14 replies to this topic

[steve33]

Well, I plugged into shore power and everything works. So there is no wiring issue, just either the RV battery or the charging system. 

 

I suppose if I replace the battery I will know... but not right away as, if it is the charging sytem, I won't know until the new RV battery completely discharges. 

[steve33]

So the battery has succefully charged when plugged into shore power, even though it completely discharged while driiving highways on a trip. So presumably this means the battery itself is fine, and the... converter?.... that allows charging from shore power, is fine. So then it is something in the charging system from the truck. I am assuming that does NOT go through the converter, as it is already 12 volt? Or am I wrong? FYI the camper exterior lights all work while driving, so the connection to the truck electrical sytem is intact. 

[ClimberRob]

You likely are not getting sufficient amperage and/or voltage off of the truck. You need a thick wire for that run. 4 AWG is a good choice. Then you need at least a quality battery separator, such as the Blue Sea ACR, or a DC-DC charger (best option).

 

You really need to install a decent shunt-based meter to have any idea what's going on with your system.

[steve33]

FYI, I charged the RV battery by plugging it into shore power, and it has functioned totally fine since then. I guess one just needs to "top it up" periodically. 

[PaulT]

Before replacing my AGM batteries with LiFePO4 batteries, I typically plugged into shore power overnight after every trip to ensure the camper batteries reached full charge regularly. After that solar kept them topped off.

Paul