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Old 01-19-2025, 04:23 PM   #1
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Tiffin Owners Club
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2021 Tiffin 34PA Question on Chassis Battery Charging

Hi, I have a 2021 Tiffin 34PA. I've closed up and covered our RV for the winter outside (live in NJ). I do have 50 amp shore power constantly connected all winter and the Tiffin factory techs said that I don't need to switch off or disconnect the house batteries at the master and inverter switches in the house battery compartment, just leave them all turned on. I have a question on how the chassis battery remains charged all winter though. Does the inverter somehow charge the chassis battery too via the 50 amp shore power? Since the RV is covered, my solar panels don't do anything to help during the winter. I do run the engine and generator a few times during the winter but I want to make sure my chassis battery remains in good shape. Should I install a Battery Tender on the chassis battery or will the 50 amp shore power keep everything charged (house and chassis)? Any help would be greatly appreciated. The Tiffin owner's manual doesn't provide much info and the 2021 manual and instructions don't even match my unit so I really can't rely on that.
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Old 01-19-2025, 09:25 PM   #2
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I had the exact year and model you own. Shore power does not charge the chassis battery on Tiffin F53 chassis motorhomes. So the chassis battery will go flat over time. I used a Battery Tender jr. to keep the chassis battery charged. You can power it by running a short extension cord to the outlet in the first basement compartment of the passenger side.

Tiffin diesels do aintainthe chassis battery from shore power, so you may have some owners come along with contradicting information. However their experience is not applicable to the simpler, less expensive gasoline chassis motorhomes.
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Old 01-20-2025, 05:21 AM   #3
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My cheap 2017 Thor, gas motorhome charged the chassis battery while on shore power so if yours don't, it may be broke.

Look in the battery control center for a BIM 160 OR BIM225, that's what been being used in many rigs since about 2016.

You could also check chassis battery voltage while on shore power, although the BIM cycles on and off.
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Old 01-20-2025, 07:30 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stang200 View Post
Hi, I have a 2021 Tiffin 34PA. I've closed up and covered our RV for the winter outside (live in NJ). I do have 50 amp shore power constantly connected all winter and the Tiffin factory techs said that I don't need to switch off or disconnect the house batteries at the master and inverter switches in the house battery compartment, just leave them all turned on. I have a question on how the chassis battery remains charged all winter though. Does the inverter somehow charge the chassis battery too via the 50 amp shore power? Since the RV is covered, my solar panels don't do anything to help during the winter. I do run the engine and generator a few times during the winter but I want to make sure my chassis battery remains in good shape. Should I install a Battery Tender on the chassis battery or will the 50 amp shore power keep everything charged (house and chassis)? Any help would be greatly appreciated. The Tiffin owner's manual doesn't provide much info and the 2021 manual and instructions don't even match my unit so I really can't rely on that.
The F53 chassis does NOT charge chassis batteries while connected to shore power. Yes, you can use a tender on the chassis batteries to help tend them while your motorhomes is in storage.
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Old 01-20-2025, 11:04 AM   #5
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Chassis batery charging

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Cole View Post
The F53 chassis does NOT charge chassis batteries while connected to shore power. Yes, you can use a tender on the chassis batteries to help tend them while your motorhomes is in storage.

Shawn,
I have the same 2021 34PA, we dry camp 7 days for Thanksgiving each year.
I have the radio on all day every day and have not had to charge the chassis battery. I do run the generator for approx. 5 hours a day to charge the house batteries and the race car Battery between runs. My question to you is does the generator charge the chassis battery?
I can see the chassis battery voltage change up and down through out the week so I assume it does.
I have also seen the chassis voltage change while on shore power, is this due to the solar panels?
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Old 01-20-2025, 01:36 PM   #6
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It has nothing to do with the F53 chassis, bi-directional charging is a add-on by the motorhome builder.

I have a 2022 F53 FR30DS and it has a BCC with a BIM 225 in it. The BIM225 Is a bi-directional isolation relay.

If the engine is running, the relay closes to allow the chassis battery to connect to the house battery for charging.
When there is shore, or generator power, the BIM senses a charging voltage, from the converter, on the house battery bank, and also monitors the chassis battery voltage. If it drops to a programmed voltage, the relay closes, combining the battery banks.

I would be very surprised if the the BIM was not part of Tiffins build.
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Old 01-20-2025, 05:24 PM   #7
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Everyone, thank you for all the insight, this was very helpful! I'm gonna add a Battery Tender to the winter storage process!
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