GoFish wrote:
Thanks for all of your replies. I now feel even dumber than before and that was quite a hurdle.
Some of these comments are just way over my comprehension level, so I don't know if my question has been answered, or not.
I should probably restate my original query. As I am now configured, I take power from the combined battery output tap and send it to a solenoid and on to the camper through a 10ga. stranded wire. It seems to me that the voltage regulator is limiting the output to the camper batteries when I am driving because it senses that the truck batteries are fully charged. I have a Trimetric battery monitor installed and output to the camper batteries with the truck running is only in the 5-8 amp range. It seems like I should be able to get more out of the alternators than that.
In simple English, is there a way around this without having to rewire everything? In my owners manual, it briefly references an option for what it calls an alternate battery and shows an image of a connection that is supposed to be located on the firewall near the rear battery in the truck engine compartment. I have briefly looked for that connector and can't find it.
First, they is NO way to detect/sense, the SOC of a battery while it's under electrical loads. The best that can be done is supply a fixed voltage target/setpoint for the alternator output that will, hopefully, maintain at least a 60-70% SOC, but not high enough to boil off the battery electrolyte.
If you disbelieve then go for a long enough drive to be certain the Chassis battery gets charged, switch the engine OFF, then use a "smart" charger to "measure" the SOC with the battery disconnected from the load.
But the answer to Ops problem.
Go to HF and purchase an 800W DC-to-AC inverter and buy (elsewhere) a good multi-mode battery charger.
Note that the inverter will function even if the supply voltage is at least 10.5 volts. Hook the inverter into the TV 12 volt source and use the inverter output to power the charger.
