Camper Ex Question
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Camper Ex Question
I am camping over Memorial Day weekend w/o plug in electricity. Lets say I run my campers deep cycle batter down to 20%. Is the alternator on my V10 ex strong enough to recharge that deep cycle? How long would that take as I have no experience with this yet. I have a generator that will do it in about 20 minutes but I don't want to take it. What are my options? Thanks
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,715
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From: Central NH
Generally speaking, you will only want to run your battery to a 50% state of charge. True deep cycles, such as the six volt golf cart batteries (in series), can go a little lower. But with that being said, the best way would be to use a set of jumper cables and connect right to the camper's battery. You can also plug the 7 way plug in, but it would take a lot longer to charge the battery than the jumper cables.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: chicago northwest suburbs
You would have to idle the X at 2000 rpm to get any kind of good amperage out of the alternator. I would pick up a decent size solar panel and use that with a charge controller. At least 80W to be of any use.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2015
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The charge circuit is fused (on my Ex) at 40A. Measuring the current to a really dead trailer battery I was transferring about 25A. The battery on my trailer is a 55Ah. Given a charge efficiency of about 80% then I would take about 2hr 15min to charge the camper batt. It would actually take longer because the current will fall as the camper battery comes up to charge and therefore had a lower voltage gradient to the Ex charging system.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
Batteries take a long time to fully recharge. A big deep cycle is not going to recharge in 20 minutes. Maybe bulk charge to 90% at about 40 amps or something yeah. In general I would not use a vehicle alternator to recharge severely discharged batteries. They will do it but it tends to be hard on stators and diodes. A small generator like a Honda 2000 will power a standard "dumb" battery charger, I'd feel better doing that than stressing out or roasting my truck alternator. Maybe too cautious but vehicle parts and labor for electrical can get pretty spendy.
is a BAAAD MAN
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Winston Salem NC
I would not rely on the truck to recharge batteries, use cables as mentioned to charge if emergency but that little wire won't charge much.
If you are driving under load, maybe, but I for one burned up an alternator driving down the road with a dead battery. Generator or solar panels a better bets.
If you are driving under load, maybe, but I for one burned up an alternator driving down the road with a dead battery. Generator or solar panels a better bets.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2015
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Your best bet would be a progressive dynamics charger (replaces your built in charger) which has a true 4 stage design that will bulk charge a depleted battery (for lead acid that's 50%) in under an hour couples with a small generator or large inverter.
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Wow thanks for the insight. If need be I will bring generator perhaps jumpers if I must. Tonight however my cluster went completely out on my new ex. Drivers window down! Crap...I will have to haul camper with my Suburban.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 106
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From: Alaska
Ouch,
Yeah as others have said you will have to idle up the X / Suburban to get the alternator spinning enough to provide any sort of charge. A few years ago I ran into the same issue with the trailers batteries bout dead and tried to idle for an hour and got minimal charge out of it.
Anymore we carry a Yamaha EU2000 generator with us, works very well.
Yeah as others have said you will have to idle up the X / Suburban to get the alternator spinning enough to provide any sort of charge. A few years ago I ran into the same issue with the trailers batteries bout dead and tried to idle for an hour and got minimal charge out of it.
Anymore we carry a Yamaha EU2000 generator with us, works very well.
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