I have a 2011 Chev Silverado 1500 towing our 5TA - does anyone know if this particular vehicle would be charging the trailer battery while under tow? How would I be able to tell?
As the batteries are not easily accessible - is there some other way to tell besides getting at the batteries?
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Min D
Chapi II
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'Have No Regrets'
Yes your vehicle should charge your RV batteries while travelling. How good they are being charged is a whole other topic. (Some Fords of that vintage required a fuse and/or relay to be installed before it would charge)
After using your trailer for a while not plugged into AC, the batteries should be down in voltage...say 12 volts. When you plug in your truck and start it, the voltage should rise on the trailer batteries indicating that it is being charged by the vehicle. (Later model Fords may require the vehicle be placed into drive or the brake pressed once before the smart circuit allows current flow) You can test this voltage rise with a meter at any point that DC voltage is supplied like a light or DC plug. The easy way to check to see the rise in voltage of any vehicle or trailer is to buy one of the pictured cig meters that plugs into your DC port. Under $3 Canadian, free shipping, no tax...may take 60 days to arrive. Also should be available at most auto shops and Canadian Tire. Just don’t leave it plugged in all the time as it will draw current.
Eggsactly what Eggscape says, you should see roughly 12-12.6 volts when the truck is disconnected depending on the state of the battery. Connected and running the truck puts out roughly 13.5-14.5 volts.