive drain."

Of course my camper is 8 years old and not the same as the OP's, but it IS a possibility.


Dak

[trail-explorer]

jeffreyduncan wrote:
What's still not clear is if there is any isolation between battery banks. I am thinking there is not. I will check the owners manual for the Arctic Fox, since that's where it sounds like the isolation should occur.

I guess I could just unplug it.

J

Truck camper doesn't have isolation built in to it... it would occur at the truck

[trail-explorer]

mkirsch wrote:
On the 99-07 platform there was no isolation.

07.5 - 2014 (GMT 900 platform) was the same.... no isolation.

[trail-explorer]

Bedlam wrote:
That would be something new for GM in 2015 - This was not the case in the past.

Ditto.

With 2015s being a CANBUS controlled electrical system, many changes must have happened.

[mkirsch]

On the 99-07 platform there was no isolation. Can't say for anything newer.

I would expect that the charge line is always hot.

That works great for me because it's how I power my camper.

[NautiqueFamily]

Charging occurs at the TC Converter. The truck just supplies enough voltage/amperage to allow charging.

Put a meter to it. For our truck, there was no power to the 12v when truck was off.... guessing not required. Plus, the utility trailer 7 way was not wired as I expected for a NL RV 7 way. The meter was useful to figure it all out.

[ticki2]

This s going to bring up a whole host of questions for folks in the future . Thanks for pointing it out .

[jeffreyduncan]

So it's clear that the vehicle will CHARGE the batteries, which I wasn't questioning. It's clear that to increase the alternator charge rate, press tow/haul or switch lights on.

What's still not clear is if there is any isolation between battery banks. I am thinking there is not. I will check the owners manual for the Arctic Fox, since that's where it sounds like the isolation should occur.

I guess I could just unplug it.

J

[NautiqueFamily]

Owners manual ..... 2015 Silverado Manual - Digital version