Charging Batteries On Shore Power

[cdsuggs]

I'm sure this has already been discussed, but, if so, I haven't been able to find it.  With the inverters physically turned off, will the charger still charge the batteries when plugged into shore power.  It doesn't on my Discovery.  Just wondering if it is supposed to.  Seems to me that I read somewhere that they would.

[wolfe10]

Charles,

Tell us what charger or inverter/charger do you have?

[cdsuggs]

Should have done that to begin with.  Magnum Energy True Sinewave 2000 series.  I think M2000, but not there to look right now.  I know they aren't 2012s.

[Guest]

Are they compatible for charging on shore powers.

[huffypuff]

I have a Magnum 2000 but not a true sinewave.  It charges the house batteries when on shore power and charges the chassis batteries through a cheater device.  Pressing the inventor button would make it harder to charge the batteries not easier.   

[cdsuggs]

Thanks for the info.  The motorhome has been in multiple shops in 2 states since the middle of June.  This weekend is the first chance to take it out since the middle of June.  Yesterday, while making sure it is ready to go, I noticed that I was showing 6.2 volts on the house batteries and 12.5 on the chassis batteries.  That was plugged into shore power.  Thinking that it should show more if it was charging, I started looking closer.  In the electrical bay, there are 2 rotary switches labeled Inverter Disconnect.  They were turned off.  I turned them on and voila, the fans came on and I had 14 volts going to the chassis batteries and the feed going to the house batteries.  It seems to me that I have read that it would always charge the batteries on shore power, period.  I'm just wondering if mine is working as designed and what others see.  Really looking forward to getting a look at the big tv in front of my steering wheel a little this weekend.

[tbutler]

Rather than turning off the inverter at the rotary switch which would I believe cut off all power to that circuit, there most likely is a switch on the inverter or a way to turn off the inverter in the operation menu on the inverter control panel.  Turning off the inverter on the control panel would be the most likely way to get battery charging while having the inverter off. 

[cdsuggs]

I don't remember turning off the rotary switches, though it is always possible.  The end of the first week in June through the middle of August have been a nightmare scenario that has had me wondering more than once if I knew what I was getting into.  I do know that US 287 between Memphis, TX and Amarillo is probably one stretch of highway I plan to avoid.  I'll also be taking a very close look when it comes time to renew a roadside assistance plan, and I can tell you of at least one place you DO NOT want to have your motorhome, truck or skateboard wind up.  The part of all of that that has come out of my pocket has definitely impacted our traveling for the rest of the year.   That being said, I'm learning more every day.  It took 40 years for me to learn what I know about military strategic/tactical airlift operations.  Don't think I've got anywhere near that long to figure out the motorhome, but it's nice to have found a bunch of disparate people who are knowledgeable about this new area I've gotten myself into.