A Recreational vehicle is used for those long and relaxing rides when you are on vacation with your family. The last thing you would want is having to deal with car issues as you are on the road, more so if it is an issue with the car battery.
Does My Truck Charge My RV? Yes, it does. This can be achieved even as the truck is being driven provided you have the necessary requirements in place.
The car battery might be causing issues because it has been drained or it has some damages. You will need to have it checked or even opt for a way for the truck to charge the RV battery.
Ways to Charge a RV Battery With a Truck
You will have to have a useful voltage controlled relay that will automatically disconnect as well as parallels the auxiliary and start batteries. When the relay is closed both the truck and the trailer batteries get paralleled to the preset level.
When the truck is switched on, the relay gets opened and the two batteries get disconnected when the truck is switched off.
For the second part you will have to use quality amperage cables which are used to combine the batteries and minimize the drop in voltage. Anderson plugs have the ability to offer a good connection that reduces the loss of voltage and can also carry a significant amount of amperage.
What You Need to Know About the RV Battery
The RV battery system is quite a unique one when compared to the normal car battery system. Your rig’s internal setup is powered up by the RV battery. this includes the electronic devices in the coach, the vent fan and even if you have a refrigerator.
This battery, the RV battery comprises of two specific systems; one 120-volt AC and another 12-Volt DC system. The former comes across as the most powerful and is used to run your air conditioner and even the refrigerator in the coach. For this battery to be operated, you have to hook it to shore power or even operate an electricity generator that is able to charge a big battery like this.
On the other hand, the 12-volt system is able to charge when you are hooked up, or even running your generator and even when driving. Its small capacity enables it power simple systems like overhead fans, lights and water systems.
How to Spot a Good RV Battery
In the market out there, there is a wide variety of RV batteries to choose from. The most notable ones have the following features:
• Lithium batteries: this type of batteries replaced the lead-acid batteries that were most common. even though they come across as expensive, they have the capability of offering quite a number of pros when used for your recreational vehicle.
They are light and small in size and require simple and basic maintenance unlike other battery types. Unlike wet cell batteries, you do not need to top up the electrolyte. Such type of batteries are long lasting and quite reliable all through their lifetime.
• Deep-cycle batteries: these are lead-acid batteries and can be used in ordinary boats and golf carts. Just like a car battery, it is able to use, create and retain power through a series of chemical and electric processes.
The only notable difference is that they have the ability of supplying a constant amount of current over a long period while car batteries deliver a lot of current over a short period. You can get a variety of deep cycle batteries, they include; flooded wet-cell batteries, absorbed glass mat batteries and even gel-type batteries.
How to Maintain a RV Battery
Maintenance is key in determining the reliability of your car battery when you use it. this will enable a battery deliver as required all throughout its lifetime. When it comes to the RV battery, the maintenance depends on the type of battery in question. As indicated in the above discussion, the lithium battery does not as much attention as the deep-cycle battery.
For the deep cycle batteries, you will have to keep a close look on the electrolyte level. After a period of time they tend to loose water and it needs to be topped up. Distilled water does the trick and reduces the probability of sulfation. The battery also has to be fully charged even before performing any maintenance practices.
Clean the battery terminals to clear corrosion that builds up on them. This will help avoid a case of short circuiting the battery. A solution of baking soda and a scrubbing tool does away with the corrosion.
Waiting until your battery’s charge goes too low beyond a specific level is not advisable. This makes it prone to sulfation. To avoid this, you should regularly charge your car battery.
How to Properly Store Your RV Battery
As you are dealing with a recreational vehicle, you might not want to use it for a long period of time. As it lays idle in the garage, the battery might begin discharging and might go flat after sometime. This tends to cause the battery to experience some complications.
You should disconnect the battery and bring it home. At the comfort of your home, you will have to check the voltage of your battery. Keeping in a cool environment also kills flooded cell batteries and makes them worthless. However, when it is charged this will not happen.
Conclusion
As seen from the above your truck can charge the RV battery provided you have all the necessary equipment in place. This is ideal if you have a battery that normally experiences some issues.
You should also practise basic maintenance for your battery to avoid complications that arise from poor maintenance. One of the being regular charging and disconnecting it when not in use for a very long time.
