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Old school generator question


jenandjon

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I have a HDT with a 5th wheel but the generator I have installed on the truck is out of a class A motor home. That is why I am posting this here.

 

I have a 4.0 onan generator mounted on my truck to run the 5th wheel. It works great. But. After running it for a few hours I shut it off. When I return to start it back up the battery is dead. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why the battery wont charge with the engine running? Should it be like my lawn mower? It charges the battery when running?

Then I thought back to when I had a motor home. The battery that started the generator was the house battery. That house battery was kept charged by the generator its self. NOT the engine part of the gen set.  So, am I correct in thinking that this battery, the way I have it set up, will not be charged by the engine running? It has an electric fuel pump but if the battery was being charged that alone would not run it dead.

The cord coiled up the center of the picture is for a ground rod. The electrician that wired it up for me suggested I use it.

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Farmer, Trucker, Equipment operator, Mechanic

Quando omni flunkus moritati-When all else fails, play dead
I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.

 

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My Onan 5500 in my trailer has no lighting coil (12volt) output.  It relied on the dead house batteries to start...🤔

So I ordered a small diode isolator called Amp-L-Start. It allows charging/float current to a stand alone starting battery any time the coach  batteries are being charged. The isolation stops any coach house loads from drawing down the starting battery. Problem solved.

Could you connect to your truck starting batteries? 

Oh I look at your picture you have a starting battery. Set it up so it is charged when your genset is running with a battery charger or Amp-L-Start type device.

"Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. 

 

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I didn't hook anything to the truck batteries. I wanted to keep them separate just in case something like this happened. I didn't want to be caught out in the middle of nowhere with dead batteries. I will look into that Ampl-L-Start device. Thank you.

Farmer, Trucker, Equipment operator, Mechanic

Quando omni flunkus moritati-When all else fails, play dead
I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.

 

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21 hours ago, jenandjon said:

That house battery was kept charged by the generator its self. NOT the engine part of the gen set. 

The coach batteries of a motorhome are charged by the converter that takes 120V-ac from the generator output and converts that 120V-ac into 12V-dc power that then recharges the coach batteries.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Do you have a clamp on amp meter like a fluke?

Your generator should be charging the batteries at 2-4 amps depending on the generator. Go to smokestack.com under the Onan forum and ask your question. Be sure to state model and serial number. Real smart guys with lots of knowledge will help you.

2002 Beaver Marquis Emerald   C-12 Cat 505 HP

2014 Volvo 630 D-13 I Shift SOLD

2017 New Horizons SOLD

 

 

 

 

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