Charging RV Battery

[Mag]

Do our trucks come wired with the circuit to the plug to charge the RV's battery while the tow vehicle is running? If not ,please tell me the proper way to wire this circuit.

Thanks Greig

 

[Big Best]

Well, they usually charge them selves, has your battery got a extra wire hooked to it with a fuse on it? Usually it is red 10-ga. This wire is always hot, mine comes off the altenator. but you can run it direct from the battery. hook it to the positive side of battery. Your truck will keep it charged , So will your trailer inverter be sure to fuse it

 

[Casey Balvert]

Originally posted by Mag

Do our trucks come wired with the circuit to the plug to charge the RV's battery while the tow vehicle is running? If not ,please tell me the proper way to wire this circuit.

Thanks Greig

The factory trailer wiring includes a +12 volt line protected by a 40 amp fuse. Your trailer is probably wired up so that your battery will charge while under tow. To confirm that, just check the voltage on the trailer battery when the truck is hooked up to it and running at fast idle. Just make sure to unplug your trailer from shore line first. If it is over 13 volts, your battery is being charged. Just don't expect a lot from it as that wire is bringing current from the alternator from a long way. It will charge your battery but it will take time. You can run a separate heavy gauge wire but the effort is probably not worth it. FWIW



Cheers, Casey

 

[Thomas]

And since the RV is connected to the Ram's batteries, the RV has the ability to discharge the Ram's batteries.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Trailer battery

The truck is wired to charge the battrery if you have the factory tow package. The trailer also has a converter which changes 110 shore power to 12v for running the lights, etc in the trailer. Neither of the above will maintain the battery in a satisfactory condition especially if you dry camp. For traveling and staying in RV parks both will suffice untill you get back home but the battery willl need to be checked and maintained with proper charge by you for any kind of life expectancy. If you leave the trailer hooked up to shore power while not in use the converter will either boil all the water out of the battery or it will not fully charge it. Some of the latest converters may be better but the older ones just don't cut it as far as battery upkeep is concerned. bg

 

[Mag]

Thanks for the info guys. I do have the trailer tow package so I guess I'm good to go.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Originally posted by Thomas

And since the RV is connected to the Ram's batteries, the RV has the ability to discharge the Ram's batteries.

You are absolutely right, Thomas. One does have to be careful not to discharge the tow vehicle batteries. Do that two or three times and you will be buying new batteries for the truck. If you are going to be stopped for a while it would be prudent to disconnect the trailer electrical connector. Even better would be to install a battery combiner such as used in marine applications. Using a diode type battery isolator results in a considerable voltage drop and only partially charged batteries in the trailer.



Cheers, Casey

 

[clem]

Originally posted by Mag

Do our trucks come wired with the circuit to the plug to charge the RV's battery while the tow vehicle is running? If not ,please tell me the proper way to wire this circuit.

Thanks Greig

If you have the tow package. The charge line is there,all trailers are wired also. You can light your running lights by jumpering the top 2 pins in the trailer connector. Oo. Clem If not you need to run a #10 wire from the pos. side of one of the bats. through a relay that turns on when the key is in the run possion then to the trailer plug. This will keep you from killing your start batts .

 

[ronco]

A little off subject but.....

how do you know if you have the factory tow package?



Ronco

 

[B.G. Smith]

Trailer tow

Quickest way to determine if you have the tow package is to look inside the Power Distributin Center under the hood and see if there is a trailer relay installed. The tow package includes transmission cooler, the relay to handle the power supply, a plug in adapter for the brake contoller and the 7 pin plug at the rear for trailer, also a receiver type hitch etal. bg

 

[ronco]

Thanks for the heads up B. G. My truck had a brake controller and receiver hitch when I got it. The lighting relay is in the P. D. C.



Ronco