How To Charge RV Battery While Driving?

Don’t let a discharged battery ruin your mood. Check how to charge RV battery while driving to enjoy the best experience that your vehicle promises.

Is it possible to charge the RV battery? The answer is yes.

A discharged battery or a quickly depleted energy source can be big trouble and ruin your trip.

You do not have to worry anymore. We will show you how to charge RV battery while driving – a useful tip for all RV owners.

What You Must Know About RV Battery

Before knowing how to charge an RV (Recreational Vehicle) battery while driving, you should get to know some essential characteristics of it.

The RV house battery is a 12-volt system. Without it, the devices cannot work.
It is also considered the deep cycle battery, storing massive power. Therefore, it can work for a long time.

Charging

When you attach your RV to an electric outlet, the battery will be charged. If you have a generator in your vehicle, use it.

If you do not have a charger or converter, you should buy a 3 stage charger.

We recommend using a 3 stage charger rather than an integral charger in storage. This type of charger is more useful and can protect your RV battery in the long term.

When you charge the 12-volt battery fully, it will produce a little more voltage.

How can you know the state of charge? Check the voltage emitted.

If you have an inverter or a solar panel in your RV, the battery monitor will show the charge state so that you can monitor the charge with ease. Purchasing a digital voltmeter to find out the voltage is an ideal choice as well.

Storage

Usually, you keep your recreation vehicles or mobile homes during the winter. Therefore, you do not use the RV house battery for a long time, making the battery to self-discharge.

So it is necessary to store your battery correctly. By doing this, you will improve its capability of storing considerable energy and extend its battery life.

How should you store the battery?

Charge the battery to 100% before you store it. Disconnect it from the vehicle to keep away from any parasitic loads such as stereo, TV antenna, and alarms.

Then, eliminate all dust, residues, and corrosion, and use a dry cloth to wipe the top of the battery. In case the terminals have full corrosion, you should use a wire brush.

Do not forget to pay attention to the level of electrolyte level and add the distilled fluids if necessary. Keep the water level at 90% to hinder overflow when you charge.

Another important thing! Store it in a cool and dry place, where the flood does not happen. The ideal temperature is not below 32°F or above 80°F.

Your RV battery, unfortunately, gets frozen? Do not try to charge it; otherwise, it will explode! You must buy a new one. We know it hurts, but for your safety, there are no other ways.

And when you plan to store it for a long time, It is essential to check on your battery at regular intervals to prevent it from getting flat.

Recharge it at least once a weak and disconnect the ground wire; otherwise, your battery will drain.

Maintenance

Maintaining the battery is another critical step to ensure that the battery will be in good condition. As we have said above, try to give your battery a monthly checkup.

Do not let the battery go below 50%. If it goes down to 20%, it cannot stop work at 100% again and get damaged.
Follow this rule strictly, and you can expand its life span for more than five years.

How To Charge A RV Battery While You Are Driving?

We guess you have been familiar with the RV battery. Now follow these two simple steps to charge it.

Step 1: Start with the VCR

VCR (Voltage Controlled Relay) can automatically disconnect and parallel the auxiliary as well as start batteries.

The replay is closed means that the truck and the trailer batteries are paralleled to the preset level.

When you start the truck, the replay will be open. But if you turn off the car, the two batteries will be disconnected, procuring the voltage to the pre-set level.

Step 2: Connect the RV battery to your car’s power source (battery)

To minimize the voltage drop, use good-quality plugs and cables that carry a large amount of amperage to combine the batteries. Remember to let the cable be easily bindable at the tow bar.

One suggestion you should consider is the Anderson plug. It can provide a great connection and minimize voltage loss.

And having a secure and stable connection can deter your battery from being disconnected while you are going through rough terrain.

The circuit protection in the form of 50-amp automatic reset circuit breaker can get rid of the fire hazard. You can put the beaker the positive sides of the plugs.

We also advise you to use rubber boots slip on the breakers to insulate from short circuits.

Charging Phases Of RV Battery

There are three phases of charging that an RV battery undergoes.

● Boost or Bulk – This is the first stage of charging where the charges are producing enough current. In this stage, the decrease in the frequency of the charge increases the voltage storage of the battery.

● Float Stage – The battery charge will drop down to about 97%, and the storage phase or maintenance phase will follow where the flow of voltage is steady.

● Absorption Phase – In this final phase, the charge entering the battery will drop down to about half of the constant or boost rate for several hours. The actual storage of energy happens, and the battery will distribute this energy to the entire rig of the vehicle.

Conclusion

Now you have known how to charge RV battery while driving. Just prepare the necessary tools and comprehend all the essential characteristics of charging your battery.

You can also ask for advice or professional help from your trusted mechanics.
Thank you for reading and share with us your thoughts!