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It depends on how you are defining a maintenance charge. That charge lead is fused at 30 amps.
Steve
Yes, but once your truck's batteries are fully charged, the voltage regulator will drop the output and your trailer battery won't be charging very quickly.
But I bet we would agree that the alternator is varying amperage output based on the load put upon it, along with other factors. When going down the road the trailer battery becomes part of that load in much the same way the power converter varies output when the camper is plugged in.
For example, campers are switching fairly quickly to household refrigerators running off inverters and are doing away with 2-way refrigerators in many models. That means a fairly intense battery load as they go down the road, but the ones I have seen seem to do quite well. The inverter in our fiver would flatten the house batteries in the course of a day, if it did not receive significant help from the alternator and truck batteries (I run it on AC rather than propane when we travel).
Again I bet we would agree there are multiple factors that come into play. The most important I think may be the viability of the connection at the seven pin in many cases. We have snow and are really cold here right now, but will warm later in the week and I will try to hook up my truck to our fiver and put some numbers to this.
But I bet we would agree that the alternator is varying amperage output based on the load put upon it, along with other factors. When going down the road the trailer battery becomes part of that load in much the same way the power converter varies output when the camper is plugged in.
For example, campers are switching fairly quickly to household refrigerators running off inverters and are doing away with 2-way refrigerators in many models. That means a fairly intense battery load as they go down the road, but the ones I have seen seem to do quite well. The inverter in our fiver would flatten the house batteries in the course of a day, if it did not receive significant help from the alternator and truck batteries (I run it on AC rather than propane when we travel).
Again I bet we would agree there are multiple factors that come into play. The most important I think may be the viability of the connection at the seven pin in many cases. We have snow and are really cold here right now, but will warm later in the week and I will try to hook up my truck to our fiver and put some numbers to this.
Steve
I'm not an electrical expert, but my experience is that the truck doesn't charge the trailer well. When googling why, I found answers that explain that since the trailer battery is several feet further downstream than your truck batteries, the voltage regulator sees the charge in your truck batteries and drops the charging rate once the truck is charged.
I'm not an electrical expert, but my experience is that the truck doesn't charge the trailer well. When googling why, I found answers that explain that since the trailer battery is several feet further downstream than your truck batteries, the voltage regulator sees the charge in your truck batteries and drops the charging rate once the truck is charged.
I'll bet that has quite a bit to do with the connection at the plug from trailer to truck.
I'll bet that has quite a bit to do with the connection at the plug from trailer to truck.
That's an important point. Again, let me get some numbers with this when I get a chance. I am not expecting 30 amps down the charge lead, but I think it will be more than what would normally be considered a maintenance charge. Let's see. I will post the results either way so if I am wrong you will know it. I really like electricity and enjoy working with questions like this one.
I'm still here . Got what need to be done, finished today so I can now get to this crazyness... Curious to know the outcome if it works in charging or will I need a bigger solar panel 😁
Alright, I pretty much have what the pic description to color wires are, however, my 12v is a sm blk wire and my "reverse" lights at center position is actually orange, not purple. So, what's AUX power? Plus, I'm cutting this up and installing a new 7-plug
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Sorry, since most campers do not have back-up lights some folks wire something else into that terminal hence the name "aux power". It could be anything you want and some folks do use it for back-up lights. When it is wired to reverse on the truck it does not go to anything on most trailers.
Your connections on that seven pin look rough so a new seven pin is a reasonable starting point to get everything shiny and new. I sure you will clean up the wire ends too.
After you get this part done post back and let us know if it made any difference.
I am not sure if this comment is helpful, but pay no attention to wire color. Go one lead at a time and put it where it belongs. The last one I had to sort out activated the trailer brakes whenever the left turn signal was turned on. Try not to disconnect all the wires at one time so as not to confuse or short a lead and blow a fuse.
Hey Steve... There's no power to any pins when truck is KOEO in nuetral(I have a manual). I'll dig around to see if any fuse/s missing for that center pin..AUX/REV.
My trailer works as it should, as far as writing from truck to trailer. I was more interested in charging vbatts when in tow and why my LED's lit up when trailer was connected. Come to find out, I wired them to the white n blk wires, lol. I've already got rid of them
OK, I just have to ask...What gauge is that 'charge' wire? It's already established that it's on a 30A fuse...Under the best of circumstances how much could one expect to get out of that wire for the purpose of charging a battery? i e if one had an 850CCA battery on the end of it and it was pretty near dead, how long would it take to charge it? I know when my car batteries get drained from leaving lights on it takes a loooong time to get them topped off using the alternator and that is with a fairly large wire from the alternator to the battery.
That orange lead is large and I think should be the charge lead. I never go by colors, just function. That size is way too big for lights. That lead that is hot in R should go to the center pin. For your charge lead make sure your fuse and relay are in place.
OK, I just have to ask...What gauge is that 'charge' wire? It's already established that it's on a 30A fuse...Under the best of circumstances how much could one expect to get out of that wire for the purpose of charging a battery? i e if one had an 850CCA battery on the end of it and it was pretty near dead, how long would it take to charge it? I know when my car batteries get drained from leaving lights on it takes a loooong time to get them topped off using the alternator and that is with a fairly large wire from the alternator to the battery.
And you are right. On a dead battery, relying entirely on just the charge lead to charge a camper battery would take a very long time. I believe the charge lead is 10 ga, at the seven pin.
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. Got what need to be done, finished today so I can now get to this crazyness... Curious to know the outcome if it works in charging or will I need a bigger solar panel 😁
