templeandgary Report post Posted August 8, 2019 Hello, I am curious about whether or not my Chassis Batteries are being charged when connected to shore power or if the Alternator is the only way to charge them. I have a 2018 Integra Insignia and I have been camping for a week plugged in to 50amp shore power. I want to top off my tires before we leave on Saturday and the compressor I have runs off batteries via cable clamps. The compressor instruction say to ensure that the vehicle is running so you don't drain your batteries. I was wondering if in my case this is necessary to fire up my coach to inflate the tires or if being connected to shore power I will be fine to run my compressor. I would hate to find I killed my batteries when its time to leave! Thanks for any help. I am new and still learning so I have a lot of questions! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted August 8, 2019 Two comments....first, I considered using the engine for airing up the tires...way too much trouble. I bought a Porter-Cable AC powered pump at Lowes for $100 that does the job with no hassle and no need to fire up the coach. As for charging batteries. Here's how mine work....shore sower charges house batteries until charge rate reaches 13.3, then the Charger Relay opens and allows the charge to go through to the chassis batteries. When driving....the opposite occurs, the engine charges the chassis batteries until they reach 13.3, the relay opens and the charge goes through to the coach batteries. The bottom line is to call Integra and ask how your batteries are being charged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted August 8, 2019 Yes, fire up your coach. In all likelihood your chassis batteries are being charged while on shore power due to the fact that it is so new, the way to tell if they are is to check with a stand alone meter (VOM), if chassis and house batteries are the same after not running the coach engine for several days, then they are being charged while hooked up to shore power. The air compressor pulls excessive current while airing tires and will draw the chassis batteries down pretty fast, the chassis alternator will replenish much faster than a smaller charger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
templeandgary Report post Posted August 8, 2019 Okay, thanks for all of the advise. Just to be clear, because I think that I was not, I am not using the coach air power to inflate the tires. I have a separate Portable compressor but it does not have a 120v Plug. It has alligator clips because it is designed to work off a 12v battery instead of plugging it in. I will just run my engine to ensure that I don't drain my battery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted August 8, 2019 1 hour ago, templeandgary said: Okay, thanks for all of the advise. Just to be clear, because I think that I was not, I am not using the coach air power to inflate the tires. I have a separate Portable compressor but it does not have a 120v Plug. It has alligator clips because it is designed to work off a 12v battery instead of plugging it in. I will just run my engine to ensure that I don't drain my battery. Or, you could connect it to your 12v house battery which is being charged while you're plugged in, without a doubt. Then the problem is alleviated. Of course, a multimeter will tell you quickly if your chassis batteries are being charged. Test them after you've been shut down for a while but before you plug in. Then test again after your house batteries are charged up and see if your system is sending any juice to the chassis batteries. Have you checked your manual yet to see what it tells you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted August 8, 2019 2 hours ago, templeandgary said: I have a separate Portable compressor but it does not have a 120v Plug. It has alligator clips because it is designed to work off a 12v battery instead of plugging it in. I will just run my engine to ensure that I don't drain my battery. Yes I understood that it is a 12 volt compressor, that is why I advised to do as the compressor instructions advised, and as Richard said you could use the house batteries, but I also think that it makes good sense to crank the engine if for nothing else, to make sure that it is ready for travel when you are. And of course there is always warnings to not crank a diesel without adequately running it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huffypuff Report post Posted August 9, 2019 Here's another idea since your plugged into shore power. Why not use the house batteries since they are already hooked up to a 100 amp charger inverter. That air compressor should perform well using those batteries. Be sure you got it hooked up to 12 volts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
