I have a '99 Fleetwood Bounder, 34J, Ford V10. I have a 30 amp plug in my barn for shore power. Question... when plugged in with both circuit switches on, I know I am charging the house batteries (2 deep cycle 6v) but am I also charging the engine battery? I have never been sure and have been putting a Battery Tender on my engine battery just in case.
I use the Battery Tenders 2 or 3 days a month with the shore power unplugged and circuit switches off, with good results.
I was told that plugging in to shore power will not charge the house batteries (or engine) to 100%, only 80%, this is why I use the chargers.
Your comments please.
George Lewis
Boerne, TX
'99 Fleetwood Bounder 34J
Ford V10
Measure your starting battery voltage after sitting for a few hours, not plugged in. Now plug in, wait a few hours and check again. Same voltage or lower = not charging. Higher voltage = charging.
I think that's in his first line of the thread. We just sold our '99 Bounder 34V and the same engine/chassis. At this time, for the life of me, I can't remember if the chassis battery charges while being plugged into shore power or not. Fleetwood, along with other manufacturers of and on, would put a small, solar charger on the roof to keep the chassis battery sort of "topped off" and, your shore power plug, through the "converter" on your rig will keep the house batteries topped off.
On ours, we had the "Intellitec" converter and If I recall, it was not all that much of a charger for those two 6V house batteries but, it did work. And, you're correct in the fact that many manufacturers "Don't" have charging capabilities of the chassis batts while plugged into shore power. Many, like myself, have wired in a permanent, three stage battery charger to keep that chassis battery in topped off condition while the rig is not in use.
When in use and driving it, the BCC or, Battery Control Center, located at the firewall, next to the master cylinder will handle all the battery needs, both chassis and house, when the engine is running. There's a series of solenoids and timers and relays in that BCC and while it's a complicated little box, it does pretty well with that task.
So, in a real answer to your question, just in case a previous owner (if there was one) might have done some sort of retrofit of a chassis battery charger addition and, it may or may not be working, a simple test will tell you your answer. Simply take a battery voltage reading of the chassis battery before you plug your rig into shore power and, take one after you plug it in. Obviously if your voltage climbs after you plug it in, then there's a charge getting to your chassis battery from some point.
If not, well, either keep doing what you're doing with a trickle charger or, do what I, and others have done and purchase a good quality, three stage charger and hard wire it in to the coach so that you chassis battery will always be there for you when needed after the rig has been in storage or sat for a long period of time.
Scott
Scott and Karla SDFD RETIRED
2004 Itasca Horizon, 36GD Slate Blue 330 CAT
2011 White Honda CRV EX-L,4WD w/NAV Toad 2008 Caliente Red LVL II GL 1800 Goldwing KI60ND
Thanks for the inputs. I will check the voltage as suggested. When I built my 30x40 barn, I put in the 30 amp and four 110v outlets on the walls so plugging in chargers is no problem....I plug in my motorcycle and tractor too. Thanks.
LSL Products - We use this. We used to manually hook up a charger to the engine batteries but switched to the above item. It gave us once less thing to have to remember to do periodically. If you are happy with what you have been doing and it is working for you, then no need to change.
Dave & Kathy
2007 Monaco Knight 40PDQ towing 2003 Odyssey
Fulltime since October 2007
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