oldjohnt

THANKS for that info Lou, Yes there are a ton of them up now and more planned. When I had DISH (depends on where located) their antennas needed a good Southwestern view while the Starlinks Ive seen claim they need a good Northern sky view to operate best, then it's up to them to receive the signal from whichever and wherever their darn satellites are located WITH EVEN MORE TO COME LOCATED NO TELLIN WHERE lol I used DISH in the RV for years starting with the set out antennas graduating to the Domes now I rely more on Streaming Internet having multiple cell boosters and MIMO antennas for both my AT&T plus Verizon Hotspot/Jetpacks.. I get more TV, Internet and Cell Phone than I could possibly ever need . Aint technology something Nice sparky chatting with you Lou, best wishes take care. John T

Randy, I research a lot about SMART energy efficient off grid home building but at my age it wouldnt pay out grrrrrrrrrrr. Im talking super insulation, low air infiltration, earth sheltering, Wind, Passive Solar Heat, Photovoltaic, Geo Thermal, heck heat it with a match lol I have pretty well achieved self contained off grid livability in the RV, but thats only 30 feet lol Ive read Starlink is adequate if you have a good NON OBSTRUCTED view of the Northern sky Oh to be young again with todays off grid technology I enjoy our sparky chat John T

Interesting, solar and battery technology is advancing rapidly. In a few years my existing RV solar panels and Lithium batteries will be outdated grrrrrrrrr Ive also read about panels that use parabolic reflectors so regardless of the suns angle it's like they were oriented direct to the sun. If I weren't so darn old I would build a custom smart home and RV to stay totally off grid.. John T Old retired EE bit still love following the technology

CONGRATULATIONS and thanks for the feedback Ogrape. Its above and beyond figuring out a possible inverter issue over the net, but if you can A) Now use shore power with no problems (with inverter unplugged, don't need it then) and dry camp using the inverter with no problems YOURE GOOD TO GO If it aint broke DONT FIX IT FYI heres the theory behind why a multiple NG bond is forbidden and can mess up GFCI..It may NOT be your issue this is ONLY theory NO warranty. With a second NG bond there's a dual current return path with BOTH Neutral and Equipment GroundING Conductor (for fault current ONLY) sharing current. A GFCI has ONLY Hot and Neutral flowing through its Torroid Coil and trips if both arent near the same, HOWEVER if the EGC is sharing return current the GFCI sees the imbalance. THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE YOUR ISSUE OR YOUR INVERTER its complicated and can NOT be solved over the net this is ONLY an explanation of why single point grounding/bonding is necessary... PS when USING an Inverter or Genset they use a BONDED Neutral but that NG bond cant still be in place and connected to shore power when its used DOUBLE NG BOND. Transfer switches or bonding relays (if in place correct and working?) are methods that can prevent a multiple NG bond. Thanks for the kind words Ogrape, yep there are some great sharp gents here who have helped me and Im glad to help when I can, even if I get over techy and bore some non sparkies lol. I try my best John T

Ogrape and RV, good morning, FWIW here are one electrical power engineer and lawyers thoughts: 1) For whatever reasons, lawyers fearing liability or engineers representing an RV park may have insisted upon some sort of GFCI protection (regardless if code requires or not) be it at individual receptacles or GFCI breakers and as the effects are cumulative and it takes ONLY 0.005 amps to trip ONE OR MORE RV'S PLUGGED INTO GFCI PROTERCTION CIRCUITRY CAN EASILY CAUSE A TRIP. 2) As I mentioned before the slightest excess moisture or humidity, dirt or dust, insects, all the sorted appliances, RVs with external receptacles, and the fact ground faults can be cumulative (one or more RV's) MAKES IT SO EASY FOR RV(s) TO TRIP A GFCI 3) There could be some issues (Inverters or Generators) with the NECESSITY THERE BE ONLY ONE NEUTRAL GROUND BOND. When an Inverter or Genset is configured as a Separately Derived Source with a BONDED Neutral and the RV frame serving as the Grounding Electrode, depending on how the transfer arrangement is configured (How many poles, Neutrals switched or not???) THOSE DEVICES CAN CAUSE A GFCI TRIP if there are multiple Neutral/Ground bonds. In order to avoid having more than one NG Bond (AS I understand but NO warranty) some transfer switches bond the gensets Neutral when its in use but open it otherwise and similar some Inverters use some sort of a bonding relay ONLY when the Inverter is operating THOSE ARE TO PREVENT MULTIPLE NG BONDS which could cause GFCI problems. Not long ago when on Inverter power a GFCI tripped instantly when my microwave started but when I plugged it into a different outlet (still on GFCI but different location) it worked TALK ABOUT A MYSTERY the problem appeared to be a CIRCUIT (still worked otherwise) instead of the microwave. DISCLAIMER These issues are complex and deep in the weeds difficult to trace and diagnose even if there let alone over the net grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 4) DIAGNOSE One method I've used is to one at a time remove/unplug/disconnect/flip breakers feeding loads, appliances or circuits to locate the problem, WHICH MAY BE AN APPLIANCE ITSELF OR THE CIRCUIT/OUTLET STRIP feeding it. BOTTOM LINE I just cant from here diagnose YOUR problem, but the FIRST suspects are the RV,,,,,,,,Or the parks service is GFCI protected perhaps with a breaker,,,,,,,,,,Or an Inverter/Generator bonding issue,,,,,,,,,Or multiple NG Bonds,,,,,,,,,,, Or some sensitive electronic devices FOR REASONS I CANT EXPLAIN ESPECIALLY ON START UP cause a GFCI to trip. Sorry no answers just theory and suspicion, but I try my best. John T BSEE,JD

I never heard that ?? (agree with Randy on this one) I don't understand why that's true but am a longggggggggg retired EE and things may have changed?? but I'm never too old to learn if that's the case. Sure, if a second GFCI senses a ground fault (5 ma or more) it will indeed trip, HOWEVER, I don't understand just because it's fed by a GFCI that by itself will cause it (second one) to trip ???? Hopefully someone can explain that for all our benefit. X2 Randy, FWIW Thats how I was trained and understand it. A GFCI functions by the Hot/Line and Neutral passing through a Torroid Coil so if the outgoing Hot current is alllllllllll returned by the Neutral there's no current differential, no voltage is induced into the coil, NO TRIP. Having owned RV's for 50 years (before GFCI was even a thing) its been my experience with all the possible moisture, dust, dirt, humidity, internal and external outlets, sorted appliances, and the fact it ONLY TAKES 5/6 MILLIAMPS of fault current to trip, THATS WHY RV'S PLUGGED TO GFCI ARENT FRIENDLY. Randy PS, I like your use of the terminology as when I practiced and attended NEC Seminars the Neutral was referred to as the GROUNDED Conductor and the Hot/Line as the UNgrounded Conductor which is true, just not heard so much outside electrical circles. Love this sparky chat and the forum so maybe we can all learn more about GFCI's in this thread. Best wishes to all here, take care, be electrically safe !!!! John T Retired but still willing to learn.

Glenn, Likewise I have picked up new solar panels LOCALLY and from believe it an Amish dealer. Even if they may not have been quite as cheap as some online, no shipping to worry about CASH N CARRY and the little barefoot bonneted Amish girls even loaded them in back of my truck yayyyyyyyy John T

Dave, sorry I got here late, but as you know the eyebrow board CANT WORK unless it has power and on "some" (maybe yours maybe not ?) Dometic fridges I've owned over 50 years, as best I recall no warranty, it comes from where the little wire(s) leading up to the eyebrow panel connects to the rear control circuit board (some have wires to thermocouple and another to eyebrow off the circuit board). If you changed boards ?? and there's still no power FROM the board up TO the eyebrow ?? (that your case??) I'm puzzled same as you........IE if theres no power getting TO the eyebrow, that's where to look, versus the eyebrow itself... Many Dometic boards have a couple glass fuses onboard but they may be for other 12 and 120 volt loads (heater) instead of the eyebrow CHECK THE MANUALS WIRING DIAGRAM Of course, go by the MANUAL POSTED ABOVE NOT ME, Im in the dark just throwing out my experience which may or more likely NOT help one bit grrrrrrrrrrr John T

Good morning Jinx and Wayne.. Based on my experience, often and hopefully in your case ?? a cleaning and light (not heavy or sticky) spray lube may cure your problem. Any return spring obviously needs to be tight enough. Much cheaper n easier than replacement if all else is working properly. In 50 years of RV ownership I used several different styles and brands but in order to greatly extend the time between having to dump I went with a Marine Recirculating Toilet the last two RV's. However, to each their own as all methods have advantages as well as disadvantages. Best wishes to you and all here John T

Some (Converter/Chargers) are a part of (located behind) the assembly where you find your DC fuses and AC circuit breakers. Other Chargers may be stand alone units with 120 VAC input and Battery charging volage on output. They are much more than 4 watts, Id pure guess maybe a 20 or 30 Amp charger, likely NOT a Smart Multi State Regulated, they can take a relative LONG time to charge a very big or very discharged battery bank, but hey they get the job done for low energy users who don't dry camp often. Not sure what that Watt Out Meter is for, 4 watts isn't much, what other equipment or accessories does the RV have ??????? Best I have to offer based on little information John T

Thanks for the feedback, here's my response: YES its possible and common when dry camping to use the generator to power your Converter/Charger to charge the batteries. YES as you already know the alternator (if wired and correctly configured) can help charge house batteries when driving. From what you say it appears when driving you're wired and configured such that your alternator is charging your house batteries to some extent at least (NOT overcharged maybe or maybe not fully charged) ALLS WELL SO FAR and if it aint broke don't fix it... If charging via generator or shore power and your Converter/Charger isn't adequate that's not all that surprising and may be caused by: 1) Your Converter/Charger isn't rated very high (or poor quality or not working right or miswired), maybe its only 20 or 30 amps max ?????? 2) Your batteries may have some issues, had them checked and load tested recently??? Also they should be true Deep Cycle NOT starting batteries.... 3) You may not have adequate Amp Hours of battery energy storage. If all is working otherwise and your batteries are basically okay but you want faster charging YOU MAY JUST NEED A HIGHER RATED CHARGER. See what yours is rated for and if only say 20 or 30 Amps a 40 to 60 will charge faster. I suggest a Smart 3/4 Stage Regulated unit suitable for and matched (or programmable) for your batteries. I also strongly suggest you invest in a quality Shunt Based battery monitor to see the actual condition of your batteries and how many charging amps in or discharging amps are flowing out... NOTE its best to NOT discharge lead acid batteries over 50% of their rating !!!!!!!! FYI a fully charged lead acid battery at rest and stabilized at 67 Degrees would read 12.61 Volts while 11.98 Volts indicates 50% discharge....... Take a look at your Converter/Charger to determine its rating and specs,,,,,,,If a charger is working ??? when on battery voltage should rise to at least 13 and up to 14 or so subject to charger and batteries,,,,,,,,,Determine your battery type and rating and if necessary have them tested....... Best I have to offer for now John T BSEE,JD 50 year RV owner

Great advice from Chad above !!!!!!!!!!! Good morning Sir, good questions, here's my response: NOTE: When you say through the Inverter, Im thinking you mean through the charger??????? Or do you have a Combination Inverter/Charger?? 1) When you say "house batteries simply charging only to 13.6 on the Generator through the inverter" HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT TO BE THE CASE?? Typically the genset or shore power runs a Converter/Charger or a Combination Inverter/Charger (whichever you have) AND THE VOLTAGE AT WHICH THEY CHARGE DEPENDS ON THEIR DESIGN AND ANY PROGRAMMABLE OPTIONS. Iffffffffff its a so called Smart 3 Stage Charger for charging lead acid batteries, it may Bulk Charge at 14+ or so volts, Absorption charge at maybe 13.6 or so volts, Float charge at maybe 13.2 or so volts. THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON YOUR CHARGER DESIGN AND SPECS AND YOUR BATTERIES I have no idea what you have. If you have an older buzz box more like a constant voltage charger (perhaps constant 13+) they may given enough time possibly overcharge but that's older technology and again depends on the charger and your batteries. 2) You ask "And I understand that they charge up to 14. on the alternator. So is the alternator hurting my batterys charging at such a high state? SHORT ANSWER PROBABLY NOT (absent detailed info and battery specs I just cant say for sure) Typically an alternator may indeed charge around 14 Volts. HOWEVER is your alternator connected (perhaps via a solid state dual battery isolator or a solenoid arrangement) so it charges your house batteries as well ?????? SOME ARE SOME ARE NOT. That being asked and said, the Engine and House batteries SHOULD BE THE SAME TYPE AND CHEMISTRY and ifffffffffff you're wired such that when driving the alternator is also providing charge to your house batteries ??? the chances of damaging your house batteries from overcharging may be minimal, BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE WIRING, LINE VOLTAGE DROP, AND ALTERNATORS VOLTAGE REGULATION PLUS YOUR HOUSE BATTERIES. Ive owned several RV's in which case when driving the alternator charged BOTH engine and house batteries BUT ALL WERE WET FLODED LEAD ACID I never had any overcharging problems due to line voltage drop and other losses. BUT I CANT SAY NOT KNOWING YOUR BATTERIES AND WIRING. Id take a PURE GUESS the chances of overcharging via the alternator (due to wiring, line voltage drop and loses) are MUCH MUCH LESS (maybe even never) than overcharging via the Charger, but I dont know your charger specs HARD TO SAY HERE IN THE DARK One more recent and modern method to provide a more correct charge using the alternator to charge house batteries (Proper programmable charging not overcharge) is to use a DC TO DC CHARGER. That way your alternator isnt over worked plus your batteries can be correctly charged. NOTES: 1) If you don't already have one I suggest upgrading to a so called SMART Regulated 3/4 Stage Charger (matched for YOUR batteries) so shore or generator power correctly charges your house batteries... 2) If you have a solid state dual battery isolator or some sort of a solenoid configuration so when driving your alternator charges BOTH engine and house batteries, I WOULD WANT ALL TO BE THE SAME CHEMISTRY (DO NOT to mix lead acid and lithium !!). That method has been used usually okay without overcharging (I did it often back in the day NEVER overcharged) house batteries BUT IT DEPENDS ON WIRING, BATTERIES AND ALTERNATOR. If you knew your chargers specs and design,,,,,,,,your battery details,,,,,,,your configuration for connecting engine and house batteries,,,,,,,,,I may be able to provide more accurate info, so for now only take the above with a grain of salt and consider it as a start and basic education, NOT final advice. John T Best I have to offer based on such limited information

Hey Greg, howdy fellow Hoosier. Im puzzled with your statement above since if plugged to shore power and iffffffffffff your Converter/Charger is working, wired correct and your house batteries are good ?? the house battery should be charged after being plugged in. If the house batteries discharge EVEN WHEN PLUGGED TO SHORE POWER thats the FIRST problem (bad charger ? bad batteries or connection ?) you need to address !!!! If its working and charging when plugged in BUT DISCHARGES AFTER SETTING UNPLUGGED (phantom loads) thats the SECOND problem you need to address. Not being there I will assume for now and proceed that your genset is powered by your house batteries, if NOT post back I will make changes to the below In the event the genset is powered by your house batteries (very typical) but they are discharged for whatever reason and your Converter/Charger isn't charging them YOUR GENSET WONT START WELL DUH you already know that.......So you have to get them tested (many shops will charge and load test for free) and charged up then see if it will crank ?? What is the voltage of your house batteries ?? If fully charged at rest and stabilized (no chargers no loads) Id expect around 12.6 volts and when plugged to shore power iffffffffff your batteries are good ?? and the charger is good ?? battery voltage should rise to 13 to 14 or so volts DO THEY ???? I have seen EITHER bad house batteries orrrrrrrrrrrrr a faulty Converter/Charger (or a wiring problem) be the cause of discharge such that the genny wont crank or RV 12 Volt lights/appliances/vent fans/water pumps fail to work. 1) DO OTHER HOUSE BATTERY 12 VOLT LOADS AND LIGHTS WORK ?? orrrrrrrrrrrrrr 2) Is it ONLY the genset wont crank ??????? If NOTHING works (genny or 12 Volt coach lights and appliances) I suspect your house batteries are bad or DISCHARGED or there's a bad connection or fuse or DC breaker or disconnect problem. If its ONLY the genny that doesn't crank but the 12 Volt house lights and appliances do, then I suspect a wiring or connection problem (thats assuming the house batteries are what powers the genset NOT the engine battery) (A) Two methods to charge house batteries using engines alternator 1. On some (not all) RV set ups the engines alternator can provide some degree of charge to the house batteries (may have a solid state dual battery isolator or some sort of relay function (may latch only AFTER a time delay) when running). Ifffffffffffff that's the case in YOUR RV ?? and all is correct, running the engine should after some time charge BOTH the engine and house batteries.......SEE IF RUNNING THE ENGINE CHARGES THE HOUSE BATTERIES AND THE GENNY WILL EVENTUALLY CRANK GIVEN ADEQUATE TIME ??????? 2. On some other different (not all) RV set ups there's an emergency switch that when activated it jumps the engine to house batteries. If you can start the engine TRY RUNNING THE ENGINE WITH THE EMERGENCY SWITCH ACTIVATED FOR SOME TIME (may take a while) TO SEE IF THE GENNY CRANKS THEN ???? (B) To charge house batteries using Converter/Charger (if working and batteries not shot) Just plug to shore power, give it some time, then see if genny cranks?? BOTTOM LINE 1) You need to determine if the house (most common) or engine battery powers the genny ??? 2) You need to see if the house batteries are good and charged ??? TRY THAT SEE IF GENY STARTS !!!!!!!!! 3) You need to see if when plugged to shore power your converter/charger is charging the house batteries (IE battery voltage will rise to 13 to 14 IF working)?? 4) You need to determine if you have an emergency switch that jumps engine and house batteries together ?? 5) You need to see if you have a solid state dual battery isolator or a solenoid that ties engine and house batteries when driving to charge BOTH ?? CHECK AND TEST VOLTAGE OF HOUSE BATTERIES WHEN SETTING AND WHEN CHARGER IS OPERATING??????? If low orrrrrrrrrrrrrr sure genny itself may have a problem or wiring or connection etc. YOU MAY JUST HAVE BAD OR DEAD HOUSE BATTERIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get them charged (using EITHER converter/charger or engines alternator) then if the genny starts you just have to fix the charging issue or perhaps the batteries are shot !!! PS when you state the genny wont start even off the engine battery, its often NOT connected to it anyway UNLESS an emergency switch is activated or its wired different from typical...Again if the alternator charges the house batteries it may take some time of engine running before the genny will start. Nuff for now, post back your findings or questions John T Home in Indiana for now

I follow the industry fairly close and regardless of any standards the more and more bells n whistles the more n more problems (to be expected). Soooooooooo many auto levelers,,,,,,, or slide outs,,,,,,,,,, or power awnings,,,,,,,,,,or the aqua heating and water heating systems,,,,,,,,,,,have problems grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Fortunately I don't have most of those and have to struggle with doing it manually but I get by lol and some never have problems with any of that yayyyyyyyyyyyyy for them Im a HUGE believer in preventive maintenance which can help John T

Thanks, I will have to see what that Chad has to say John T

Good afternoon Chad, thanks for contributing to this interesting thread. The Hughes (cant create or destroy energy) has to loose some energy to heat. I agree there's a limit to how much it can boost the voltage and many such devices Im aware of were maybe 2 1/2% and less than 10%. REGARDLESS it cant create more energy than it draws from the park and the park supplies the power to operate it. It's NOT a current source or a voltage source, the park supplies that. One needs the wiring diagrams and specs to dig deeper but this is fun in the meantime for us sparkies lol Electrical Energy IN has to equal Electrical Energy PLUS Heat Energy OUT !!!!!! It cant create or destroy energy UNLESS THE LAWS OF PHYSICS HAVE CHANGED !!! Regardless exactly how it works, it's good for and helps the user but its fair amount of I Squared R heat energy loss (depends on efficiency, maybe 85% to 90% rest is wasted heat) comes from the park. There's just no free energy grrrrrrrr transformers produce heat WELL DRATS This is NOT to say they aren't great for the user as maintaining proper voltage helps the user DUH same as surge protectors help the user, now if they could only create energy ?? and NOT produce wasted heat hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I want one lol Nice sparky chatting with yall. Hey even if one doesn't know the in depth operation of an RV device (like the Hughes) that sure don't mean they aren't great devices GO FOR IT Im looking into them myself John T

As you know it can't create energy or make electricity, its a total PASSIVE device and there are indeed heat energy losses which equal I Squared R, but I didn't think it was a tap changer ?? While it can change the voltage and current relationship, REGARDLESS the electrical energy OUT is LESS THAN the electrical energy IN due to heat losses. Energy out = Energy in PLUS heat energy, the two are equal per the laws of physics.. IE to have more voltage out it looks like it would take more current in NOT less ?? Still a bit of mystery lol IT HAS HEAT ENERGY LOSSES I dont know its efficiency but a good guess may be in the 85% to 95% range as they do produce heat John T Still curious

Thank you very much palmeris..........It obviously doesn't produce energy or make electricity (well DUH) and is connected to the parks power source and then "What it is doing is changing the voltage – amperage relationship" Thanks for taking the time to look that up yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy John T

Good mornin Second Chance; FWIW as I have no specs data or wiring diagrams, it's my understanding the Hughes product IS NOT what I call a Tap Changer method of voltage regulation in which case over and under voltage was automatically corrected by switching the secondary over to different taps off the transformers primary IE TAP CHANGERS. One OTHER method of voltage regulation involves using a transformers heavy iron and magnetic material TO STORE ENERGY IN THE MAGNETIC FIELD which can be used/discharged in cases of low INPUT voltage (like a brownout) to boost its OUTPUT voltage if needed. As Energy = Volts x Amps x Time and if the transformer stores ENERGY in its heavy magnetic material field, if the INPUT voltage were to drop the transformer could draw from its stored energy and/or draw more INPUT CURRENT to maintain the correct OUTPUT VOLTAGE. If ? thats how the Hughes works (not saying yes or no) one could consider it to be using (call it stealing if you like) more CURRENT in order to raise/maintain voltage at the Hughes owners site ??? I would NOT consider it as taking/stealing DIRECTLY from your neighbor, but taking it FROM THE PARKS DISTRIBUTION........HOWEVER drawing excess current can cause voltage drop AT YOUR NEIGHBOR and rest of park.. A sematic problem perhaps but the laws of physics prevail and Energy = Volts x Amps x Time and its possible to draw more current in order to increase voltage in a device but is that how a Hughes works ?????????????? DISCLAIMER i have no specs data or wiring diagrams so I DO NOT know if the Hughes works like that. IM ONLY SAYING its possible to draw MORE CURRENT (from the park maybe steal/drop/lower neighbors voltage if you like) in order to maintain output voltage at the Hughes owner site If anyone knows exactly how the Hughes works PLEASE LET US KNOW. I do think it could draw more current thereby cause voltage drop at other sites in the park ??? John T Retired yet ever curious engineer open to learn.

Neighbor Ray, most (but NOT all) jurisdictions have adopted the NFPA, HOWEVER unless its changed, some cities like Chicago HAVE THEIR OWN RULES. Everywhere I practiced it was pursuant to NFPA. Despite any RVIA or NEC standards where applicable, in over 50 years of RVing, unfortunately I experienced a ton of poor quality RV construction techniques ESPECIALY in electricals grrrrrrrrrrrr John T

Hey bigjim, I'm pretty much the same ESPECIALY in RV applications where you're sleeping amongst all that light flammable plywood tender grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr The NEC (my bible for years when practicing and attending their seminars) can be considered as a set of MINIMUM STANDARDS so no harm if an RV is a bit OVER ENGINEERED, in my engineer's opinion. Do it RIGHT (or even more) better safe than sorry !!! Im glad to see there's more than one of us who thinks this way lol Hey Neighbor Ray, indeed that was a fun analogy and right on the money!! (What if any such little difference matters for near resistive loads) As you know when a load approaches more n more resistive (heaters, hair dryers, insta pots, etc) the two metrics VA and Watts ARE NEAR THE SAME very little difference in accuracy, however, as it becomes more inductive (transformer or computer power supplies, AC, motors etc) they can be quite different. People our age forget SURELY NOT LOL I also learned from this discussion and hope others did likewise. John T

THANKS for the update, here's my response and answers: 1) It appears your extra under the hood battery may well be what I first guessed way up above in my third NOTE option, it was for the generator ??????????? Still no warranty not being there sorry. The other two methods whereby motorhomes can start the generator were by using the coach battery (most common per some above) ORRRRRRR the Engine battery (less common per some above)......... 2) YESSSSSSSSSS its possible for the gen battery to be wired in parallel with your three AGM coach batteries.. YESSSSSSSSSS it makes sense if the genny battery and/or batteries connected with it in parallel are low voltage the genny cant crank and it supports the genny and coach batteries MAY BE in parallel NO WARRANTY 3) If the genny has its own charging circuit ??? and ifffffffffffff its battery is connected in parallel with your three AGM coach batteries ??? it could also help charge the coach batteries but those are typically very low amperage. Its possible (IF genny battery is in parallel with coach batteries) some of the cables on the green genny battery wire down to your three AGM coach batteries while the other(s) are what wire to the generator to start it. FYI NOTE Even if it can work IM NOT A FAN OF CONNECTING DIFFERENT BRAND, AGE, STYLE, CHEMISTRY, LOCATION, BATTERIES IN PARALLEL !!!!!!!!!!! What Im saying is I DO NOT LIKE AN UNDER THE HOOD WET FLOODED LEAD ACID BATTERY USED IN PARALLEL WITH THREE SEPARATE AGM COACH BATTERIES even if sure it works !!!!!!!! OPTIONS 1) If it aint broke dont fix it leave it as is where is......... 2) I would consider doing away with the extra under the hood genny battery and let the three AGM coach batteries power it. Thats the more common method per some (including mine) opinions above and can work fine if wired correctly. PS MY preference (IFFFFFFFF its as it appears??) would be to use the three AGM coach batteries to power the genset. That would be easy to convert if you go that route and need help post back....... There ya go thats my best new guesses not being there !!!!!!!!! John T

Great story Kirk, thanks for posting. Good to see a little humor on here. But I wonder just how attractive she was lol John T

You are so welcome bigjim, glad to help. INDEED if an office uses a lot of computers which can result in a relatively high inductive load, Watts DOES NOT equal Volt Amps and I congratulate you for your justifiable concerns. FYI I designed several computer facilities and in those I NEVER specified any Multi Wire Branch Circuits,,,,,,,,Specified many ISOLATED GROUND circuits,,,,,,,,,,,Specified many dedicated branch circuits, and properly well OVER engineered the Equipment GroundING and Bonding circuitry. When designing computer facility power distribution I instructed my electricians Bond to EVERY READILY (even less readily) AVAILABE GROUNDING ELECTRODE. Do it RIGHT, do it SAFE, do it in compliance with the NEC, consider Power Factor, and you will be rewarded. Best wishes now thanks for your feedback John T BSEE,JD

Good info Denny, thanks for posting, I found your experience to be the same as mine in residential applications. Often if the Power Factor is near unity (more typical in residential) Watts was IN THAT CASE close to Volt Amps so not many more calculations were necessary for properly and safely sizing devices, components, conductors and over current protection in accordance with the NEC. Those designs were EASY PEASEY. HOWEVER as you an electrician (NOT the common average untrained electrical user) well knows when designing power distribution where the loads consisted of several computers or a lot of HVAC or motors or transformer based power supplies etc. POWER FACTOR AND WATTS VERSUS VOLT AMP DIFFERENCE BECOMES MORE CRITICAL and MUST be accounted for and dealt with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even when we designed Power Distribution for home or business offices that used a lot of computers POWER FACTOR became relative as watts did NOT equal Volt Amps in those situations. Of course we professional electricians and engineers understand Power Factor and the difference in Watts versus Volt Amps and realize the two are the same ONLY IF the load is pure resistive which computers, motors, HVAC compressors etc ARE NOT !!!!!!!!! Sooooooooooooo (for the average common untrained user) simply considering Watts is the same as Volt Amps ABSENT ANY POWER FACTOR INFORMATION OR CONSIDERATION is incorrect and incomplete while Volt Amps x Power Factor = Watts is correct, complete and is soooooooooooo easy, simple and non complicated. No sense in thinking and doing it incomplete or wrong when right is so easy. YES (as you know) Watts is equal to Volt Amps but ONLY ifffffffffffffffffffff the load is pure resistive. So disregard Power Factor (just say Watts and Volt Amps are the same) at your own peril is my best professional advice for the other untrained electrical readers here !!!!!!!!!!! PS Denny when you stated "I did get asked what VA was a few times and some were worried like the OP that it was voltage and I gave the same answer, it's just watts and don't worry about it." GOOD ANSWER, THEY (Non electrical trained common average folks) WOULDNT HAVE KNOWN THE DIFFERENCE EVEN IF YOU TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT TO THEM REGARDLESS LOL Its a pleasure sparky chatting with you Denny as one who certainly understands Power Factor and the difference in Watts versus Volt Amps and I hope we have helped educate the others but fear we may have lost and/or bored them to death lol Take Care Denny, best wishes, its been fun sparky chatting with a knowledgeable professional !!! We have this down maybe we helped others ?? John T BSEE,JD Electrical Power Distribution Design Engineer