OK...still trying to become an electrical engineer

[rotti]

My 2012 Hawk is equipped with a Iota DSL30 converter and I recently added a IQ4 battery plug in smart charger to it. Works great at keeping my two camper AGM batteries charged.

I also want to keep my truck battery charged. I have a Battery Tender Plus that I use on the truck starting battery. My question is, do you see any problems in using the two charging systems together?

I know that when using the Battery Tender Plus on the truck battery that it also sends a charge to the camper batteries, although not very effectively.

Do you see any issues in charging with both the camper/iota and truck/Battery Tender at the same time, i.e.: camper batteries getting charged by both chargers?

I suppose I could install a cut off switch to the camper but that might create another can of worms/more threads.

 

[ntsqd]

What combines/separates the truck and camper batteries when neither is connected to shore power?

IF it is some sort of voltage sensing relay or automatic charge relay and IF it is of the dual sensing type then when the camper batteries are being charged by shore power it should be combining the batteries and allowing the shore power charger to charge all of the batteries. This would also work if you have or add solar to the camper.

 

[rotti]

As I understand it, there is a one way highway from the truck battery. It can charge the camper but but the campers battery separator doesn't allow power to be drawn from the starting battery or will it allow the campers system to charge it. Meaning the camper batteries can die but the starting battery remains unaffected.

Anyway, I emailed Iota tech support with my question about using two maintainers and the response was: "Should not be a problem"

 

[UglyScout]

I charge from mutiliple source all the time. Solar - truck alternator - stand alone plug in smart charger. They all have some type of overcharge control so I don't worry about it...