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Old 06-18-2019, 07:58 PM   #21
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Good point. If you do not use the correct grade wire and a good connector, the long run can kill charging.

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Old 06-19-2019, 02:25 AM   #22
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Don't forget of all the load that is constantly on Batteries. Thermostats, Gas detector, Electronic control panel and ???. You could pull load fuses but is worth it, No in my world.
Driving down the road part of the charge will taken from battery but as the battery voltage goes down more power will flow from your 14.0 source to your battery. I don't ever recall my 4 batteries going to 12 volts.
But this weekend trip could prove me wrong with 43 month old batteries.
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Old 06-20-2019, 03:07 PM   #23
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Doesn’t matter on the fords whether you have the standard alternator, HD single or 350 amp dual alternators. You are not going to get sufficient charging current back to the trailer batteries if you have any kind of a load in the trailer.

Too small a gauge of wire and as Clev mentioned, the computers control charging based on truck needs.

If you want to get 40 amps back to the trailer look into this pricey item.

Pricey, but cheaper then 9 solar panels and a big controller

https://www.etrailer.com/Battery-Cha...BCDC1240D.html
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Old 06-20-2019, 04:27 PM   #24
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Maybe dumb question, on the Fords can't you simply run a dedicated charge wire from the battery to the in bed 7 pin connector to replace wire that does not do the job and have the wire protected with a rated breaker?
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Old 06-20-2019, 04:34 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by Cummins12V98 View Post
Maybe dumb question, on the Fords can't you simply run a dedicated charge wire from the battery to the in bed 7 pin connector to replace wire that does not do the job and have the wire protected with a rated breaker?
Yes, but the alternator output will still be based on truck batteries. When they go into float charge, so will the supply line.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:06 PM   #26
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Yes, but the alternator output will still be based on truck batteries. When they go into float charge, so will the supply line.
They won't go into "float charge" as long as there is a load pulling current from them, like the load in the trailer: battery charging or inverter running a load. The problem is the long run of wire for DC current - it causes a voltage drop and the more current you have, the higher the voltage drop will be. The alternator may be putting out 14.5 VDC but if you drop 1.5 volts to the battery in the trailer, that battery will only see 13.0 VDC which means it essentially is not charging.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:11 PM   #27
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If the truck and trailer batteries are actually hooked in Parallel, the alternator should never go into float mode until both or all batteries are charged to 80% or whatever the controller is set to. The batteries in parallel are, for all intensive purposes, one battery. That is dependent- of course- on the wire to the trailer being large enough to carry the amperage.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:12 PM   #28
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They won't go into "float charge" as long as there is a load pulling current from them, like the load in the trailer: battery charging or inverter running a load. The problem is the long run of wire for DC current - it causes a voltage drop and the more current you have, the higher the voltage drop will be. The alternator may be putting out 14.5 VDC but if you drop 1.5 volts to the battery in the trailer, that battery will only see 13.0 VDC which means it essentially is not charging.
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Old 06-20-2019, 06:35 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
They won't go into "float charge" as long as there is a load pulling current from them, like the load in the trailer: battery charging or inverter running a load. The problem is the long run of wire for DC current - it causes a voltage drop and the more current you have, the higher the voltage drop will be. The alternator may be putting out 14.5 VDC but if you drop 1.5 volts to the battery in the trailer, that battery will only see 13.0 VDC which means it essentially is not charging.
Well, as I posted somewhere back in this thread, ‘correct me if I’m wrong’. I’m basing my input on info from a Ford tech. Based on your post, if the trailer batteries are down and pulling a charge, the alternator will continue to bulk charge, even if the truck batteries are fully charged? Perhaps newer trucks than mine have a circuit controller, that will “isolate” the truck batteries while the trailer batteries charge. For that, I don’t know.
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