RV battery charging question

[SMLEshooter]

Thought I'd ask here after looking online elsewhere for a while.

I have a motorhome with two battery banks. The house batteries and an engine starting battery.

The motorhome does not charge the house batteries while driving down the road, only charges the engine starting battery.

We're planning a trip shortly and I don't have time to figure why it's not charging the house batteries.

If I just jumper a heavy duty cable from the positive side of the engine battery to the positive side of the house batteries, will that cause a long term problem?

I tried it out temporarily and both banks charged, but am concerned about damaging either the batteries or the motorhome's engine charging system if I go a couple of weeks doing it...

 

[harrycalahan]

No problem but you’ll give your alternator a workout if you run the batteries down and start calling for more juice via headlights or other accessories while driving. If you keep them topped off at stops then no sweat.

 

[jeep78]

You should have an isolator that allows charging both batteries, but will not allow the house system to feed off the start batteries.

 

[SMLEshooter]

No problem but you’ll give your alternator a workout if you run the batteries down and start calling for more juice via headlights or other accessories while driving. If you keep them topped off at stops then no sweat.

Got it, thanks.

The plan is to stop every night and plug into shore power, which will charge the house batteries.

Going to be running a small inverter for the TV and DVD player, as well as the DC refrigerator while driving and didn't want to arrive at the destination after 8 to 10 hours with dead house batteries...

Will remove the jumper at night while connected to shore power.

 

[gregmanz]

I’d order two small solar panel chargers just to always keep them maintained

Maybe 3


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Danny Flucke]

Just installed 300W solar system to keep the batteries topped off while its parked and for running AC where/when generators are not allowed.

About $1200 installed...

 

[MegaFan]

Just installed 300W solar system... and for running AC where/when generators are not allowed.

How large of a battery bank and what amp-hour ratings on the batteries do you have that is designed to run your A/C? If you have at least 2, 100 amp-hour batteries, plus a high efficiency 1500 watt or less A/C unit, the properly sized inverter system, etc., tests indicate you might be able to run you A/C for up to about an hour and a half; otherwise you risk damaging the A/C unit, not to mention any other operating devices. Running lights and small amp draw devices should be okay, but operating an A/C unit on batteries is a huge challenge. Just my two cents worth.

Also, check out this video for what he used to get about an hour and a half of A/C run time.

 

[benjamin]

I have diesel pusher with four batteries, believe me there is no need to do anything, fridge is probably on propane anyway. When you start wiring different batteries with different conditions you are going to boil batteries that do not need charge.