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Old 12-20-2017, 05:02 PM   #1
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THOR #6012
House battery charging

I had installed a 30 amp circuit from my home. I plug the power cord from the MH and the switch from store to use. Is this acceptable to keep the house battery charged instead of removing the battery, keep it in the garage on a slow trickle charge and the switch to "store" in the MH during the winter? Yes, I check the battery water too.

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Old 12-20-2017, 05:47 PM   #2
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House battery charging

I plugged mine in the same way. Only the switch is in USE. Won't charge in store.
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Old 12-20-2017, 06:01 PM   #3
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Plugged in, with the the switch set to "Use"... That'll do it!
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Old 12-20-2017, 06:40 PM   #4
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I do the same except leave it unplugged for about a month, then plug in for a couple days. My batteries have never given me trouble.
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Old 12-20-2017, 09:40 PM   #5
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If you can its best to just leave it plugged in. The converter is smart enough to know when the battery is fully charged and will shift to floating it in that state. Of course with a Thor, you must also be sure to leave the use/store in use.
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Old 12-20-2017, 09:51 PM   #6
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I considered having a 30A installed at the house but am able to use a dog bone and plug into 110 and it keeps batteries. Only thing that wont run is the A/C.
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Old 12-20-2017, 10:03 PM   #7
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A 120 volt 15 amp circuit is very sufficient to maintain batteries, and power your lights etc., but not the AC. If you are on a 20 amp circuit, you might get away with one AC running, with not much else going, but it would be close. Most of the roof AC's draw right at 15 amps, give or take a little. The problem might be if the batteries are down and the converter is drawing significant power to recharge them, which is a possibility. There isn't sufficient telemetry, at least not in my Gemini, to tell me how much power the converter is drawing at any given point in time. In my previous DP I had a screen that displayed exactly what the charge rate was in amperage, and what the inverter/charger was drawing.
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Old 12-20-2017, 10:48 PM   #8
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I run my air on a 20a circuit with no problems.
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Old 12-20-2017, 10:49 PM   #9
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I just serviced my batteries today for the first time. My two house batteries combined took 1-1/2 pints of water. Does anyone know if the Gemini truck battery (located under the drivers seat) is a low maintenance battery? I cant figure out how to get to the thing.
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Old 12-20-2017, 11:49 PM   #10
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If you've got a 30 amp circuit available: Good for you!!
But a 15 amp hook-up is more than enough to keep the batteries happy...
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Old 12-21-2017, 12:10 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jb1911 View Post
I run my air on a 20a circuit with no problems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
If you've got a 30 amp circuit available: Good for you!!
But a 15 amp hook-up is more than enough to keep the batteries happy...
Yep... 15A more than enough for battery maintenance...

20A will typically run 1 AC, assuming no other heavy load... Just keep the wire sizes large - and length of 'non-RV extensions' short...
One of those 15A 'orange cords' may not allow enough current thru for AC startup.
20A extensions are hard to find and pricey...

Had the 15A plug at old house... Worked fine for batteries.
Have a 30A now within range (barely) of my RV cords. No issue running an AC and other loads.
Adding a 50A in easy reach of single cord for when the RV will be the guest house and may need both ACs...
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Old 12-21-2017, 02:13 AM   #12
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Just a quick comment. Our new Freedom Express 24HE doesn't have the Store/Use switch per se. Thor must have figured it was causing too many problems. They have installed a rocker switch that will turn the house power on or off if you're not plugged in to shore power. If you are plugged in, it altomatically switches on and can't be turned off(to store).
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Old 12-21-2017, 02:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmett View Post
Just a quick comment. Our new Freedom Express 24HE doesn't have the Store/Use switch per se. Thor must have figured it was causing too many problems. They have installed a rocker switch that will turn the house power on or off if you're not plugged in to shore power. If you are plugged in, it altomatically switches on and can't be turned off(to store).
That's exactly how a USE/STORE switch works. It just disconnects the house batteries from the DC buss. It can be in STORE and you plug in the coach and the converter supplies the DC buss loads, but the batteries won't charge.
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Old 01-02-2018, 03:12 AM   #14
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That's exactly how a USE/STORE switch works. It just disconnects the house batteries from the DC buss. It can be in STORE and you plug in the coach and the converter supplies the DC buss loads, but the batteries won't charge.
Are you saying the "batteries won't charge" when the coach is plugged in? That isn't my understanding.
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Old 01-02-2018, 03:41 AM   #15
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Are you saying the "batteries won't charge" when the coach is plugged in? That isn't my understanding.
Not with the USE/STORE switch in STORE. It disconnects the batteries from the DC buss which is where the converter is connected to.
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Old 01-02-2018, 01:58 PM   #16
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In my first post here, I stated that I don't have a store option when I'm plugged in. The main power is always on while plugged in.
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Old 01-02-2018, 02:30 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmett View Post
Just a quick comment. Our new Freedom Express 24HE doesn't have the Store/Use switch per se. Thor must have figured it was causing too many problems. They have installed a rocker switch that will turn the house power on or off if you're not plugged in to shore power. If you are plugged in, it altomatically switches on and can't be turned off(to store).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmett View Post
In my first post here, I stated that I don't have a store option when I'm plugged in. The main power is always on while plugged in.
Or you do have a USE/STORE switch and don't understand that when plugged in, the DC buss always gets power from the converter so DC loads will run regardless of the position of the switch. USE/STORE switches from Thor are rarely labeled as USE/STORE.

So to be sure, plug in your MH, turn your "house power" switch to OFF, and measure the voltage at your house batteries after about an hour. If it is not 13.0 volts or above your battery is not being charged.

Then turn your "house power" switch to ON and measure the voltage at your house batteries. I suspect it will be at least 13.1 volts.
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Old 01-02-2018, 02:38 PM   #18
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Here's the thing. I don't seem to have a USE/STORE switch. I have a main power switch. The switch doesn't have two positions. It's a spring-loaded rocker switch with a light next to it. When the RV is not plugged in, pressing the switch turns on DC power and lights the light. If you press it again, the power and light goes off. When plugged in, the light is on and pressing the switch does nothing. House power is on and the only way I see to turn it off is to unplug the RV.
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Old 01-02-2018, 03:02 PM   #19
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Emmett,
If you have a Freedom Elite 24 HE: the specifications do show that a battery disconnect switch is standard equipment.

https://freedom-motorhomes.com/freedom-elite/features/

Or do I have the wrong model??

Perhaps a quick call to your dealer will be able to shed some light on this subject for you...
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Old 01-02-2018, 03:10 PM   #20
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Batteries in sorage.

I agree with the writer that says: plug in to the shore power once a month and then leave the use/store switch in the store position otherwise. This is easier on the converter because it is on all of the time in use mode . If your 30A line somehow gets disconnected accidentally, your house batteries will discharge with any load (including the use/store relay) left on in your vehicle and intimately get damaged beyond recharging.
Lead acid batteries normally can hold a charge for months when not loaded even when several years old. I, personally, have left cars in my garage for a year without recharging ('66 Covrvette without modern electronics) and been able to start the engine without a problem (California climate).
The converter, or AC to DC switching regulator built into the RV, will probably fail after a few years of continuous operation.

I have a lot of experience with switching regulators being a design engineer in the Power Management field. The problem normally comes from electrolytic capacitors "drying out" under continuous use due to the high ripple current in switching regulator circuits. The components used are typically not of the highest quality or are used out of their specified ripple current ratings. ($$$$ cost considerations).
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