Electrical System
48
© 2014 by Roadtrek, Inc.
Standard Alternator Charger and Battery Isolator
While driving, your Roadtrek will also charge the coach batteries from the vehicle alternator through an isolator. The isolator
allows extra vehicle alternator-produced electricity to charge your coach batteries in addition to keeping your engine
(chassis) battery charged. When the vehicle engine is not running, it breaks the electrical connection between your coach
batteries and your engine battery, so your engine battery remains charged to start your engine even though you are using
coach battery power while camped. This is all automatic - there are no user adjustments possible to the isolator.
Optional Engine Generator
Engine generator
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine generator. The
engine generator is mounted on the vehicle engine and is
operated by idling the vehicle engine. If your coach batteries are
low, start the vehicle engine and let it idle until the batteries are
sufficiently charged. Usually 30 minutes of idling are enough to
restore moderately depleted coach batteries to a useful level of
charge.
As with a conventional generator, always close the rear windows
of the vehicle and turn off the roof ventilation fan when the
engine generator is charging the batteries to avoid exhaust
entering the vehicle's interior.
The engine generator is charging the coach batteries whenever
the vehicle's engine is in operation, which means you are also
charging them as you drive. You will arrive at your camping
destination with fully charged coach batteries.
There is no required maintenance for the engine generator.
Note, however, that your vehicle's serpentine belt (the belt
which drives the vehicle's alternator, water pump, power steering, etc.) will be different than the one for similar vehicles
without the engine generator, so carrying a spare belt may be prudent in case you have a serpentine belt failure while
traveling.
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