I have a Xantrex Freedom HFS 1000 watt Battery Charger/Inverter and a Lifeline AGM 150Ah battery. If I am not going to use my Sprinter for the rest of the winter (Colorado, 8000ft.), can I just keep my Sprinter hooked up through the Shore power and let the Xantrex keep my battery charged? Or is a continual winter hookup potentially an over charging or damaging possiblilty for the house AGM battery?
I can't speak specifically to the Xantrex, but in my 2014 Pleasureway Plateau TS I have a Power Dynamics converter. I contacted Power Dynamics directly on whether this was OK--especially since I have changed my auxiliary battery from the original Group 49 to two AGM GC-1 batteries (after making my own underhood tray). They said there is no problem at all in doing so, and that their converter is fine for the batteries to leave plugged-in year-round whether the batteries are AGM or FLA.
I also keep a Battery Tender connected to my Group 49 chassis battery (the one under the driver's seat floor) year round as well. Since I have the coach plugged-in via the converter (keeping the coach batteries charged), the indoor 120VAC outlets are active, so I plug the Battery Tender into one of those outlets, and have the pigtail from my battery protruding next to the parking brake lever. This seems to work pretty well for me.
If you have questions with this, I recommend that you contact Xantrex and ask them specifically--and mention the specific model of converter you have to get their opinion. (And, of course, please let us on this forum know what you find out!)
Rock Doc
2014 Pleasureway Plateau TS in 2013 Sprinter 3500
I also keep a Battery Tender connected to my Group 49 chassis battery (the one under the driver's seat floor) year round as well. Since I have the coach plugged-in via the converter (keeping the coach batteries charged), the indoor 120VAC outlets are active, so I plug the Battery Tender into one of those outlets, and have the pigtail from my battery protruding next to the parking brake lever. This seems to work pretty well for me.
If you have questions with this, I recommend that you contact Xantrex and ask them specifically--and mention the specific model of converter you have to get their opinion. (And, of course, please let us on this forum know what you find out!)
Rock Doc
2014 Pleasureway Plateau TS in 2013 Sprinter 3500
Just an FYI from Xantrex customer support line.... You can keep stay in long term hookup mode (Shore power connection). The Xantrex battery charger will not over charge your house battery. This strategy works even better if you have some consumable device bleeding down the battery and the Xantrex battery charger continually topping off the house battery (float charging). In my van, I have two gas detectors and a battery monitor control continually on and using a small amount of battery power. This maintains a healthy state for your battery during winter months.
Note to Xantrex Freedom HFS owners: Don’t keep your inverter on, turn it off. Your status LED should be Green (fully charged) or Flashing Green (when recharging).
Note to Xantrex Freedom HFS owners: Don’t keep your inverter on, turn it off. Your status LED should be Green (fully charged) or Flashing Green (when recharging).
Use to have shore power for winter storage (cold) and charged all winter.
No longer have power available........still cold storage..........disconnect the batteries. Just checked static voltage after 5 months ........all three batteries are at 12.7 volts. This has been the same for the last two years. Spring arrives reconnect the batteries and drive away.
No longer have power available........still cold storage..........disconnect the batteries. Just checked static voltage after 5 months ........all three batteries are at 12.7 volts. This has been the same for the last two years. Spring arrives reconnect the batteries and drive away.
Interesting point. I guess in theory a solar panel would prevent this, assuming that the combination of power outage + panel covered with snow + standby current numbers work.
Do you really get long (week or so) sub zero temperature conditions there? Perhaps incorrectly, I think of CO as "storms blow in and out but don't stay for long".
Winterbagoal
2018 Winnebago Navion 24V on a 2017 Cab Chassis
I've used a similar process in prior RVs to keep my chassis batteries charged, using a hot 120VAC outlet in the coach while on shore power, to power a Stanley FatMax BC8S which I plug into the dash or other "always hot" 12V DC outlet. My question is, are there any "always hot" 12VDC outlets that I could use in a typical Sprinter dash area to access/charge the chassis battery? I see you mention a direct connection to the underfloor chassis battery, with a pigtail running up through your parking brake access. I was trying to avoid that if possible.
Not that I’m aware of. (The outlet in the middle of the lower central stack on the dash is connected to the auxiliary battery, so that one won’t charge the chassis battery.) However, you could probably wire in your own to do that... For me, it was just easier (and cheaper) to use the pigtail that came with the Battery Tender. I use the alligator clips on other batteries, but this made a nice way to have a convenient and permanent access point to plug it in.
Rock Doc
2014 Pleasureway Plateau TS in 2013 Sprinter 3500
Rock Doc
2014 Pleasureway Plateau TS in 2013 Sprinter 3500