Charging Battery

When dry camping I've always had problems keeping my batteries charged. I would plug the trailer into my generator and charge it off the inverter. Seems after a couple days it just can't keep up. I have a 10amp 12vdc outlet on my generator for charging batteries and am wondering if it would be better to use that and if it would hurt the inverter or not if I charge that way or maybe plug a battery charger into the generator and use that, I have one with a 15amp charge.
Thanks Freddie
 

happyrover

Active Member
3000 watt Honda generator

Need help from the field! Anyone out there using a 3000 watt generator to start and maintain 15,000 a/c (heat pump) in main portion of Grand Canyon. Am undecided on buying the 3000 watt Honda or 2-2000 watt and hook them together. eight of the the 3000 watt is also in question. I can lift 2 2000 watts (43 pounds each) a lot easier than 1 3000 watt at 134 pounds. Any help from the field on the crank up of the 15,000 a/c will be much appreciated. Take delivery of the my Landmark Grand Canyon in approx. 4-5 weeks. :D Why does time drag sooooooo slow? :confused:
 

tdharley

Well-known member
I had a eu3000 watt Honda inverter with my last rig and it did run a 13,500 BTU AC, no heat pump.

My opinion go for the 2-2000 watt generators. If you do not need to run the ac its cheaper to run 1 2000 watt generator than the 3000 watt. I know this because my brother had the 2 generator setup and I was more impressed with his setup than mine. They also make a remote gas tank for the system
 
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Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Howdy, I have to go with Mr Harley on this one, I have the yamaha 3000 inverter model with the boost and I have to load it in the truck with an engine hoist. Two of the Hondas would take up less space also. As to Freddies question Harley and I both, I think, have four T-105's slaved to the Xantrex 2000 inverter / charger. The inverter is great for nice quiet power with a modified sine wave and the 100A charger will bring those babies up in only a few of hours, not all day......UR
 

tdharley

Well-known member
Rog is right , thats my setup also.

Have not really tried it out yet. I am promising the grandkids a sleep out (behind the garage) this weekend and am going to put the inverter to the test.
 

jwb187

Active Member
I have a 3500 Kipor sinemaster, weighs in at around 135 or so, it ran my 15000 coleman AC on my previous TT. Haven't tried it yet on my 3055 but I certainly hope it will start and run it. I actually ran quite a bit of other stuff with the AC running, not the microwave and ac at the same time though.
 
I guess I should just ask can you hook up a charger powered by a generator to your battery and not hurt the charger in the trailer's invertor with the trailer also pluged into the ac outlet on the generator. Maybe someone can answer that question. Also what kind of switch gear do you need to hook up two generators and how do you get them in phase with each other?
 

tdharley

Well-known member
Yeah sometimes we get a little off topic!!!!

I just installed an inverter with a built in 3 stage charger & conditioner. I did not disconnect my factory installed Intellipower PD9160a converter/charger. So far according to the LCD readout on the inverter everything seems to be functioning normal.

I included the link for the converter/charger for my rig below if you want to research a little more.

Hey jwb: How do you like that Kipor Genny, I have the oppurtunity to by one second hand in very good condition for $500.00.

Link for converter/charger:
http://www.progressivedyn.com/prod_details/rv_conv/rv_converter_pd9160a_2.html

UPDATE: After researching on the Intellipower website, they sell this charge wizard for $32.95. It might just solve your problem since you are trying to re charge your battery quicker & more effiecently. You can then just hookup your genny as shorepower.
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Freddie, the charger in the trailer is probably higher amp rated than your 15A unit so I would just plug it into the generator. As I said I have the yamaha and they can not be hooked up together , Honda has a cable to run the 2000's in parrallel to up the watts, and as tdh said if you get the charge wizard you can keep the batt's up pretty well with the stock ip unit. CW is a little cheaper than PD direct.....
 
Thanks for the info .I'm going to ck the invertor/charger in my trailer and see what it is. Those little honda generators are pretty neat, may be a couple in my future.
 

jwb187

Active Member
Hey tdharley, I really like my Kipor, has electric start, plus pull start if your battery is weak. Very quiet, you can carry on a conversation while standing nearby. It has a low oil alarm which will shut the unit down if the oil level drops below certain levels. Seems to be very fuel economic as I have run it all night without filling....it has about a 3+ gallon fuel tank. I have used it mostly in my stick house when we have had power failures.....it is very comparable to the Yamaha or Honda of the same or similar wattage....but cost a lot less....got into mine for about a grand.....maybe a little higher now though. jwb
 

tdharley

Well-known member
Thanks for the reply.

The guy came to the jobsite today and I bought it from him. Got it for 500.00 and he threw in a stick nailer.
 
I have an 08 3370 and got into the crawl space to hook up a charge wizard and found out my trailer has a progressive dynamics 9260 convertor that has a charge wizard in it already. Thats cool!
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Freddie Hicks said:
I have an 08 3370 and got into the crawl space to hook up a charge wizard and found out my trailer has a progressive dynamics 9260 convertor that has a charge wizard in it already. Thats cool!
They make a pendent for the 9260 that looks like the charge wizard so you can play with the charge rates. Call the PD factory and I bet they will trade for n/c, they made that offer to me. The pendent is a lot cheaper so I sold my Charge Wizard on the NATCOA truck forum and made a few bucks. :D
 
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