trailer battery charging

[damianpeach]

how best to recharge battery when boondocking-----is there a way to use truck power to do this

[J&G garage]

Solar or generator. Truck charging system won't get the job done. Small 2000w generators are popular for this (Honda EU2000 for instance).

[kd2800bh]

If it's wired correctly, you can use the truck to charge the battery,

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[J&G garage]

The truck charging system is designed to charge a starting battery. Deep cycle batteries require a different charge profile. You will be waiting forever to get a full charge into a discharged deep cycle battery with the truck charging system.

[LCBoyer]

Jim is 100% correct. Either get a small gen set or solar panels

[kd2800bh]

Hmmm. Not what our dealer told us.

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[LCBoyer]

You dealer wouldn't miss inform you, I read that on Facebook so it must be true! ��

[kd2800bh]

You dealer wouldn't miss inform you, I read that on Facebook so it must be true! ��

It was just the certified tech of 20 years.

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[Cate&Rob]

You dealer wouldn't miss inform you, I read that on Facebook so it must be true! ��

LC, you have the best insights !

Rob

[J&G garage]

I'm afraid your dealers tech is misleading you here. A starting battery is designed to put out a whole bunch of amps for a very short period of time (the time it takes to start your engine). A deep cycle battery is designed to put out less amps for a long period of time. Because of the internal design of the starting battery and the way batteries work in general only a small charge is removed from the surface of the battery plates during the engine starting process. Remember it gives up a lot of amps but for a very short period of time kind of like when you mash the throttle in your truck to pass someone you use a lot fuel but for a very short period. For this reason it doesn't take a very big charge to refresh the battery much like it would only take a cup full of fuel to replace the fuel used to pass that other car. The deep cycle battery on the other hand gives up smaller amounts of current (amps) over a longer period of time therefore the plates are discharge deeper into the plates actually using more current out of the battery than that starter battery did. Like driving your truck on a long trip. You use a little bit of fuel for a long time. By the time you get where you're going the tank is nearly empty. It would take a long time to fill the tank back up with a cup of fuel at a time. You need a big hose and big pump. Same with that deep cycle battery. It's really empty and that alternator and regulator in your truck that is designed to replenish a starting battery is like the cup of fuel. A battery charger with the capacity and proper charge profile would be like the gas pump and hose and will top up the battery many, many hours sooner. Not to mention letting your truck idle for hours on end is not too good for the engine.

For a proper battery setup you need at least good quality properly sized (capacity)deep cycle batteries which aren't normally included with an RV purchase, a good quality and appropriate charger and quality battery monitor (not the 4 little red lights that came with your RV). After that you can do a 12 volt energy audit to better understand your energy and charging requirements. It's not cheap and unfortunately none of that stuff is included in most RVs.

Not trying to pop your bubble here but if you head out into the boonies armed with the advice of your dealer you may spend your vacation in the dark.