RV battery charge "feed"
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From: British Columbia
RV battery charge "feed"
The feed on the 7pin RV plug-vehicle side. IS this feed from ur truck supposed to be 12volt always hot or 12volt switched.? and why? Thanks in advance
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From: British Columbia
I just read the quote below from somewhere. I dont think i'll hook that charge wire up afterall.
I would not put a battery on you camper wiring pin or "between" your vehicle and camper for 2 reasons. 1. If the camper battery is severly discharged and you run your truck for a short time afterwards, the discharged battery can pull down your main battery more than the alternator can restore it until many miles are driven. Also, not good to have 2 batteries of different charge state on the same alternator at the same time. 2. There could be a very large current in excess of the vehicle harness capacity present if you drain the camper battery and then turn on the ignition to "mate up" the drained battery to a fully charged vehicle battery.
Best to just install a separate deep cycle in the camper and use a proper 120volt charger to maintain it at the campground.
If you are never on 120 at a camp ground and must use the vehicle to recharge it then you should use some sort of limiting device to avoid large current transfers between the vehicle and camper.
I would not put a battery on you camper wiring pin or "between" your vehicle and camper for 2 reasons. 1. If the camper battery is severly discharged and you run your truck for a short time afterwards, the discharged battery can pull down your main battery more than the alternator can restore it until many miles are driven. Also, not good to have 2 batteries of different charge state on the same alternator at the same time. 2. There could be a very large current in excess of the vehicle harness capacity present if you drain the camper battery and then turn on the ignition to "mate up" the drained battery to a fully charged vehicle battery.
Best to just install a separate deep cycle in the camper and use a proper 120volt charger to maintain it at the campground.
If you are never on 120 at a camp ground and must use the vehicle to recharge it then you should use some sort of limiting device to avoid large current transfers between the vehicle and camper.
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by coplin
The feed on the 7pin RV plug-vehicle side. IS this feed from ur truck supposed to be 12volt always hot or 12volt switched.? and why? Thanks in advance
Hope this helps
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From: British Columbia
Originally Posted by blackhat620
This feed is "switched" so that you do not run the batteries down when the engine is off. It will run lights in the trailer and can slowly charge the trailer batteries, its main charging fuction is for the break-away brake battery. So hook it up to keep this battery fully charged. You can put a switch in the trailer if you don't want it to power anything else.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by coplin
Helps a bit. But I've heard just run a 8-10 gauge wire form batt pos post with a automatic reset circuit breaker 20-30 amps. Thats fine but how do make this circuit switched, so that it only feeds when the key is in run position?
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by coplin
perfect thanks 620!
been a while since i've done auto wiring but its coming back to me now thanks to you.
been a while since i've done auto wiring but its coming back to me now thanks to you.
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I have a similar situation. My '79 F-250 was wired with an older brake controller and round 6 pin plug. I am replacing the controller with a new Prodigy and going to a 7 pin plug for my new travel trailer. If I install one 20 amp self re-setting breaker for the brake controller power, and another 20 amp breaker for the trailer charging circuit (will be relay switched), will these breakers be big enough to handle the likely load? I don't really have a concept of how many amps trailer brakes and battery draw. Thanks...
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by wick246
I have a similar situation. My '79 F-250 was wired with an older brake controller and round 6 pin plug. I am replacing the controller with a new Prodigy and going to a 7 pin plug for my new travel trailer. If I install one 20 amp self re-setting breaker for the brake controller power, and another 20 amp breaker for the trailer charging circuit (will be relay switched), will these breakers be big enough to handle the likely load? I don't really have a concept of how many amps trailer brakes and battery draw. Thanks...
A 30A breaker is good for up tp 4-Axles with electric brakes.
The 20A on trailer charging should be plenty as you are really only supposed to be charging the breakaway battery.
Hope this helps
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Originally Posted by blackhat620
A 20A breaker is good for up to 2-Axles with electric brakes.
A 30A breaker is good for up tp 4-Axles with electric brakes.
The 20A on trailer charging should be plenty as you are really only supposed to be charging the breakaway battery.
Hope this helps
A 30A breaker is good for up tp 4-Axles with electric brakes.
The 20A on trailer charging should be plenty as you are really only supposed to be charging the breakaway battery.
Hope this helps
If you wire it so that the truck doesn't charge the trailer batteries then what does??? No current bushes where I go.
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by wick246
Thanks blackhat.
If you wire it so that the truck doesn't charge the trailer batteries then what does??? No current bushes where I go.
If you wire it so that the truck doesn't charge the trailer batteries then what does??? No current bushes where I go.
www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.asp
Your trucks alternator will thank you.
See this recent thread on the subject.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/61...altenator.html
Hope this helps
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That does help blackhat! I had found that thread and was just coming back to edit my post. I worked two Honda EU2000i's into my financing so I will have some options up in the hills. I don't remember if my Dutchmen has one battery or two, I pick up the trailer on Thursday. Still lots to learn...
Originally Posted by blackhat620
The 12V constant hot is mainly to keep the electric brake breakaway battery charged. It can also be use to turn on a light in the trailer for short periods of time and minimal charging of the trailer batteries. Problem with relying on the truck alternator to charge the Deep Cycle batteries in the trailer is that it was not designed for these heavy demands. You best bet to charge your Deep cycle batteries in the back country is to use a solar panel charger or a small generator like the Honda EU 1000i or 2000i.
www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.asp
Your trucks alternator will thank you.
See this recent thread on the subject.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/61...altenator.html
Hope this helps
www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.asp
Your trucks alternator will thank you.
See this recent thread on the subject.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/61...altenator.html
Hope this helps
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,196
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by wick246
That does help blackhat! I had found that thread and was just coming back to edit my post. I worked two Honda EU2000i's into my financing so I will have some options up in the hills. I don't remember if my Dutchmen has one battery or two, I pick up the trailer on Thursday. Still lots to learn...
If your trailer only has one battery think about adding a second Deep cycle battery to extend the time between recharges, then you won't have to run the generators as much.
Good luck and have fun.
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While were on this topic:
Whats the difference between a generator/invertor and just a plain generator? I see these little hondas and other brands come in both flavours. More importantly which is best for an RV battery?
Whats the difference between a generator/invertor and just a plain generator? I see these little hondas and other brands come in both flavours. More importantly which is best for an RV battery?
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Arizona
Originally Posted by coplin
While were on this topic:
Whats the difference between a generator/invertor and just a plain generator? I see these little hondas and other brands come in both flavours. More importantly which is best for an RV battery?
Whats the difference between a generator/invertor and just a plain generator? I see these little hondas and other brands come in both flavours. More importantly which is best for an RV battery?
//www.donrowe.com/inverters/inverter_faq.html
A generator/inverter such as on the Honda EU1000i/2000i series takes the power that is generated and cleans it up so that you have perfect sine wave AC power. Sine wave power is important for sensitive electronic equipment like computers etc. The Honda EU1000i/2000i generators also output 12V DC to charge batteries etc.
www.hondapowerequipment.com/inv.htm
Hope this helps
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