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Old 04-29-2019, 09:21 AM   #1
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Chassis Battery Charging

Do the chassis batteries get charged when plugged into 50 Amp shore power?
(2004 Dolphin 5342)
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:30 AM   #2
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2445,

By chassis battery do you mean the coach or house battery or the engine cranking battery???

If everything is working correctly then the answer is yes. To know what is happening you need to do this. The RV is setting somewhere unplugged and engine not running. Measure the voltage on your chassis battery's. It should be 12.6 or so. You need to establish a base line voltage.

Now plug your RV into shore power and wait the necessary time until your surge protector (if you have one) times out which is usually 1 or 2 minutes. When it connects measure your coach or house battery's. It should be at least 1 volt higher than your previous voltage reading.

If it is then the RV converter is charging your coach or house battery's. If it not then no charge.

If by chassis battery you meant cranking battery then do your battery voltage readings on the cranking battery instead of the coach or house battery's. You should see the same voltage increase if it is charging your cranking battery.

If it's not charging your cranking battery that's a real easy fix. Google this "Trick-L-Start". It will cost you about $45 and take 15 minutes to connect into the system. Every time you are plugged in it will maintain the cranking battery.
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Old 04-30-2019, 05:27 AM   #3
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Thank's I'll check it out.
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Old 05-06-2019, 10:46 AM   #4
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What happens when driving the coach and you start the gen set to use the roof air? You have two different systems trying to charge the same batteries.
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Old 05-06-2019, 11:58 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MoMule View Post
What happens when driving the coach and you start the gen set to use the roof air? You have two different systems trying to charge the same batteries.

Without knowing the exact wiring, the general answer is that the battery isolation devices, including a BIRD, will separate the battery banks to prevent overcharging. Chassis batteries are charged first through the alternator, then the chassis batteries are switched in. When the generator is running, it's just the opposite. In both cases, the dual bank devices will isolate whichever bank is fully charged or receiving a charging rate from another source.
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Old 05-06-2019, 01:22 PM   #6
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Even with 2 or 3, including solar, charging systems running, you will not overcharge any of your batteries. All of the chargers are in parallel.

Battery charging systems charge batteries based on voltage.
Once a battery voltage comes up to 13.5 to 13.9 volts, any voltage regulator will cut back the output of the charger, solar controller or alternator.

With 3 charging inputs the batteries will charge faster but not overcharge.
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Old 05-06-2019, 11:11 PM   #7
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MoMule

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljwt330 View Post
Without knowing the exact wiring, the general answer is that the battery isolation devices, including a BIRD, will separate the battery banks to prevent overcharging. Chassis batteries are charged first through the alternator, then the chassis batteries are switched in. When the generator is running, it's just the opposite. In both cases, the dual bank devices will isolate whichever bank is fully charged or receiving a charging rate from another source.
The main concern of my question was would there be damage to one or both of the charging systems, not the batteries.
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Old 05-07-2019, 02:10 AM   #8
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The main concern of my question was would there be damage to one or both of the charging systems, not the batteries.
No.
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Old 05-07-2019, 07:11 AM   #9
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Mo,

TB's comments are correct but allow me to add more information as to why.

There's nothing wrong with your thinking this might happen. I've been monitoring these forums since January 2011 and have never read one single report from someone having issues about which you are concerned. I have also thought about being plugged in then starting the genny. Common sense tells me the systems have to be set up so this idea of double or triple charging can't happen.

My educated guess is if something fails it simply wouldn't charge instead of double charging. Why do I think that? If double charging happens so will/might extreme gassing, heat, and loss of battery fluid. In addition the gassing which is oxygen and hydrogen has a very high potential to explode and be a fire hazard. I have seen it happen several times. I doubt seriously any manufacturer would allow that potential to happen or even a remote chance that it could happen.

I have seen the results of a failed alternator regulator which in the HS lab did cause extensive gassing and boiling of the electrolyte. Gasses were streaming from all the cap vents and it looked like a steam locomotive.
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Old 05-07-2019, 10:38 PM   #10
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Re: MoMule

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeJay View Post
Mo,

TB's comments are correct but allow me to add more information as to why.

There's nothing wrong with your thinking this might happen. I've been monitoring these forums since January 2011 and have never read one single report from someone having issues about which you are concerned. I have also thought about being plugged in then starting the genny. Common sense tells me the systems have to be set up so this idea of double or triple charging can't happen.

My educated guess is if something fails it simply wouldn't charge instead of double charging. Why do I think that? If double charging happens so will/might extreme gassing, heat, and loss of battery fluid. In addition the gassing which is oxygen and hydrogen has a very high potential to explode and be a fire hazard. I have seen it happen several times. I doubt seriously any manufacturer would allow that potential to happen or even a remote chance that it could happen.

I have seen the results of a failed alternator regulator which in the HS lab did cause extensive gassing and boiling of the electrolyte. Gasses were streaming from all the cap vents and it looked like a steam locomotive.
When were you an instructor in the USAF? I finished the Automotive Equipment Repairman School in December 1948 at F E Warren AFB and was assigned to the Instructor Sqdn. for a brief period.
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