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Old 03-01-2005, 05:49 PM   #1
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I am thinking about putting in an ac outlet near my battery compartment. I would like to keep the engine battery at full charge when camped for a long time. Now I have a cord coming from my outside outlet & it looks tacky. I am thinking about coming down from sink area with the wire. Has anyone done this? How about water being splash up on it?
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Old 03-01-2005, 05:49 PM   #2
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I am thinking about putting in an ac outlet near my battery compartment. I would like to keep the engine battery at full charge when camped for a long time. Now I have a cord coming from my outside outlet & it looks tacky. I am thinking about coming down from sink area with the wire. Has anyone done this? How about water being splash up on it?
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Old 03-01-2005, 06:07 PM   #3
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Do you have a inverter in a outside compartment?You could run from that outlet to battery compartment an use a weather proof outlet to protect the receptacle from the elements. Or is your converter in outside compartment run from that outlet.---"007"
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Old 03-01-2005, 06:20 PM   #4
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The inverter is located inside & also the converter. The battery compartment is below the steps in the entry. No AC in compartments, except for shorepower cord.
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Old 03-02-2005, 01:55 AM   #5
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Dave from MN, I plan to do something similar to what you're talking about. But here's my thoughts:
I want to use a Battery Minder charger to keep the batteries in top condition. I will put the Battery Minder in the battery compartment, but run its 110vac supply cord up out of the well and sneak it into the wood cabinet right next to my entry steps (my 110vac breakers panel is there behind a wood door). I'll probably install a work box and std. duplex outlet inside that cabinet (under the sink) behind the electrical panel. Then I can plug/unplug the Battery Minder when I wish. Granted, the 110vac supply wire is not totally hidden, but it is out of the way and I can pull the whole charger thing out of there if I ever needed to.
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Old 03-02-2005, 04:08 AM   #6
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Dave,
I see you have an 04 37B. I have the 05 37B and it doesn't have an outlet mounted on the outside of the coach. Instead there is an outlet in the compartment below the kitchen. Must be one of the model year changes. It's mounted on the top right of the compartment, same side as the control box for the automatic awning and wind sensor. I plug my batteryminder in there and the cord goes out the bottom of the compartment through the hole provided. Then I bring the cord through the open backside of the battery tray. Only thing you may see is any slack in the cord. Hope this helps.
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Old 03-02-2005, 05:28 AM   #7
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Dave,
Though I am not an expert, I would think carefully about an outlet near your batteries. In the event of a spark for some reason I've always heard that batteries could explode.
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Old 03-02-2005, 09:07 AM   #8
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Troth,

My Idea, is along the same lines, I have a 2003 Adventure, and the cabinet next to the steps, (inside the door) has the small hand vaccume plugged in, was thinking of adding a double outlet there, or a small (modified) power strip to plug a Battery Minder into.

This would be far enough away from the battery compartment to eliminate the "SPARK" problem.

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Old 03-02-2005, 10:32 AM   #9
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I must be missing something here. I have seen numerous post about trying to keep the engine battery charged while parked. I have never had my battery not start the engine. We just left Mission, Texas where we were parked for 3 1/2 months and my battery read 12.4 volts when I checked it before starting up. We often sit for a month or more and never a problem.
I replaced my house batteries about 4 months ago with 6 volt Interstates, but my engine battery is the OEM one. It is approaching 4 years old.
In addition, there is a battery boost switch on the dash which will kick in the house batteries if your engine battery is low, so why the need for the external charger.
My curiousity finally got the better of me so I had to ask. I just don't see the need, but obviously I must have missed something.
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Old 03-02-2005, 01:28 PM   #10
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Just a guess, Mission Texas 50 to 70 degrees, northern Minnesota -20 to +20 degrees?

As far as I know the only way to charge engine battery is to run the engine, when parked they do drain? The newer the Motorhome the more electronics (computer's) to operate everything while the engine is running, (they do not turn completely off when the key does).

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Old 03-02-2005, 02:07 PM   #11
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The need for a charger is that 12.4 is not enough to run the pump for the slideouts & levelers! I have had problems with my levelers & I don't like the idea of running the engine for a short time! 12.4 is enough to start the engine & there is no problem with boost switch
for a backup to start. So SeaRay, I don't what you are missing here!
Winnebago must have saw the need, to put an outlet in the side compartment with a hole to get to the batteries. Good idea!
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Old 03-02-2005, 02:32 PM   #12
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Dave from MN, You could put a surface mount box over the existing box, run down an inch or so, put in another surface mount box(now 4 outlets), velcro mount the little battery charger to the base below the flash light, string your 12v wires down and over to the battery.

I think I'll just move the vacumn cleaner to my garage as it's about an inch short of totally useless. No suction.

Still too cold here to get serious about modifications.
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Old 03-02-2005, 04:05 PM   #13
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I did it to my Suncruiser and also to my Allegro Bus. On the Suncruiser I installed a rocker switch in the stepwell cabinet (where the breaker panel was) and then plugged in the BatteryMinder into the AC outlet there (didn't have the optional dustbuster that normally plugs in there). Then I ran the DC wires to the rocker switch before running them down under the steps to the chassis battery.

On my Allegro Bus I had a inverter compartment right next to the batteries with a handy relay board on the back wall. I added a 120 VAC outlet to plug the BatteryMinder into that was fed off of shore power (non-inverter circuit). Then I fed the 12 volt output of the BatteryMinder to a relay (120 VAC coil/12 VDC contacts) and then to the chassis battery access points on the relay panel. Now, whenever I plug into shore power the BatteryMinder goes on. The relay on the DC side of it is necessary to prevent the BatteryMinder from putting a reverse draw on the chassis batteries when boondocking or parking without shore power. Now it's all automatic and I don't have to worry about turning things on or off or unplugging anything.
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Old 03-02-2005, 05:13 PM   #14
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DonavonP, 10-4 on that vaccum! The weather is great here in AZ but this will be my summer project. I have been hungup on putting an outlet near those batteries but after reading these posts. I think I will either mount an outlet & charger in the compartment with the awning controls. Then drill a hole for the DC wires to the batteries. I like that rocker switch idea. Or else, the vaccum compartment. I really don't like the idea of wires showing in the steps. But either way, no outlet by the batteries.
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Old 03-02-2005, 05:16 PM   #15
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaRay:
I must be missing something here. I have seen numerous post about trying to keep the engine battery charged while parked. I have never had my battery not start the engine. We just left Mission, Texas where we were parked for 3 1/2 months and my battery read 12.4 volts when I checked it before starting up. We often sit for a month or more and never a problem.
I replaced my house batteries about 4 months ago with 6 volt Interstates, but my engine battery is the OEM one. It is approaching 4 years old.
In addition, there is a battery boost switch on the dash which will kick in the house batteries if your engine battery is low, so why the need for the external charger.
My curiousity finally got the better of me so I had to ask. I just don't see the need, but obviously I must have missed something.
SeaRay </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
1)Uncharged batteries damage the batteries.
2) Uncharged batteries can freeze
3) Uncharged batteries won't activate the keyless entry
Diesel rigs with the Allison transmission have an onboard computer that can slowly drain the chassis batteries.
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Old 03-02-2005, 07:16 PM   #16
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I did just what you're thinking about. I used a float charger rather than a full charger. Tapped the outlet just inside the door of the rig and put a receptacle in the bay, then ran the 12 volt wires to the chassis battery.

http://www.bobhatch.com/mhPages/floatCharger.htm

Works without having to monitor it.
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Old 03-02-2005, 07:38 PM   #17
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Don't know how your rig is set-up, but on our Journey DL we unplug the engine block heater from the plug (this plug is turned on/off from inside the coach) and plug in the battery minder in it's place and turn on the switch as if it's an engine block heater. The cord is inside the coach.

Reverse the process when you want engine block heater.

Be sure to unplug and disconnect the battery minder before starting and traveling.
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Old 03-03-2005, 01:51 AM   #18
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Lotsa good ideas here guys. Thanks for contributing! I like the rocker switch idea for the 12vdc wires going to the battery well; think I'll try that with a rocker that has a little green or red 'on' light. Then I'll know at a glance that the charger is putting juice down to the battery.
Next Q- Does Radio Shack carry lighted rocker switches?
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Old 03-03-2005, 03:07 AM   #19
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El Jeffe:

Is the outlet for the block heater near the inverter?
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Old 03-03-2005, 05:29 AM   #20
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I put a 50amp recepticle on the back of the house so I could plug in my motorhome all the time. Does anyone see a problem with using a small charger plugged into an outlet and then pluging the 12volt output into the cigarette lighter?
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