Community Forums

widge · 12-23-2019, 12:37 PM

Does any body have any info on the toad charger by LSL? Somebody told me they do not make them anymore but I found some on the internet, any feed back on them or the towed charger plus system.I'm tired of my tow battery draining.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 12-23-2019, 03:23 PM

widge-

As far as I know, LSL Products still sells the Toad Charge; link is here. Note: You can buy the unit by itself. See the links on the lower right of that page ("Dinghy Vehicle Kit without 2-pin connectors"). You can send the charge line through a 6- or 7-pin umbilical cable, as long as the wire in the umbilical is large enough. I recommend 10 or 12 AWG.

You don't need a Toad Charge to create a safe, effective charge line. Instead, you could install a fuse in the toad end (15A, as near to the battery as possible). I assume your Discovery has a fuse at the coach end of the charge line. If not, you will need to install one there- again, as near the chassis battery bank as possible.

The Toad Charge also provides a diode so that current cannot flow from the toad to the coach. This is rarely needed, although in the case of our coach it is needed.

I installed a Toad Charge in our toad and it has worked fine.

Some folks have used resettable circuit breakers instead of fuses. While convenient, it increases the chance of a short causing a fire.

Finally, you should add a "signature" to your profile. It contains whatever info you want; most people put info about their coach there, so they don't have to type it into each message. Instructions for adding a signature are here.

docj · 12-23-2019, 03:35 PM

We used a Toad Charger successfully for ~4 years then it began to fail, usually by leaving us with a dead toad when we wanted to unhook.

After cleaning the terminals didn't improve things, I installed a "thumbturn" battery disconnect on the toad's battery. Works like a charm. Nothing needs to be done except reset the clock. That's not a big deal IMO.

Bigd9 · 12-23-2019, 04:47 PM

In my 2006 Fleetwood Discovery on Freightliner chassis, in the rear trailer plug, on pin #4, there is 12 volt battery feed. This feed is only active when the ignition switch is in the run position.

All I did was connect a wire in my umbilical cord to that pin and attach the other end to a 20 amp fuse at the toad battery.Nothing else is needed. The 12 volt battery supply at pin #4 is protected by a 20 amp fuse plus a relay. With the diesel engine running, and the toad engine turned off, just enough current will automatically flow to the toad battery to keep it charged. Once the diesel engine is turned off, the circuit is opened (by relay) and no current will flow in either direction.

widge · 12-24-2019, 05:24 AM

Thanks to all, some great info.I'm going to try the Toad charger

widge · 12-24-2019, 05:40 AM

Thanks Mark I was unaware of the signature,hopefully I completed it right.

**CLIFFTALL** · 12-24-2019, 05:46 AM

See my post #30 on this link ,

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f62/forum...ml#post3101035

Quote:

Originally Posted by widge

Thanks Mark I was unaware of the signature,hopefully I completed it right.

rmueller · 12-29-2019, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widge

Thanks to all, some great info.I'm going to try the Toad charger

Good call, you definitely want the diode protection provided by a commercial charger (or install a diode in the charge line yourself).

This is another option, same principle https://rvibrake.com/collections/fla...BoC_VsQAvD_BwE

There are cheaper options, don't bother you will need the 10amp charge capacity for most long haul tows...especially if you have a properly setup Jeep and want to avoid the death wobble; dead battery is a huge contributor to the wobble.

ron

Bigd9 · 12-29-2019, 09:42 AM

I disagree with the need for a diode or any other device when the coach is on a Freightliner chassis. It's already provided you you in Freightliners trailer wiring design.

But if you want to spend the money, these devices won't hurt.