Thor Forums

[Chance]

Originally Posted by DavidEM

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Is there any C or small A where the builder installs a second alternator? That seems like a real waste to run the chassis engine just to make a kW or so of charging power. That is a lot of iron rotating which can't be very efficient for such little power.

David

David, both the Ford Transit 3.5L EcoBoost and the Ford E-Series 7.3L V8 can be ordered directly from Ford with dual alternators. And cost wise it’s a bargain for what you get.

However, RV manufacturers seem to prefer adding their own 2nd dedicated alternator which allows charging lithium batteries more directly due to voltage differences. I also like it because it segregates the house and chassis electrical to a greater degree.

In my opinion Ford should consider offering an option for the second alternator as a stand-alone unit so it can operate at different voltage than the chassis. Basically, that’s what Ford did with the base Pro Power Onboard, where the 2nd alternator operates at 24V to deliver 2,000 Watts of continuous inverter power.


P.S. — At 200 Amps, you’d only need to run engine 15 minutes daily on average to get your 50 Amp-hours per day consumption. It’s not much.