Charging the battery

tusler

I just purchased a 2015 t@b but didn't get instructions on the electrical system. Does the battery get charged automatically when the t@b is hooked up to 110 power and also while on the road from the towing vehicles charging system?

Nomad

Yep, it does.
How much of a charge from you TV will depend somewhat on the output of you alternator and what you have running in the T@B. The fridge running on battery mode can be a slow drain. Jenn and I both have Jeep Wranglers, hers with standard, mine with factory tow package. She has a problem on longer trips where I generally don't. Probably slightly diff. alternators. If you have a slight drain, one method is to get the fridge cold before you leave, turn it off for the first couple of hours of the trip, then back on for a couple, etc.

Michigan_Mike

tusler said:

I just purchased a 2015 t@b but didn't get instructions on the electrical system. Does the battery get charged automatically when the t@b is hooked up to 110 power and also while on the road from the towing vehicles charging system?

Good advice from PX above....  You want to make sure you in fact do have a dedicated charge line run from the battery back to your rear wiring harness on your vehicle.  An easy way to check this out is to take an LED digital voltmeter (with cigarette lighter style receptacle), plug it into the trailer with the trailer unplugged from your tow vehicle and note the reading on the meter.  Start your tow vehicle, plug the trailer harness into the vehicle wiring harness and now take a voltage reading....  If the voltage increases this will assure you that you in fact do have a dedicated power line back to the receiver wiring harness and that it will provide a charge during travel.  

I thought mine was wired and later found out that only my trailer lights were wired up by the installer.  I ended up running a dedicated feed wire back last year while down in Florida and it made a huge difference.  I suspect there are no doubt others out there who think they have a dedicated feed to the rear, who probably don't.    

tusler

Great information guys. I really appreciate it!

ironshadow

I got this little LCD battery monitor on EBay for about $5. Works great. Beat trying to guess where your battery is at. Plus I know as soon as I plug in my TV if it is sending a charge back to the TAB.

Nomad

I have a different model/style but I rely on it all the time. In addition to checking the TV connection, I know when my solar is outputting enough to charge all my batteries that need the inverter (camera, Bluetooth speaker, shaver, computer). Also let's me know just what I can turn on at night. If I have a 12.8 reading I can go for everything (lights, fridge, Alde). If it's 12.4 I use my battery powered lights.

jkjenn

PXLated said:

I have a different model/style but I rely on it all the time. In addition to checking the TV connection, I know when my solar is outputting enough to charge all my batteries that need the inverter (camera, Bluetooth speaker, shaver, computer). Also let's me know just what I can turn on at night. If I have a 12.8 reading I can go for everything (lights, fridge, Alde). If it's 12.4 I use my battery powered lights.

I am assuming you mean fridge on propane?

PX, what's the cut-off reading for you so that you don't deplete the battery, too much?

Nomad

Jenn - Ya, fridge on propane but it still uses juice for the cooling fan.
In general if I'm sitting at 12.2 I conserve. With 12.5 I'm usually good to go till bed time. But it's kind of weird as there are times when I'm good to go and for some reason it drains faster than at other times - haven't figured out why or what's causing that. If it ever hits 12.0 I give it a 10 minute TV juice injection and then I'm usually good.
It somewhat depends on what the weather forecast is going to be and if I'm going to get an early morning solar charge. This am it's a bright overcast so I'm back up to 13.4. Enough for normal stuff but not quite high enough to charge my 110/inverter stuff. I like to hit 13.9 before I do my camera batteries. 14.5 for the computer.