Subject: [TR] An electrical query

From: "John Macartney" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2016 13:50:05 +0100

Hi, Listers

There are lots of you out there with far more electrical know-how than me
and I'd really appreciate your input - even though my question has nothing
whatsoever to do with Triumphs, apart from getting in the name on this post.

Liz and I often use our trailer home in the UK at locations where there is
no mains electrical supply and so are totally dependent on the 115amp
leisure battery in our caravan. As Liz has a medical condition which
requires daily use of a mains operated nebuliser for prolonged periods, I
recently bought an 800w inverter generator that cranks out 230v and also has
a separate 12v plug and lead with crocodile clips for 'battery charging'.
Nebulising probs are thankfully now  a thing of the past but the thing is,
even after running the genny for about 6 hours, my leisure battery was less
than half charged from the 12v outlet, wouldn't take any more and stubbornly
stayed stuck at 12.33 volts. Fully charged, the reading should be around
14.4v. I've since decided the 12v supply isn't really suited to battery
charging and is more for running a 12v TV or other trailer home accessory.

As we enjoy going to 'more remote' locations than popular ones where 230v
mains supplies are the norm, I'm still faced with a battery charging
problem. It occurs to me that a way round this is to put my little but very
trusty mains battery trickle charger (runs at about 4 amps) on the 230v
outlet and see if this will work? However, I'm just a bit cautious this
route might have some kind of corrupting influence inside either the
generator circuitry or the charger - or both. Anyone BTDT and can advise? I
carefully considered folding solar panels as an alternative re-charge source
but good ones in the UK cost about $600 and that likely payback is longer
than I can financially accommodate.

All replies (off list) will be greatly welcomed.

Cheers, Jonmac

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