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Old 11-06-2015, 09:11 PM   #1
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Question charging batteries

If I leave my Jayco Melbourne plugged into shore power all winter are the 2 house batteries & 1 chassis battery being charged?
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Old 11-09-2015, 06:59 AM   #2
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Does anyone have an answer?
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Old 11-09-2015, 08:28 AM   #3
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Not sure what you second post in BRIGHT RED and UNDERLINED means. Most of us on here love to provide answers based on our own experiences.

The one way to tell for sure is use a multimeter across the battery terminals when you are plugged into shore power.

When the shore power is OFF your battery terminals will read 12.6-7VDC if they are fully charged. When you plug into shore power then the battery terminal DC VOLTAGE should jump up to 13.6VDC or higher depending what SMART MODE Charging is doing.

Do the same test on your truck start battery.

If your ON-BOARD CONVERTER/CHARGER is an older model it may only produce a single 13.6VDC OUTPUT voltage. This is known to boil out your battery fluids if left ON for a long extended time. If this is the case then you should do a BATTERY INSPECTION for fluid levels on a schedule basis (AT least every two weeks).. If the battery fluid levels boils out then your battery internal cores will short out and destroy your expensive battery.

I leave both my trailers parked here at home connected to my garage 120VAC 20AMP service using a RV30A-15A long adapter to keep my batteries charged up all the time.

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Old 11-09-2015, 09:59 AM   #4
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Smile

Roy

Thanks for the reply.
I will get my son, electrician, to help me determine what is what with my situation,

Thanks again,
Ralph.
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Old 11-09-2015, 10:15 AM   #5
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Having never owned a MH I am only guessing, I do not think the Chassis is being charged. I am under the impression house batteries and chassis batteries are isolated from each other and the converter on charges house batteries. The Chassis battery would be charged from the alternator.

Let us know what you find out.
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Old 11-09-2015, 10:27 AM   #6
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I'm not a Class C owner, but since you're having a lack of response, I'll throw in my limited knowledge:

If you leave the coach plugged in, your house batteries will charge/float from the on-board 3-stage converter/charger. But it is my understanding that your chassis battery (the one under the hood) WILL NOT charge. It is my understanding that most chassis batteries are completely isolated from the house electrical system so that there's no way the 12V system for the living quarters can drain the chassis starting battery and get you stranded.

Also, I believe the chassis battery has its own parasitic drains that are not addressed by the battery disconnect in the House 12V system as well. So, left untended and unplugged all your batteries will die within a couple weeks or less; though the chassis battery may last a bit longer, you still want to disconnect it or find a way to keep it charged.

Roy's advice above is spot-on. Plug it in and check across all the battery terminals in your coach with a simple voltage meter, and you'll know for sure. Engage the battery disconnect on the house 12V system and re-check the battery terminals to find out exactly which systems are cut out.

Check your owner's manual for the converter to find out what the expected voltages are at the various cycles of charging so you'll know what to look for voltage-wise at the terminals.
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Old 11-09-2015, 03:15 PM   #7
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The unit's batteries should float and stay charged. The vehicles battery WILL NOT. If you want to keep it charged, you must put a tender on it.
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Old 11-09-2015, 06:51 PM   #8
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Use a Battery Tender

In my Greyhawk, the two dashboard 12V accessory outlets are always on. To keep the chassis battery charged, I use a small Battery Tender with a male 12V plug. My Greyhawk is always plugged into shore power, so I just plug the Battery Tender into a 110V outlet and the male 12V end into one of the 12V accessory outlets on the dashboard. I have used this simple method for several years on three different Ford motorhomes. You will have to check if your accessory outlet(s) remain on when the ignition key is turned off. The Battery Tender is a smart charger and will not overcharge your chassis battery.
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Old 11-09-2015, 09:21 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LI-Camper View Post
In my Greyhawk, the two dashboard 12V accessory outlets are always on. To keep the chassis battery charged, I use a small Battery Tender with a male 12V plug. My Greyhawk is always plugged into shore power, so I just plug the Battery Tender into a 110V outlet and the male 12V end into one of the 12V accessory outlets on the dashboard. I have used this simple method for several years on three different Ford motorhomes. You will have to check if your accessory outlet(s) remain on when the ignition key is turned off. The Battery Tender is a smart charger and will not overcharge your chassis battery.
Such an elegant and simple method of keeping the chassis battery charged. That's the way I do it now that I got the suggestion from somebody here on this forum. Might have even been a suggestion made by you LI-camper
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Old 11-10-2015, 09:25 AM   #10
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Reason for editing is a useful function for demands in red.
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Old 11-10-2015, 10:36 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Two Love's View Post
If I leave my Jayco Melbourne plugged into shore power all winter are the 2 house batteries & 1 chassis battery being charged?
Can't speak to your specific instance, but we find trickle-chargers a real lifesaver for keeping batteries charged. We use one for a classic that we don't always drive, thanks to the advice of our mechanic. There are both plug-in and solar trickle-chargers - you might want to look into them.
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