Community Forums

dlduck · 04-19-2019, 09:19 AM

I will be parking my 50 amp Class A motorhome next to my brothers house this summer for about 4 months. I have (2) 6 volt wet house batteries and (1) 12 volt chassis battery. I am wondering what would be the best method for maintaining my batteries during this timeframe. I know I can simply disconnect the negative terminals on both house and chassis batteries, but can I plug into a household outlet with the proper step down plugs. If I plug into one of the household outlets do I need a heavy duty electrical cord and I assume I would step down from 50 amp to 30 amp to another 15 or 20 amp plug? Do most household outlets have 15 amp or 20 amp outlets? I know my other option could also be to use a trickle charger and again, do I need to use a heavier electrical extension cord hooked to the trickle charger?

Thanks for any help and advice,
Dave

twinboat · 04-19-2019, 10:02 AM

Adaptor from 50 amp to 15 amp is avalable, use that.

Us a cord capable of 15 amps. You can't get any more then that from the outlet anyway.

If the outlet is outdoors, it may be GFCI protected and trip for what ever reason. Find a way into a inside outlet without the GFCI.

Kitchens and dining rooms are often wired for 20 amps, although you won't need that unless your running air conditioning.

Outbound · 04-19-2019, 10:56 AM

Reducing down to 15 amp circuit will do the job, I leave mine plugged into 20 amp circuit 24/7 when at home, it handles my battery charger, refrigerator, vacuum and lights, no a/c or micro.

jacwjames · 04-20-2019, 06:42 AM

I also leave mine plugged in all the time. Old house only had a 20 amp outlet to plug into.

Check you water levels.

Ivylog · 04-20-2019, 07:19 AM

Does your onboard charger charge both sets of batteries? How often do you have to put water in your 6V batteries? Or asked another way, does your rig have a constant voltage converter or a smart battery charger? If only a constant voltage converter I would disconnect the batteries and put a trickle charger on each set rotating each month...house one month and engine the next. If tripping the GFI is a problem then an extension cord directly to a trickle charger should work.

If the distance to your rig is less than 50’ use a #16 extension cord, if around 100’ then a #14. If you want to run the AC on occasion you need a #12.

GMoore · 04-20-2019, 07:43 AM

Your batteries would be better off if you just disconnect the negative terminals on both house and chassis batteries.

12amNSX · 04-20-2019, 09:10 AM

If you leave it plugged in and the batteries connected, be sure that the chassis battery charges as well as the house batteries. On some coaches the chassis battery only charges from the alternator.

twinboat · 04-20-2019, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMoore

Your batteries would be better off if you just disconnect the negative terminals on both house and chassis batteries.

There are many MHs that sit in campgrounds for months at a time.

Is it your suggestion that their batteries would be better off disconnected ?

If you have any kind of shore power avalable, leave it plugged in. Just check the water every month, if it has caps.

Bookmon · 04-20-2019, 11:44 AM

If you have a Coach disconnection switch, I agree that might be easier/better. If no, or don't want to trust, then yes a good gauge electrical cable with needed adapters (and nothing on like refrigerator ...) should do.

153stars · 04-21-2019, 02:23 PM

I like multi bank battery maintainer and disconnected. How much water use won't be much while maintaining unless in very dry climate. There things to make watering easier if no slide out trays. Watermiser caps....watering systems...float level caps with quick fill ports....
tricks like mineral oil on top of water in cells to conserve. My Sam's premium GC2 batts only needed a quart or 2 per year. Midwest humid as get out in the summer. Never made any changes.

Sweetbriar · 04-21-2019, 03:28 PM

My power cord detaches from the coach so during the winter when I only need to keep the installed charger powered I switch over to this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and a 12 gauge power cord. Not a fan of multiple adaptors to go from 50 amp to 15 if avoidable.

CoachStreamr · 04-21-2019, 06:05 PM

We have ours plugged into a dedicated 20amp here at the house, can run refrig, many if not all lights, both tv's (LED fp), house battery charger, water pump, vent fans, laptop and one A/C. That outside wall outlet has 12gauge wire (back to the panel) and 20amp circuit breaker but I replaced with a GFCI 15amp outlet when we had a pool (and I know this is the weak point). I will be replacing that outlet with proper 20amp non-GFCI eventually.

This is the 100' extension cable I bought a couple years ago (the dedicated RV outlet and rv dump are on the other side of the house, wife wanted Coach parked on the other side year around). I am currently using the included 9inch adapter.

100' 20-Amp 125-Volt 10-Gauge with adapter
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-P...r-Cord/3191731

Has worked fine the last two years including both summers using one A/C (either front or back).

During the winter, I run another extension cord from a different outlet for backup basement heater and 100 watt bulb in the wet bay. I also use that circuit for a separate battery charger for the Chassis/starting batteries (all year around though I didn't have the battery charger/maintainer on the Chassis batteries the last 4-5 months

).

This Coach has no inverter and the Coach charger only does the House batteries.

I wonder why others have issues running one A/C on a 20amp circuit.

.