RV Batteries

[Dale & Patti]

I am thinking about purchasing a "Battery Tender" Do I need 2, one for the house batteries and one for the start batteries?
If so, which model would I use.
Thanks
Dale

[Steve N Sal]

You would need two as they're independent of each other. As far as brand I don't have any suggestion for that.

[Mike Canter]

Battery Tender is the best out there for what you need. You don't have a charger in the mh? You can see all the Battery Tender models for RVs right here.
RV - Batterytender.com

In my experience anything less than 2.5 amps is not enough to maintanin several batteries in series. A 2.5 amps will support two batteries in series and four batteries need a 5.0 amp. Then the question is are you going to mount one permently in each battery compartment. If so you should buy the waterproof version. If the house and chassis batteries are in the same compartment or in compartments right next to each other then you can use that single unit that charges two sets of batteries but that only supplies 1.5 volts per battery bank..

If you are just sitting one inside the compartment while it is stored then you don't need a waterproof one. Go to that website above and take a look. Be careful because there are 24 v chargers listed also.

[ronspradley]

Mike Canter---I looked at the Battery Tender link and do not see a listing for two 12v deep cycle battery charger at 2.5 amps. Unless I am reading it wrong, all offered is 1.5 amps or 5 amps. I think it said that there is a charger that is for 12v and 24v and that it will use 5 amps for 12v and 2.5 amps for 24v? Am I reading the specs wrong? I have been known to do that. Thanks for the help..

ronspradley

[Mike Canter]

I must have been having a problem reading back and forth or in my wording. Let me reword it. They have power two outputs for 12 volt changers one at 1.25 amps and another at 5.0 amps. The 1.5 amp can support two batteries in series and any more than that you would need the 5.0 amp. If you have two chassis and two house batteries that are close enough together then there is a single charger that supports two banks of batteries at 1.25 amps per bank. Is that better?

[UltraKen]

I suggest you look at:

Ultra TRIK-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer

This is the Trik-L-Start. It gives a controlled charge to the chassis batteries from the house batteries. You would only need one $50 unit.

[GaryKD]

Hi Dale & Patti,
Consider a product called QuadLink. Go to
XC-QL4 QuadLink 4-Channel Battery Charger Multiplier
and read about it. One uses the charger of their choice and this device allows for charging 4 batteries. It kind of puts the entire process on auto pilot.

[Mike Canter]

You have to have a 6 volt charger to use that Quadlink. It is a good idea but a lot simpler to use a 12 volt charge and charge the batteries just like the MH charger does.

[buki]

since i don't know the model of your unit i will be more than happy to solve your problem. i assume you have an aux battery switch. turn it on. leave it on. it will bypass every inverter, converter or isolator in your moho. all of the batteries will be fully charged all of the time. when you get ready to go unplug your shore power, start it up and flick the aux batt switch off. works perfectly.

[Windecker]

Not every MH has this as a DPDT switch. Many have just a momentary switch that is used to start an engine with a weak chassis battery or start the Gen with a weak house battery...

But some do have just a simple toggle they can throw as long as the 110V power stays on it would work just fine.
Windecker

Originally Posted by buki

since i don't know the model of your unit i will be more than happy to solve your problem. i assume you have an aux battery switch. turn it on. leave it on. it will bypass every inverter, converter or isolator in your moho. all of the batteries will be fully charged all of the time. when you get ready to go unplug your shore power, start it up and flick the aux batt switch off. works perfectly.

[Windecker]

Thanks for the link, I have been thining about getting one of these because the unit in my Monaco failed a few years ago and they want $500.00 for a new one Ive been just charging the chassis batteries once a month or so during the winter using a standard charger which works fine but, you know, that takes effort
Windecker

Originally Posted by UltraKen

I suggest you look at:

Ultra TRIK-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer

This is the Trik-L-Start. It gives a controlled charge to the chassis batteries from the house batteries. You would only need one $50 unit.

[Dunner]

I have one of these and love it. It will maintain up to 6 12V batteries. If you look around, you can find it cheaper. I have been using BM units for years with great success.

BatteryMINDer® 12-Volt 2, 4, or 8 Amp Charger-Maintainer-Desulfator-Conditioner w/ABS-248

[GaryKD]

Hi Mike Canter,
I reread the Quad Link literature. Can you help me understand why one would need a 6 volt charger?

[Mike Canter]

The way I understood it was because the purpose of the Quad Link is to divide the battery bank into individual batteries for charging so each battery is charged individually. By that I mean one charged at a time then it moves to the next battery and so on. So if you divide them up into individual batteries then they are all six volt batteries. Normally with two 6 volt batteries they are hooked together in series to make 12 volts, if you have four batteries then they hook each pair in series then hook the two pairs in parallel. If you have eight batteries they do the same thing by hooking every two six volt batteries in series to make 12 volts then tie all those pairs together in parallel for capacity at 12 volts. That is the way I understood the write up. I may be understanding it incorrectly. The question is why you would want to do that and not just put the whole battery bank on a 12 volt charger such as a Battery Tender so they are being charged the same way as the MH charges them. Keep it simple and less $$$