Alternator Battery Charging

Timothy_209

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RV LIFE Pro
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Oct 22, 2024
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It is my understanding that when my seven - pin connector is connected to my truck that it should provide a small charge to my house batteries. Is this correct?

If it is correct, do I need to have the house battery disconnect on (meaning power from the batteries flows to my 12V devices) or can it be off?

Thank you in advance.
 
Check out your connector and see if there is power at the pin when the key is off. I am really certain mine is wired to the ignition side and will automatically be disconnected when I turn the key off.

FYI, the wire gauge is small and the circuit is long, I would not expect a lot of charging happening while driving.
 
It is my understanding that when my seven - pin connector is connected to my truck that it should provide a small charge to my house batteries. Is this correct?

If it is correct, do I need to have the house battery disconnect on (meaning power from the batteries flows to my 12V devices) or can it be off?

Thank you in advance.
As mentioned, you may have to have your truck engine running, trailer connected, and transmission in drive before 12v is supplied to your trailer. A lot depends on the year and model of your truck. New "smarter" trucks operated differently than old trucks when supplying 12v at the 7-pin connector.

You can leave the batteries connected to your 12v system in the trailer when traveling. No need to turn it off in most cases. When storing, it is best to just disconnect the negative cable on the batter to the trailer so you know for sure that nothing is connected to the battery.
 
It is my understanding that when my seven - pin connector is connected to my truck that it should provide a small charge to my house batteries. Is this correct?

If it is correct, do I need to have the house battery disconnect on (meaning power from the batteries flows to my 12V devices) or can it be off?

Thank you in advance.

I believe The recharge circuit goes directly to the battery ... the disconnect would only interrupt power FROM the battery to the trailer.

The others are correct, btw ... expect only about 7amps coming back into the house battery.
 

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