Jim Corey Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 If I run a wire from my house battery bank (which is charged from shore power with my smart charger) to my chassis battery (which is not), will the chassis charge be maintained while parked? Do I need a diode to prevent backflow? I have several items that are on the chassis battery, mainly electronic device chargers, that create a drain while parked. Jim Corey 2006 Monaco Monarch 30 pdd '12 Honda CRV toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Smith Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Get yourself a trikl-start for $49.95. It will do all that for you Steve and Joy Amateur Radio Operator WZ1T . . . Flex 6600 M, Flex PGXL, Flex TGXL, 2014 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q . . . Lincoln MKX Toad The Kids . . . Yogi the Yorkie passed 10/20/2018. . . Cookie the Chihuahua passed 11/30/2017 . . . Cooper the Aussie Doodle passed 3/10/2020 Abbie and Abel the Doodles . . . Brother and Sister Born 02/02/2020 . . . Lucy the Yorkie . . . and Axel . . .The Bernie Doodle Where We Are Now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldjohnt Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 1 hour ago, Jim Corey said: If I run a wire from my house battery bank (which is charged from shore power with my smart charger) to my chassis battery (which is not), will the chassis charge be maintained while parked? Do I need a diode to prevent backflow? Jim, good questions, FWIW here are my thoughts. 1) Sure, it’s possible and it can be made to “work” to have your smart charger supply “some degree” of charging amps to the engine battery…………HOWEVER the amount of charge it receives depends on the connecting cables, their size, distance and wiring configuration. 2) Sure, I would want a means to isolate the two to prevent any backfeed or discharges etc., however a Diode (a PN junction) has a 0.6 voltage drop and I prefer a quality mechanical isolation relay instead. HOWEVER THAT BEING SAID as a 47 year continuous RV owner, past dealer and Electrical Engineer, ITS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD DO. 3) When charging multiple batteries in parallel, I prefer they be identical in type and size and design and age, which a deep cycle and a distance away starting battery ARE NOT. If that's what you have?? AGM or Lead Acid?? Deep Cycles for the house and starting battery for the engine I assume??? IE not a matched system 4) I prefer my smart charger be dedicated to supplying a full, complete, and quality charge ONLY to my house batteries and NOT mix it and labor it down trying to also charge some non identical distant engine starting battery. Even if it will “work” it may hamper the ability to supply that smart quality charge to the house battery bank. 5) What I WOULD DO is use a quality Battery Tender, Battery Maintainer or what else called when plugged to shore power to charge ONLY the engine battery and NOT tie it to your quality smart charging system 6) Of course, I have often allowed my engine alternator to connect to my house battery bank via an isolation relay to charge them some while driving, but they DO NOT receive the full and complete and quality of a charge as my smart charger can provide. Again the connecting cables size, distance, and configuration determines just how much charge they may receive when driving Do as you please, sure it can be made to work, and just because it’s NOT how I would do it doesn’t mean you need to do the same, it’s your RV your money your choice. John T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 5 hours ago, Ranger Smith said: Get yourself a trikl-start for $49.95. It will do all that for you That is a much better idea than what you are thinking of. If you do what you suggest, by all means, do add a blocking diode but that is a very poor way to keep your battery. When we were fulltime, I used a battery minder on our chassis battery and mounted it in the area next to the battery, keeping it connected to the battery and wiring the power to be energized whenever the shore power was connected. I used the same starting battery for 7 years that way. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyretired Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 I used to do what you are contemplating and it did work. I originally started connecting the HDT batteries to the RV batteries to use the RV solar to keep the HDT batteries up. The HDT batteries only had the normal draw of a parked vehicle. It still worked when we had power to the converter. Due to the potential problems described by others, I added a 30 watt solar panel for the truck. That keeps the truck battery charged and we don't worry about it. Randy 2001 Volvo VNL 42 Cummins ISX Autoshift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALLOY Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 I've connected primary and secondary batteries with a VSR (voltage sensing relay) with the batteries lasting for years. On of my learning lesson was buying a battery minder that had a continual output that was too high for the battery I connected to. 2011 Cameo 34SB3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Corey Posted October 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Thanks for the replies. Battery minder makes most sense. Jim Corey 2006 Monaco Monarch 30 pdd '12 Honda CRV toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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