I'm not sure if this should be in Tow Vehicles or Tech Issues.
I'm in the process of installing a heavy-duty battery charging circuit for the truck camper battery on my new truck. I've done this on two previous trucks, and was able to improve the charging voltage and current going to the camper battery enough that I could run the fridge in AC mode from an inverter while driving, and the battery would maintain a decent state of charge.
I've worked on the truck the last three evenings, and I'm close to being done with the "truck side" of the new TC charge circuit and plugs. I've got the isolation solenoid connected to upfitter switch #4, so I can turn it on and off now.
When I started this, I had planned to connect the +12v wire directly to the alternator, like I had done on my last two trucks. But, after studying how the batteries and alternator are connected, I'm hesitant to do that. At least, until I have time to get more info about the way things work. It appears that the two batteries and the alternator all connect to this device on the passenger side of the engine compartment.
As near as I can tell, the alternator output, and the positive cable from both batteries are connected to this. Also, that black square device on top looks like a shunt. After seeing this, I'm thinking connecting a load directly to the alternator might not be a good idea. In the image below, it appears there is an empty position on the RH end of the bus bar that I might be able to connect to, if I had the right kind of connector. Any thoughts on this?
So, until I can figure this out, I connected a red cable to the positive post of BOTH batteries, and brought them together on the "input" side of the CB. Probably not ideal, but it should work reasonably well. The wire in split loom going across the top of the radiator is mine. I've tried to run my wires so that they won't make the truck harder to service.
I've tried to find a schematic for the 2016 SD's in the bodybuiders guide, but there doesn't appear to be one for the 2016 yet. The 2015 version seems to cover the E-series vans charging and starting schematic in great detail, but not the SD's. I'm at a loss, and feel a little out of my comfort-zone right now. The engine compartment is so packed on this truck it's nearly impossible to tell "point-to-point" where the heavy gauge wires are going.
For now, I think I've got it connected in a "safe" manner. I'd like to know if there's a better way from a functional standpoint.
:):)
I'm in the process of installing a heavy-duty battery charging circuit for the truck camper battery on my new truck. I've done this on two previous trucks, and was able to improve the charging voltage and current going to the camper battery enough that I could run the fridge in AC mode from an inverter while driving, and the battery would maintain a decent state of charge.
I've worked on the truck the last three evenings, and I'm close to being done with the "truck side" of the new TC charge circuit and plugs. I've got the isolation solenoid connected to upfitter switch #4, so I can turn it on and off now.
When I started this, I had planned to connect the +12v wire directly to the alternator, like I had done on my last two trucks. But, after studying how the batteries and alternator are connected, I'm hesitant to do that. At least, until I have time to get more info about the way things work. It appears that the two batteries and the alternator all connect to this device on the passenger side of the engine compartment.
As near as I can tell, the alternator output, and the positive cable from both batteries are connected to this. Also, that black square device on top looks like a shunt. After seeing this, I'm thinking connecting a load directly to the alternator might not be a good idea. In the image below, it appears there is an empty position on the RH end of the bus bar that I might be able to connect to, if I had the right kind of connector. Any thoughts on this?
So, until I can figure this out, I connected a red cable to the positive post of BOTH batteries, and brought them together on the "input" side of the CB. Probably not ideal, but it should work reasonably well. The wire in split loom going across the top of the radiator is mine. I've tried to run my wires so that they won't make the truck harder to service.
I've tried to find a schematic for the 2016 SD's in the bodybuiders guide, but there doesn't appear to be one for the 2016 yet. The 2015 version seems to cover the E-series vans charging and starting schematic in great detail, but not the SD's. I'm at a loss, and feel a little out of my comfort-zone right now. The engine compartment is so packed on this truck it's nearly impossible to tell "point-to-point" where the heavy gauge wires are going.
For now, I think I've got it connected in a "safe" manner. I'd like to know if there's a better way from a functional standpoint.
:):)
Here's a teaser. The first picture I took of it at the dealership. Only 2 miles on it before I test drove it. They hadn't even put the hub caps on it yet!
I have a topic over in the truck camper forum where I've been posting pictures of all the TC prep I've been doing to it, and our first outing with it. I still have some work to do on it yet, so there are a few more updates to come.
Take a look.
:):)
I have a topic over in the truck camper forum where I've been posting pictures of all the TC prep I've been doing to it, and our first outing with it. I still have some work to do on it yet, so there are a few more updates to come.
Take a look.
:):)
The short answer is that I want the TC battery to charge up as quickly as possible while I'm driving. It's a necessity for me.
You don't get much charging current through the standard 7-way RV plug. The wires are too small, too long, and the 7-way blade connector isn't designed to carry much current anyway. The voltage drop from your trucks alternator to the RV batteries is tremendous, and by the time you get to the RV battery (especially in a trailer) you're getting no more than a trickle charge.
After finishing the truck-side wiring this morning, I split the TC umbilical cord into two plugs, and tested the system.
This is the voltage to the TC battery right after starting the truck. Nearly 14.0 volts! The amps was about 10.5 and slowly dropping by the time I got back to the Trimetric panel and scanned through the readings. The TC battery was fully charged before I started the truck, so it wasn't needing much of a charge, and the truck batteries were quickly being recharged.
This is the TC battery voltage after a 45 minute drive with the fridge running off the inverter. The fridge had not been on at all, so I know the 325 watt AC heating element was on 100% of the time. The voltage at the truck batteries was 13.6. Not bad.
My initial impression is that the heavy-duty charging system on this truck is going to work even better than the one I put on the old truck, despite not being connected directly to the alternator. I was using 6 AWG wires on the old truck, and I'm using 4 AWG wires on the new truck. So, maybe I don't care about connecting to that device on the truck after all. It would add extra length to the wires in order to reach it anyway.
:):)
You don't get much charging current through the standard 7-way RV plug. The wires are too small, too long, and the 7-way blade connector isn't designed to carry much current anyway. The voltage drop from your trucks alternator to the RV batteries is tremendous, and by the time you get to the RV battery (especially in a trailer) you're getting no more than a trickle charge.
After finishing the truck-side wiring this morning, I split the TC umbilical cord into two plugs, and tested the system.
This is the voltage to the TC battery right after starting the truck. Nearly 14.0 volts! The amps was about 10.5 and slowly dropping by the time I got back to the Trimetric panel and scanned through the readings. The TC battery was fully charged before I started the truck, so it wasn't needing much of a charge, and the truck batteries were quickly being recharged.
This is the TC battery voltage after a 45 minute drive with the fridge running off the inverter. The fridge had not been on at all, so I know the 325 watt AC heating element was on 100% of the time. The voltage at the truck batteries was 13.6. Not bad.
My initial impression is that the heavy-duty charging system on this truck is going to work even better than the one I put on the old truck, despite not being connected directly to the alternator. I was using 6 AWG wires on the old truck, and I'm using 4 AWG wires on the new truck. So, maybe I don't care about connecting to that device on the truck after all. It would add extra length to the wires in order to reach it anyway.
:):)
