Charging 6 volt batteries

[gotf7]

I have a 2015 Springdale 282bhssr we use the rig on a seasonal site with no power other than a 2000 watt Honda. I recently purchased a set of 242ah 6 volt batteries I am wondering what the best way is to recharge them, would it be better to charge through the converter (apparently it has a 3 stage charger) or should I use my 10 amp battery charger?

[Festus2]

I'd use the RV's converter. If you are plugging the generator into the RV and using it for other applications, it will be charging the batteries at the same time. If you aren't going to plug the Honda into your RV, you can still use it to charge the batteries. The Honda does have a built-in 12 v battery charger which you can still use to charge the 2 - 6 volts (just make sure you hook it up correctly to the batteries) so you really don't need a separate 10 amp charger. I think the Honda puts out about 8.5 amps DC charge - not that much less than your 10A charger.

[gotf7]

Originally Posted by Festus2

I'd use the RV's converter. If you are plugging the generator into the RV and using it for other applications, it will be charging the batteries at the same time. If you aren't going to plug the Honda into your RV, you can still use it to charge the batteries. The Honda does have a built-in 12 v battery charger which you can still use to charge the 2 - 6 volts (just make sure you hook it up correctly to the batteries) so you really don't need a separate 10 amp charger. I think the Honda puts out about 8.5 amps DC charge - not that much less than your 10A charger.

Any idea how many amps the converter charges the batteries at?

Here are the specs on my converter!


Output Power : 55 amps DC output


Input : 190-260 VAC, 50 Hz (950 watt)


Output Ranges : - Nominal (Absorption Mode) 13.6 Vdc (includes charging and load)
- Boost (Bulk Mode) 14.4 Vdc
- Trickle (Float Mode) 13.2 Vdc (after 48 hrs.)

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by gotf7

Any idea how many amps the converter charges the batteries at?

.)

The charging rate will depend upon the condition of your batteries. The converter will "sense" their condition and charge accordingly so it is difficult to give you a specific amp rate.

[gotf7]

OK thanks!

[WaltBennett]

Something to consider is that almost all converters (and chargers too) don't really charge batteries very well. Look on your battery manufacturer's web site for what they recommend in voltage for charging. Amperage doesn't matter an awful lot compared to how many volts are pushing the charge into your batteries. All good solar controllers and inverter/chargers will charge lead/acid batteries at 14.7 or 14.8v to start and then drop after they sense a decent charge level in the batteries. Every RV converter I've seen only starts at 14.4 and then drops very quickly. This means your batteries won't get fully charged even if you've left your unit plugged in for weeks. The good part is that they won't boil dry though if you don't regularly check fluid levels.

[sagebel]

I would plug the trailer in at home and use the converter. If the trailer is on the site all summer I would take the batteries home and charge them there and minimize running the generator at camp.

[JRTJH]

Two 6 volt batteries can weight upwards of 150 lbs. Depending on the physical condition of the OP and his ability to lift/carry such a load, taking them home every week may be impractical or even impossible.

If the generator is the only source of electrical power and items such as the TV, coffee pot, hair dryer are going to be used during the weekends, then running the generator to power the RV and using the converter to help maintain the batteries while watching TV, cooking supper, bathing, etc. should help give you enough of a charge to make it through the night and into the next morning when the generator would be used again. Usually, if the RV is equipped with LED lighting, "modest" battery use should get you through the evening with 2 or 3 hours of charge time. If, however, you plan to turn the generator off at 5 or 6 PM and watch TV until the "wee hours", don't expect to get by without a much longer charge time during each day.