Winter battery maint & general question

[taboky]

When we brought home our rig, I stopped for gas. Started rig back up and it cranked very slowly. When I got home, I threw on a Battery Tender Jr I use on my bike. When it did charge up, rig started fine. I was also thinking, my chassis was built 6/08. Does that mean the starting battery is from then also? I could not find a date. Also, I went to check voltage after a couple days and it was reading 13.68v. Same as house batteries. I am assuming I have something like the trik-l-start. My winter question is, if I connect a battery tender to the house batteries, will that keep the chassis battery charged as well? Or should i disconnect the chassis battery and use a separate charger for it? And on the house batteries, should I attach the tender to a single battery or positive on one battery and negative on other battery? Old rig was a fiver with one battery, so it was easy

Thanks,

[FDchief]

If your chassis batteries are charging at the same rate as your house batteries when plugged in, then it sounds like you in deed have a Trik-L-Start type charger connecting both house and chassis.

If you only have a single stage charger along with your converter than you would be better off with a battery tender connected to the house side. If your charger is a three stage which will provide a float maintenance charge then you can just plug in the coach, turn on your battery isolator switch, and forget about it

[taboky]

Thanks for thew info. I am not sure what I have for a converter/charger. I know it is in the coach package, and had looked it up, but could not find info on it. I will have to look again. Anyway, for now, I have the batteries disconnected (using switches) and have my battery tender on the house batteries. I did measure the same voltage on the chassis battery, so all is being charged.

[puttin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by taboky When we brought home our rig, I stopped for gas. Started rig back up and it cranked very slowly. When I got home, I threw on a Battery Tender Jr I use on my bike. When it did charge up, rig started fine. I was also thinking, my chassis was built 6/08. Does that mean the starting battery is from then also? I could not find a date. Also, I went to check voltage after a couple days and it was reading 13.68v. Same as house batteries. I am assuming I have something like the trik-l-start. My winter question is, if I connect a battery tender to the house batteries, will that keep the chassis battery charged as well? Or should i disconnect the chassis battery and use a separate charger for it? And on the house batteries, should I attach the tender to a single battery or positive on one battery and negative on other battery? Old rig was a fiver with one battery, so it was easy Thanks,

If you are the original owner and you don't remember installing Trickle-start, then it does not have one. If it does (and the previous owner installed it) then it should be where your house batteries are, unless someone put in an isolator and then mounted somewhere between the starting battery and house ones. My guess is- it does not have it, but it sounds like you need it- I did mine in 1/2 hr. Always have good charge into my chassis batt. now.