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07-06-2019, 08:06 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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Battery Charging Question ???
I am sure this has been beat to death. I have a 16 Axis 25.2. I did a search on this and am getting conflicting answers. Does the chassis battery charge when plugged into shore power or off the generator. Does the chassis alternator charge the house battery's as well as the chassis battery?
Thanks a lot,
Kevin
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07-06-2019, 08:58 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Model: 3719 Newmar
State: Arkansas
Posts: 656
THOR #14120
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I have a Hurricane so it may be different. My batteries charge off the generator, or shore power and if the engine is running.
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07-06-2019, 09:42 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
Posts: 2,475
THOR #1765
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
I am sure this has been beat to death. I have a 16 Axis 25.2. I did a search on this and am getting conflicting answers. Does the chassis battery charge when plugged into shore power or off the generator. Does the chassis alternator charge the house battery's as well as the chassis battery?
Thanks a lot,
Kevin
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I have a 2016 Axis 24.1 and the chassis and coach batteries charge both ways - if your system is working correctly. You can easily check with a volt meter. If the engine is running, the voltage on the coach batteries should be between 13.5 and 14.1v. If the coach is on shore power or generator, the chassis battery should read the same.
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07-06-2019, 11:39 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 32A
State: Florida
Posts: 1,873
THOR #2829
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On Thor class A gas, built on F350/F450/F53 chassis, the coach and chassis batteries SHOULD charge from any of shore/genny/engine sources... a BIRD/Trombetta or Battery Control Center manage the connections of house to chassis...
There are cases where the batteries will be isolated.. First two minutes running, and if voltage too low on one set (to prevent drawing all down)
Appears at least some Thor Class C rigs built on Ford chassis do NOT charge the chassis from shore power/genny...
Mercedes won’t allow anything to charge chassis batteries except their alternator (though engine should charge to coach...)
There will always be an exception... but this is what I have gleaned from many conversations on the topic...
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Greg
Not yet retired...
Florida (Michigan transplant)
2014 Hurricane 32A
2000 Infinity (previous)
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07-07-2019, 12:10 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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I checked it with a volt meter and it is charging both ways. Is that more of a trickle charge or is it a full on charger?
Thanks for the help.
Kevin
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07-07-2019, 12:18 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 32A
State: Florida
Posts: 1,873
THOR #2829
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
I checked it with a volt meter and it is charging both ways. Is that more of a trickle charge or is it a full on charger?
Thanks for the help.
Kevin
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Charge mode varies by need, but has bulk charge mode, and eventually should end up as float charger.
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Greg
Not yet retired...
Florida (Michigan transplant)
2014 Hurricane 32A
2000 Infinity (previous)
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07-07-2019, 01:32 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
Posts: 2,475
THOR #1765
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
I checked it with a volt meter and it is charging both ways. Is that more of a trickle charge or is it a full on charger?
Thanks for the help.
Kevin
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In the Axis, your converter/charger (if it is working correctly- a big if) has three stages. If the batteries (either the coach or chassis) are below 50% charged, the charger puts it about 14.1v until all the batteries are above 50%. Then the charger drops down to about 13.6v until all the batteries are are fully charged when it drops down to about 13.1v - maintenance charge. This is to keep the batteries fully charged and not boil and ruin your batteries. Unfortunately, the converter/charger in the Axis (WFCO) is not the best. I have had two in my 2014 Vegas and Axis and neither worked as they should. One would not go into boost mode and the second would not go into maintenance mode - which can quickly ruin your batteries. I replaced the one in my Axis with a Progressive Dynamics and it works as it should.
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07-07-2019, 02:33 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: California
Posts: 258
THOR #3186
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If you leave the house power on all batteries will charge wether by solar, generator or shore power. Turn that switch off - oh oh.
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07-07-2019, 09:03 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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Why turn the switch off?
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07-07-2019, 12:17 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
Posts: 2,475
THOR #1765
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Sorry. I don’t understand the last two posts. What do you mean by “house power” and what switch are you talking about?
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07-07-2019, 02:33 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: California
Posts: 274
THOR #10354
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oneilkeys
In the Axis, your converter/charger (if it is working correctly- a big if) has three stages. If the batteries (either the coach or chassis) are below 50% charged, the charger puts it about 14.1v until all the batteries are above 50%. Then the charger drops down to about 13.6v until all the batteries are are fully charged when it drops down to about 13.1v - maintenance charge. This is to keep the batteries fully charged and not boil and ruin your batteries. Unfortunately, the converter/charger in the Axis (WFCO) is not the best. I have had two in my 2014 Vegas and Axis and neither worked as they should. One would not go into boost mode and the second would not go into maintenance mode - which can quickly ruin your batteries. I replaced the one in my Axis with a Progressive Dynamics and it works as it should.
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Good and thorough post. I leave my unit plugged in all of the time AND leave the RUN/STORE switch in the RUN mode to keep the coach batteries "floated".
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07-07-2019, 03:46 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: California
Posts: 258
THOR #3186
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
Why turn the switch off?
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If you don’t have solar, shoe power or a generator running and your switch is not on store but use, you will drain the batteries rather quickly and oh oh occurs. That’s why you have store.
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07-08-2019, 11:20 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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What is quickly. 15 minutes or 1 day. Will it also drain my chassis battery?
Thanks a lot
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07-08-2019, 12:01 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
Posts: 2,475
THOR #1765
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It depends what you are using. If storing the coach with no load (everything off) I find that the batteries will last about a week or 10 days before the get below 12v. If I open the breaker in the battery box or you have a manual disconnect installed, the batteries will last several weeks or longer. With a small solar panel hooked up directly to the batteries and when they are disconnected, they will last indefinitely.
The chassis battery also drains naturally, but it seems to last longer. However, draining the chassis battery below 11.5v will ruin it much more quickly than doing that to your coach batteries. The coach batteries are designed to deep discharge (although that also shortens their life). The chassis batteries are not designed for deep discharge.
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07-08-2019, 12:37 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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Thanks a lot. So I can leave the coach in use mode without being on shore power or genny for a day or so without fear of discharging my chassis battery? Thanks again
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07-08-2019, 04:45 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: California
Posts: 258
THOR #3186
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The real issue here are things you thought were off but are really on. If you leave something on which has a large electric draw oh oh.
I think everyone has done that. So the store button is kinda like insurance, just in case.
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07-08-2019, 05:31 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Fleetwood Bounder 35P
State: Florida
Posts: 475
THOR #15054
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
Thanks a lot. So I can leave the coach in use mode without being on shore power or genny for a day or so without fear of discharging my chassis battery? Thanks again
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I would not, after my experience this past week. We left ours on accidentally but only for a couple of days. When I went out to work on something, the house batteries had drained down to the 3.something range! I could not turn the "Use/Store" button on or off, as there was not enough power to do so. Since the relays were tripped in the off position, plugging in to SP didn't charge the batteries; since the power was too low in the batteries, I could not start the generator! The ONLY thing that worked was to get out a battery charger and connect it to the batteries under the steps and recharge them over night. That worked (thankfully) and the batteries seem to be holding that charge, but this is not something you want to do very often if you expect your batteries to have any kind of lifetime. My new routine is to turn off the 12V when I leave the coach, no matter what, unless I'm plugged in to SP.
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07-08-2019, 09:59 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.2
State: Colorado
Posts: 217
THOR #15515
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Did it drain your chassis battery? Thanks
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07-08-2019, 10:10 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Fleetwood Bounder 35P
State: Florida
Posts: 475
THOR #15054
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandrooney
Did it drain your chassis battery? Thanks
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No, chassis battery seemed to be untouched by all of this. I could start the engine with no problem, no different sound to starting it than normal. The chassis battery is in a god-awful location so I really couldn't get my leads into it to check what the actual number was.
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07-08-2019, 11:33 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
Posts: 2,475
THOR #1765
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimmyB
No, chassis battery seemed to be untouched by all of this. I could start the engine with no problem, no different sound to starting it than normal. The chassis battery is in a god-awful location so I really couldn't get my leads into it to check what the actual number was.
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The easiest place to check the voltage on your chassis battery is using the left hand post of the Trombetta. Put your positive lead on the list and the negative on unpainted chassis. The right hand post will give you the charge on the coach batteries. (They could be reversed on yours.) It is an easy way to see if the Trombetta is open or closed. Open and both voltages will be the same. Closed and they won’t.
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