I've noticed while en route back to Oregon, our coach batteries will heavily charge after being plugged into shore power after our day's trip. We've never seen this before, perhaps the TV alternator is not charging them while underway. We have a residential fridge, which draws less than 2A AC (probably about 20A DC). The F350 has a 225A alternator which should keep up the battery charge with no problem. Anyone got ideas, or has anyone else experienced this problem before?
Also wondering how the charge line gets from the 4 square box by the pin box to the battery compartment. Can't find on any drawing. Or does it go directly into the converter box? Can't find that either.
I have not placed a meter on this to see what the actual results are, but understand that the alternator wire heading to the back of the TV is likely a #16 or #18 gauge wire. A #14 at best. That's like trying to pour 100 gallons of water down a 1/8" tube. It's gonna take a while.
You may want to try and change that wire to a #10 from the alternator to the pin connector. Maybe even a #8. Your voltage will go up and your batteries will charge faster.
Also remember that if you are like the rest of us, you have (2) RV batteries to charge in addition to your TV battery and TV accessories (fed from the TV battery).
As for the routing from the Pin Box J-Box, I would suspect that it runs straight to the batteries (or at least the buss bar) although I have not confirmed this yet. Your alternator is a for a 12 V charge. Why run it to an invertor?
I have (2) 220 Amp alternators. So far so good. I also have (2) TV batteries. I think I can run the Empire State Building 😆
I've noticed while en route back to Oregon, our coach batteries will heavily charge after being plugged into shore power after our day's trip. We've never seen this before, perhaps the TV alternator is not charging them while underway. We have a residential fridge, which draws less than 2A AC (probably about 20A DC). The F350 has a 225A alternator which should keep up the battery charge with no problem. Anyone got ideas, or has anyone else experienced this problem before?
I haven't had this problem but I have a couple of suggestion.
I would check the RV plug for debris and good contact with the socket in the truck, I had an intermittent brake (display showed trailer disconnected), I cleaned up the plug prongs with my wife's nail file and bent the prongs in a bit to ensure a better connection. I thought about using conductive grease but that would create a messy grinding compound if I got some sand etc. in the connector, so I didn't use any.
I looked in the box where the RV plug wires terminate going into the RW, the battery line from there to the terminal block ahead of the batts is quite substantial (at the least 10 GA).
You could try to re-wire the truck side (it would be easy if you have the optional aux power switches) but the limiting factor would be the wire size in the 7 way cable from the truck to the RV, the power wire isn't that big.
On edit, another suggestion, and not knowing how the connections with the battery switch looks on your unit, but is the battery switch in the "on" position?
I've noticed while en route back to Oregon, our coach batteries will heavily charge after being plugged into shore power after our day's trip. We've never seen this before, perhaps the TV alternator is not charging them while underway. We have a residential fridge, which draws less than 2A AC (probably about 20A DC). The F350 has a 225A alternator which should keep up the battery charge with no problem. Anyone got ideas, or has anyone else experienced this problem before?
I haven't had this problem but I have a couple of suggestion.
I would check the RV plug for debris and good contact with the socket in the truck, I had an intermittent brake (display showed trailer disconnected), I cleaned up the plug prongs with my wife's nail file and bent the prongs in a bit to ensure a better connection. I thought about using conductive grease but that would create a messy grinding compound if I got some sand etc. in the connector, so I didn't use any.
I looked in the box where the RV plug wires terminate going into the RW, the battery line from there to the terminal block ahead of the batts is quite substantial (at the least 10 GA).
You could try to re-wire the truck side (it would be easy if you have the optional aux power switches) but the limiting factor would be the wire size in the 7 way cable from the truck to the RV, the power wire isn't that big.
On edit, another suggestion, and not knowing how the connections with the battery switch looks on your unit, but is the battery switch in the "on" position?
If you use the #10 or #8 TO the pin, that helps overcome the resistive values of the wire. 12V just has a hard time traveling a mear distance of 20'
