Toad Charging

[C1v1leng]

I am towing a 2009 Subaru Forester. I have made up my wiring connections from the MH to the Toad with diodes and all my lighting works correctly. I added a power line from the ignition circuit on the MH to the battery on the Toad with a fuse. Before I plug the fuse in will the MH battery charge the Toad while driving or will the fuse blow when I plug it in. I noticed some complicated charging devises for sale on the internet but it should work as I set it up.

Thanks

Tom

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by C1v1leng

I am towing a 2009 Subaru Forester. I have made up my wiring connections from the MH to the Toad with diodes and all my lighting works correctly. I added a power line from the ignition circuit on the MH to the battery on the Toad with a fuse. Before I plug the fuse in will the MH battery charge the Toad while driving or will the fuse blow when I plug it in. I noticed some complicated charging devises for sale on the internet but it should work as I set it up.

Thanks

Tom

You've done it exactly right. All that other garbage on the market is simply stuff designed to sell to the timid and ignorant so as to effectively separate them from that green stuff in their wallet. Your charge line from the RV to the toad should be a 10ga wire and the fuse a 25A or thereabouts. All the fuse is doing is protecting against a chaffed charge wire that may short on the frame. If you have a charge pole on the 7 pin RV connector, it's more than likely protected on that side by an RV fuse. If you're just tapping to any 12v source on the RV, you should have a fuse on that end too. We've use the exact setup you described on 3 RV's with 2 different toads and pulling for about 250,000 miles. Never had a single issue except the inevitable corrosion which always happens with plugs in harsh environments.

I don't know where you're putting diodes. On my setups the only diodes I use are right at the tail/brake lights to allow either the toad light circuit or the RV circuit to feed the lights, No diodes needed in the charge setup as the diodes cut current flow and give you a slower charge. If the RV has a pin on the 7 pin connector it should switch off when you close the ignition switch thereby not allowing the toad battery to backfeed into the RV. If not, just pull the plug when overnighting with everything hooked up.

[dennis45]

Agree,

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by C1v1leng

I am towing a 2009 Subaru Forester. I have made up my wiring connections from the MH to the Toad with diodes and all my lighting works correctly. I added a power line from the ignition circuit on the MH to the battery on the Toad with a fuse. Before I plug the fuse in will the MH battery charge the Toad while driving or will the fuse blow when I plug it in. I noticed some complicated charging devises for sale on the internet but it should work as I set it up.

Thanks

Tom

Hi Tom, I would be concerned about one thing you indicated. The line really need to come directly from the coach battery through a relay activated by the ignition circuit. This will prevent placing a load on a ignition circuit not designed for it. I would also recommend a 20 amp+- fuse on both the coach side (near the relay) AND the toad side (near the battery). As already indicated, this will protect against shorts that can occur anyplace along the circuit.

[C1v1leng]

First thanks for the posts!
My RV has a fused circuit that is activated by the ignition already wired into my six wire plug. I added a six wire plug on the Toad as well as a fuse next to the Toad battery just in case.
Our next trip to AZ will be on Feb 1st, so watch for sparks if your on the highway during that time.
Thanks again for the reassurance.

Tom

[grumpy0374]

The way you have it set up is OK.
However, what the charging devices , Like the one sold by RVI, do is act as a trickle charger, like a Battery Tender. They will have a "chip" that reads the battery state, and will cut off when it reads a full charge on your battery. Prevents battery from being overcharges. They act as a "floater" charger, charging battery as needed.
Stright line hook up will be constantly feeding a charge to your toad's battery, and yes, even a small, constant charge can over feed a battery.
I use the RVI unit, and have no problems in 5 years. But in the end it's your choice. Either way will charge battery.
Grumpy

[Bigd9]

I have heard statements about the good the RVi Toad Charger does before. but in reading RVi online literature I sure can't find any mention of benefits over the direct line. It does have a diode in it, but diodes are just electrical one way valves and don't limit charging current. Actually their online literature has very little information at to what good this device does for its $55 cost.

The toad batteries can't be charged any more than the coach batteries are charged. If there is concern for the toad battery being overcharged, then since the coach and toad batteries are tied together there needs to be concern for the coach batteries also.

I've towed vehicles behind my coaches for 18 years using a direct connection to the toad batteries without any problems.

[grumpy0374]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

I have heard statements about the good the RVi Toad Charger does before. but in reading RVi online literature I sure can't find any mention of benefits over the direct line. It does have a diode in it, but diodes are just electrical one way valves and don't limit charging current. Actually their online literature has very little information at to what good this device does for its $55 cost.

The toad batteries can't be charged any more than the coach batteries are charged. If there is concern for the toad battery being overcharged, then since the coach and toad batteries are tied together there needs to be concern for the coach batteries also.

I've towed vehicles behind my coaches for 18 years using a direct connection to the toad batteries without any problems.

Not going to get into a piss-ng match, but the RVI charging system is an on demand system, per their web site. Same type of system that a Battery Tender uses, except 12 volt vs. 115. When it reads a full charge at the toad battery it goes into a "float" mode, like a B. Tender.
Stright line charging is probably never going to overcharge a toad battery either.
Grumpy

[tmw188]

If you trust e-trailer and all they do just go on their website and watch their install videos on MH and Towed charge line installs.