Charging from your vehicle

rickwe818

Hi guys! Got a quick question about charging RV battery. Does the battery switch need to be turned to the ON position while you are traveling in order for it to charge from the vehicle? Thanks!

Michael

I can tell you that my solar panel does charge the battery with the switch off but I would suspect that the tow vehicle would not. There are two circuits set up from the factory on my T@G connected to the battery. One goes through the switch and the other one goes straight to the solar controller.

rickwe818

Thanks! The reason I asked is I was told more that once that the battery is charged while rolling down the road. Now, I'm not certain if they were referring to the solar panel charging it, or the tow vehicle. I know someone did tell me that newer vehicles with tow pigtails are set up to automatically to charge the RV battery.

TomD

The battery switch must be on to complete the circuit. Otherwise no charge from the TV.

Michigan_Mike

If you're unsure of it, hook your tow vehicle to the trailer, plug the trailer in to the receptacle at the rear, use an LED digital 12V DC meter (cigarette style plug), run your vehicle with it plugged in and take voltage reads while turning the battery switch on and off. I have heard people say their wiring was incorrect as some switches have been installed by others after the trailer was built. Additionally, some vehicles come wired with a charge line wired to the battery (there should be a fuse at the battery), but not all vehicles have this dedicated charge line running to the rear of the vehicle, so there are times when people find this out the hard way while traveling and away from home. This is why it's always good idea to verify things on your own with a digital volt meter to ensure your trailer battery is receiving a charge.

rickwe818

Thanks TomD! I imagined that the switch has to be on. Thank you too,
to Michigan Mike!

WilliamA

I have a small (1 1/8") digital volt gauge wired into my trailer. It's in the wall by the radio. It's permanently wired, not on a switch and gives my battery condition all the time. When I plug into my tow vehicle I can open the door and instantly see if the connections are working.

WilliamA