I've got a 98 Newell. There are three battery locations. Two batteries are in the engine compartment, and logically they're the engine start batteries. Four batteries are in a passenger side bay. They are set up in two banks of two, with disconnect switches. These must be coach batteries. Then there are two more batteries in a smaller passenger side bay, squeezed in between the rear wheel well and the engine compartment. They're the ones I'm confused about. Are they generator start batteries, add-on batteries for the engine? Decorative?
On my 1993 all six on the driver side are house batts. I am only using the 2 in the rear compartment. I believe they also start the generator.
Yes all 6 are connected for the house batteries.
The two behind the tag are house batteries, and are wired in parallel with the four in front of the drive wheel.
(12-12-2016, 06:47 AM)Richard Wrote: [ -> ]The two behind the tag are house batteries, and are wired in parallel with the four in front of the drive wheel.
The next question would be, should I disconnect the disconnectable trays and use a four circuit battery tender, one circuit for each of those trays, one for the tray behind the tag and one for the engine batteries? It seems to be asking a lot to expect one tender to handle all six house batteries. I always have a tendency to over engineer things.
(12-12-2016, 02:23 PM)medcrest Wrote: [ -> ] (12-12-2016, 06:47 AM)Richard Wrote: [ -> ]The two behind the tag are house batteries, and are wired in parallel with the four in front of the drive wheel.
The next question would be, should I disconnect the disconnectable trays and use a four circuit battery tender, one circuit for each of those trays, one for the tray behind the tag and one for the engine batteries? It seems to be asking a lot to expect one tender to handle all six house batteries. I always have a tendency to over engineer things.
If you are plugged in why do you need a battery tender? Your inverter/charger should take care of all of them.
Paul, I am not sure if #500 charges anything other than the house batteries from the inverter/charger unless the merge switch is turned on or not. Mine doesn't.
If you use this device all batteries are connected above 13.2 volts [charging] and disconnected when there is no charge.
https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Cyrix-ct-...y+combiner
inverter/charger charges ALL batteries, no need to use merge switch, and no worry about start
batteries running down if you lose shore power.
My 1993 does not charge engine batts from invertor/charger unless they are merged. While in storage I depend on the charger to charge the house AGM batts and a trickle charger/maintainer hooked to the lead acid engine batts. I never merge unless it is necessary because of a low batt condition.
My 1992 is like yours. I use a AMP-L-START to charge the start batteries from the coach batteries when the coach batteries are being charged by the inverter/charger.