Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Fleet | Keystone RV Models > Travel Trailers
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-08-2020, 05:40 AM   #1
NHcamper
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Dublin
Posts: 27
TT battery charging

Question. I own a TT 2015 Keystone Laredo 322RL. Does the TT battery charge when hooked up to my truck or does the TT battery only charge when connected to 120 shore power? I was reading an article about a device that connects to the tow vehicle and then connects to the shore power cord so the TT battery can charge which is why the question.
NHcamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 06:28 AM   #2
wobly
Senior Member
 
wobly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 135
If your electrical system is operating correctly, your TT battery will charge when the 7-pin connector is plugged into the truck.
wobly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 06:41 AM   #3
B-O-B'03
Senior Member
 
B-O-B'03's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,085
If your truck is setup for it, it will charge the trailer battery while you drive.

For my F150, the charge line relay and fuse were in a little baggie in the glove box, the dealer never installed them.

Once I installed them in the fuse box, under the hood, the camper batteries would charge, while the ignition was on.

You can verify voltage at the 7 way plug with a volt meter.

-Brian
__________________
2014 Bullet Premier 22RBPR - let the camping commence!
2013 F150 Platinum - 5.0 - 3.55 ELD + towing package
B-O-B'03 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 06:45 AM   #4
ctbruce
Site Team | Emeritus
 
ctbruce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
Keep in mind that the wire to and from the 7 pin connector is small and does not move many amps. It will help trickle charge your battery but will not recharge a depleted battery very well.
__________________

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
ctbruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 06:51 AM   #5
gearhead
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,021
My brother has a new F350. It wasn't charging his battery and he had no running lights on his trailer. After a day at the dealer a mechanic found a wiring harness plug that wasn't quite connected at the factory. Also was told the Ford schematic showed 30 amps available, but he might get just 10 amps.
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
gearhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 07:47 AM   #6
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,709
Quote:
Originally Posted by NHcamper View Post
Question. I own a TT 2015 Keystone Laredo 322RL. Does the TT battery charge when hooked up to my truck or does the TT battery only charge when connected to 120 shore power? I was reading an article about a device that connects to the tow vehicle and then connects to the shore power cord so the TT battery can charge which is why the question.
I have no idea what you are referencing here. As everyone has stated IF the truck is set up (most modern trucks are) properly it will. Ford's have a relay so it will only charge while running. I've heard some will be on all the time so if you stop for a while it can run down the truck battery and some will only energize if the truck is running and in gear.

As noted, if the battery is discharged very deep it will take hours of driving to recharge it. Could take 6 or more hours. Do not plug in the trailer shore power while the 7 way plug is plugged into the truck.The converter charges the battery according to the battery voltage. If you have the truck plugged into the trailer the converter will "see" the truck voltage and shut off it's charging to the battery at it will "see" the battery as charged.

If you find yourself with a dead battery and need to run the slides or jacks then use a good set of jumper cables from the truck battery to the trailer battery as thjat will carry a lot more amperage.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 08:49 AM   #7
Logan X
Senior Member
 
Logan X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,286
I have seen some people install a DC to DC charger directly from the trucks alternator to the battery bank. They typically run heavy gauge wire with this setup and can put 30 or 40 amps into the battery bank.

I have only seen people with large lithium battery banks do this and you would have to ensure the truck’s alternator could handle the extra load.

For a typical flooded lead acid battery bank, I think this would be overkill.

Here is a link to a DC to DC charger -

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Batter.../dp/B07Q5VYPCF

And here is a link to a good install video -

https://youtu.be/ww_4yhQPGwY
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	67D01F8B-6314-4F7C-95FD-EB3E5757A0FB.jpg
Views:	123
Size:	67.4 KB
ID:	28519  
__________________
Mike
2017 F250 6.7 Powerstroke FX4 crew cab
2016 Hideout 24BHSWE (27 foot TT)
Logan X is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 09:41 AM   #8
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,709
That would require a seperate wire to the trailer battery as the wires in a 7 pin umbilical would carry a 30 or 40 amp load.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 10:07 AM   #9
Logan X
Senior Member
 
Logan X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,286
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
That would require a seperate wire to the trailer battery as the wires in a 7 pin umbilical would carry a 30 or 40 amp load.
Yes, this is what I have seen. You would run a heavy gauge wire, like 1 AWG or whatever is the appropriate size, directly from the alternator, to the DC to DC charger, and then to the battery bank. It’s a lot of work which is why I think it is overkill unless you have a very large battery bank and you need to substantially charge it while you are under way.
__________________
Mike
2017 F250 6.7 Powerstroke FX4 crew cab
2016 Hideout 24BHSWE (27 foot TT)
Logan X is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 10:13 AM   #10
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,709
Yup, just didn't want the OP to think "gee, I can install that" and end up with the umbilical being a "fusible link".
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 11:03 AM   #11
busterbrown
Senior Member
 
busterbrown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,659
I installed a Renogy 40 amp DC to DC smart charger on my trailer. I had to run two 4 AWG wires from my TV's starting battery back to my trailer's battery box. The box houses the DC2DC charger.

The problem is two fold with the existing 7 pin connector. First, the amperage delivered over the one aux/charging wire in the trailer cord is very small in relation to the amp hour size of most deep cycle batteries. When the battery bank is larger than a single typical group 24, the charging capability of that 7 pin connector is diminished to something like a float charger or battery maintainer.

Secondly, there are no smart charging (multi-stage) characteristics to the 12 volt aux feed in the 7 pin connector. Absorption, bulk, and float charging states aren't defined and all the house batteries will see is one constant voltage. The DC2DC charger is a smart multi stage charger that's adaptable to all battery types and their respective state of charge (SOC).

So far, my Renogy has performed great on a couple short camping trips. The real test for it will be when we head out west this summer to boondock at multiple locations.
__________________
2017 Keystone Bullet 308BHS in Saddle.
2017 RAM 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4 Hemi 6.4L
2008 GMC Yukon XL Denali (SOLD)
Hensley SwiftArrow Control Hitch with 1000 lb Spring Bars
Me, DW, (3) little DS's, and 1 rambunctious Boston Terrier

busterbrown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 11:28 AM   #12
gearhead
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,021
If you have the truck plugged into the trailer the converter will "see" the truck voltage and shut off it's charging to the battery at it will "see" the battery as charged.

Uh oh. I need to change my habits, I never thought of this.
Thanks!!
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
gearhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 11:46 AM   #13
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,709
Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
If you have the truck plugged into the trailer the converter will "see" the truck voltage and shut off it's charging to the battery at it will "see" the battery as charged.

Uh oh. I need to change my habits, I never thought of this.
Thanks!!
That's if the truck circuit to the umbilical is energized. Same thing as connecting a battery charger to the trailer battery while on shore power. Every once in a while someone will post a "is it ok" to do that thinking it will speed up the charging when in fact it stops it from charging.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2020, 02:33 PM   #14
gearhead
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,021
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
That's if the truck circuit to the umbilical is energized. Same thing as connecting a battery charger to the trailer battery while on shore power. Every once in a while someone will post a "is it ok" to do that thinking it will speed up the charging when in fact it stops it from charging.
My hot wire from the truck to the camper is hot all the time. I need to remember and disconnect on overnight stops where I don't unhitch. I also keep the trailer plugged in to 120volt from the house overnight until just before we leave. I need to pull the truck cord until just before driving off.
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
gearhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
battery

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.