Charging the Engine Battery

[Boudreaux]

Reaching out to those that have the experience.

I have asked this question to so many RV'ers and no one seems to have a definitive answer.

"When the Coach is parked and plugged to shore power, will both the coach battery and the engine battery be charged at the same time...???".

Most people say only the coach battery will be charged.

[NVGun40]

Only the coach battery. There is an automatic disconnect which switches when the coach is not running that isolates the motor battery from the coach. When the coach's engine is running, the isolation switch allows both the motor battery and the coach's battery(ies) to be charging. Think of it as a one way isolation switch. In order to have that circuit open to allow for the motor battery to be charged whenever the coach is plugged in it would have to be just an open circuit both ways.

This is done as a safe guard for those times when you may be camping without any hookups/boondocking. Imagine being several days without hookups and you wake one morning to find your coach batteries are dead no way to retract slides (except manually). It would really suck if you were boondocking somewhere and the motor battery was dead as well.

[LI-Camper]

When I am plugged into shore power for any length of time, I use a battery minder with a cigarette plug end to keep my chassis battery charged. The accessory 12v outlets on the dash are always hot, so plug the 12v plug into one of the dash outlets and the other end into a 110 outlet. I use the 110 outlet where the TV above the cab is plugged in. This is a low priced solution that is easy to do. I noticed today that Costco.com (maybe in stores, too) has a battery minder with attachments for sale for about $30.

[Boudreaux]

Thanks y'all ....!!!

[hoppers4]

What LI-Camper said!

[abarkl]

We have installed a Trik-L-Start in all three of our motorhomes including the current Jayco and the engine batteries are being charged anytime shore or generator power is present.
The Trik-L-Start charger is inexpensive and takes 15 minutes to install in the coach battery bay.

[memphis02]

It would help to know what coach we're talking about. I'm fairly certain Seneca charges both banks while on shore power.

[tom35758]

I can tell you that the Granite Ridge does charge bothe banks on shore power.

[anav8or]

Originally Posted by memphis02

It would help to know what coach we're talking about. I'm fairly certain Seneca charges both banks while on shore power.

You are correct - both the coach and chassis batteries on our 2015 Seneca are charged by the converter while on shore power.

[abarkl]

Does your engine alternator charge the house batteries?

[Boudreaux]

Originally Posted by memphis02

It would help to know what coach we're talking about. I'm fairly certain Seneca charges both banks while on shore power.

Thanks to all for you time.

My coach (as listed in my signature) is the "16 Jayco Grayhawk MV.

[pconroy]

I just went out and tossed a voltmeter on mine - shore power on my 2016 Greyhawk 31FK seems to charge only the coach. Not the car battery.

[anav8or]

Yep, it charges both. The Seneca has a battery isolation manager from Precision Circuits (Battery Isolation Manager (Control & Relay) 225Amp Continuous | Precision Circuits Inc.) which allows both sets of batteries to be charged by either the converter or the alternator.

[Griswald One]

I can give a definitive answer for the Greyhawk... Shore power does not charge the truck battery... I know this because while plugged in for four days, my Coleman Coolatron completely drained mine.

[memphis02]

On mobile, the signature isn't displayed. Sorry.