digital battery monitor-cheap and easy way?

[Morich]

We get so many questions and so much confusion about batteries and it is one of the biggest issues for our RV. So how about a way to add an easy way to watch both coach and chassis battery voltage so that you can know when things are going right. Know that the alternator is charging the chassis AND the coach when running.

Would it be worth $7 to be able to plug in a small meter and KNOW what was going on with the BIM or mode solenoid if you had no wiring to do to get there?

I have found several uses for these small plug in meters when dealing with the normal car/truck and certainly for the RV as they are so simple and easy to understand and use.

Remember the old days before "idiot lights" ? Back when cars had a meter on the dash to tell what the battery was doing?
I think it is time to add one on our RV!

These are one type that I found in a quick search on E-bay and may also solve the problem of where to charge the phone, etc. as it has charge ports built in.


Maybe you have a 12vdc outlet wired to the chassis and one wired to the coach back in the RV somewhere? you might want to work those for some really good info on what the battery systems are doing?

Plug one into the chassis outlet and you can tell before the battery goes dead?
Plug a second one into the coach outlet and you can know before that goes dead?
But that second one can tell you a lot about whether the BIM or mode solenoid is working! Setting and camping it can tell you what voltage the coach battery has left when dry camping or if you are plugged into power, it will show you if your converter is charging okay.

Or maybe you are like a lot of our users who ask about their charging while driving?
One of these stuck in the coach outlet will show that coach voltage and then when you start the engine, it should jump up to show the voltage coming from the alternator as you rev up the engine.

Would it be nice to KNOW what things are doing by just looking at a small meter plugged in some where?
If you really want "deluxe", go for two and know what each is doing at the same time!
Think how nice to get a warning BEFORE the battery is dead!!!

[JLUSoCal]

Before I added 2 volt meter / QC 3.0 chargers to the console I did just what you suggested then...

https://a.co/d/4WgvX6w

The driver's side is the chassis battery, and the passenger side is the coach battery (Lithium, in my case)

I can see at a glance what's happening from the front, particularly while driving. Have to tear a bit into the dash and tap a few wires, but a great addition to also have charge ports (fast charging too). Often we'll charge from these ports while camping. The blue light serves as a bit of a night light as an added bonus - or annoyance.