Can The FWC Smart Controller/Q4 Charge The Truck Battery?

[Wallowa]

Can the FWC charge controller/Q4 run current into the truck battery when camper is hooked up on 110v outside power?

Thanks...

Phil

 

[PaulT]

It may depend on which battery isolator you have and if battery chemistries are compatible in truck & camper. In addition, having large gauge cable to reduce voltage drop would help. Is your isolator the Blue Sea?

I have the older battery isolator which doesn’t work for that charging direction but when I put my Noco charger on the truck battery, the isolator connects the camper batteries with a large clunk and the Noco charges both.

In addition, your solar should work similarly.

Paul

 

[Trailbob]

The way my truck is wired, the FWC Iota converter will also charge the truck batteries. I occasionally do this in the winter when the truck is not driven for longer periods of time. I bypassed the camper's battery separator and rely on a simple ATC fuse that I insert or pull depending on whether I want the truck's aux battery and camper connected. The truck's starting battery is protected from the truck's aux battery by a battery separator so I can't run the starting battery down with the camper (which has its own batteries). Outside of winter, I generally keep the fuse pulled so the camper batteries are only charged by the camper solar. Kind of low tech, but it works for me.

 

[craig333]

I can if I switch my battery switch to connect the truck batteries. If I haven't driven the truck in a while sometimes the truck batts go low and its a lot faster charging that way vs. using the Noco.

 

[Wallowa]

Sorry for late response, but I only go online once a week....makes life a lot less stressful!

So......I have a stock FWC Hawk set-up with dual batteries and a separator with IOTA Q4..

My question was and is....does the IOTA when on 110v power charge my truck battery?


Why I ask is that I also keep my truck on a Battery Tender in the shop while the Hawk is plugged into 110v to keep the dual AGMs charged.....I do not want to overcharge the truck battery...

Thanks...Phil

 

[pvstoy]

It comes down to what your separator will allow from either direction as you charge. You can test this with your volt meter as you charge the camper batteries and check the truck battery voltage before and during charge to see if the separator opens up. Then check it the other way with a charge to the truck batteries.

 

[Wallowa]

It comes down to what your separator will allow from either direction as you charge. You can test this with your volt meter as you charge the camper batteries and check the truck battery voltage before and during charge to see if the separator opens up. Then check it the other way with a charge to the truck batteries.

yes, I will test that...but a separator, FWC installed, is a "one-way" switch that allows current to flow from the Tundra alternator into the Hawk batteries and to prevent current from flowing just from the Tundra battery into the Hawk batteries...this is to prevent the Tundra from ending up with a flat battery and no way to start the truck...

I do carry a Li battery for emergency jumps...but that should not be necessary with the separator even if the Hawk batteries drain down...

Phil

 

[rando]

As others have said, it all depends on which isolator you have in your camper. FWC has installed several different ones over the years. The newer Blue Seas ones are 'dual sensing' and will connect your camper battery to your truck battery if it detect either are charging. The older isolators (from Surepower) are single side sensing and will only connect the truck and camper batteries if the truck battery is being charged.

The isolators aren't directional - once they are engaged, current can flow either direction. They are just a relay. The IOTA doesn't play a role in this, it is just a charger/power supply.

So which isolator is installed in your camper?

 

[Wallowa]

As others have said, it all depends on which isolator you have in your camper. FWC has installed several different ones over the years. The newer Blue Seas ones are 'dual sensing' and will connect your camper battery to your truck battery if it detect either are charging. The older isolators (from Surepower) are single side sensing and will only connect the truck and camper batteries if the truck battery is being charged.
The isolators aren't directional - once they are engaged, current can flow either direction. They are just a relay. The IOTA doesn't play a role in this, it is just a charger/power supply.

So which isolator is installed in your camper?

Good question...until now I never heard that two distinct types of "isolator" you refer to existed...here is what my information sheet that came with my 2016 Hawk states, underlining is mine: "The function of the battery separator [comes installed with the FWC aux. battery system option] is to disengage the truck power supply [i.e. the truck starting battery] when your truck is turned off, therefore keeping the truck battery fully charged." So it would seem that the separator is directional and if my truck is off, which it is in my shop, and the 110/120v power is connected to the Hawk then current can not flow to the truck battery.

This is how I understood the separator function but was asking the forum members if current did indeed ever flow into the truck battery from the IOTA or Hawk batteries...it would appear that no current will flow from the Hawk to the Tundra under any conditions with the stock FWC separator system...if truck is running the alternator will flow to truck and into Hawk and when truck ignition is off no current flows to the Tundra from the Hawk.

Phil

 

[rando]

My 2016 Fleet Flatbed came with the Blue Sea isolator, which IS dual sensing and allows bi-directional charging. You really need to go look in your camper and see which one you have, I would not trust the manual as the FWC documentation seems to be poor and out of date.

If you don't recognize it, post a photo and we can tell you which one it is.

 

[Wallowa]

My 2016 Fleet Flatbed came with the Blue Sea isolator, which IS dual sensing and allows bi-directional charging. You really need to go look in your camper and see which one you have, I would not trust the manual as the FWC documentation seems to be poor and out of date.

If you don't recognize it, post a photo and we can tell you which one it is.

Roger that..will check today..thanks..

Phil

 

[Wallowa]

OK...attached is photo of my 2016 Hawk SEPARATOR [Eaton Model 1314A] which allows multiple batteries to be charged from one charging source [product description]....

The second post to follow will show a photo of the ISOLATOR which only allows current to flow from the truck battery to the Hawk when the truck is running and truck alternator is supplying the current..

Both were installed by FWC and it was explained to me [by installer and FWC tech via phone] that the truck can charge the Hawk batteries using the truck alternator but current will not flow back into the Tundra battery from the Hawk batteries or camper charging system...this one way 'isolation' is to prevent the Tundra starting battery from being drained by low Hawk batteries..when the truck is running the truck alternator is the charging source for the truck battery and as needed the Hawk batteries.

Hope the images come through..

Phil

 

[Wallowa]

ISOLATOR image

 

[PaulT]

OK...attached is photo of my 2016 Hawk SEPARATOR [Eaton Model 1314A] which allows multiple batteries to be charged from one charging source [product description]....

The second post to follow will show a photo of the ISOLATOR which only allows current to flow from the truck battery to the Hawk when the truck is running and truck alternator is supplying the current..

Both were installed by FWC and it was explained to me [by installer and FWC tech via phone] that the truck can charge the Hawk batteries using the truck alternator but current will not flow back into the Tundra battery from the Hawk batteries or camper charging system...this one way 'isolation' is to prevent the Tundra starting battery from being drained by low Hawk batteries..when the truck is running the truck alternator is the charging source for the truck battery and as needed the Hawk batteries.

Hope the images come through..

Phil

This is the older isolator that will not charge the truck battery from the camper side power whether solar or Iota.
Paul

 

[PaulT]

ISOLATOR image

This is the resettable circuit breaker to protect the camper side.

There should have been a second one like it installed under the hood when the camper was installed. Both are needed so that if a short occurs in the wiring between the truck and camper, neither the truck battery or the camper batteries will do bad things if that wiring is compromised.

Paul

 

[Wallowa]

This is the older isolator that will not charge the truck battery from the camper side power whether solar or Iota.
Paul

OK...as advertised when I bought the Hawk...but how does this square with your #15 post? I am in my normal state of confusion...

Thanks...Phil

 

[PaulT]

OK...as advertised when I bought the Hawk...but how does this square with your #15 post? I am in my normal state of confusion...

Thanks...Phil

Sorry, I realize now that that circuit breaker is the one under your hood. There should be a second one like it in the camper near the Surepower 1314 isolator. The circuit breaker serves the same function as a fuse to protect the wiring but automatically resets if the current exceeds (probably) 30 amps. The isolator’s function is to ensure that the camper circuitry does not draw down the truck starter battery when the engine is not running.

Both are needed. Without the 1314 isolator, the circuit breakers would happily allow your camper appliances to drain the truck battery as long as the current draw was 30 amps or lower. Even with the truck running, the circuit breakers will limit the current flow to 30 amps.

Paul

 

[Wallowa]

Sorry, I realize now that that circuit breaker is the one under your hood. There should be a second one like it in the camper near the Surepower 1314 isolator. The circuit breaker serves the same function as a fuse to protect the wiring but automatically resets if the current exceeds (probably) 30 amps. The isolator’s function is to ensure that the camper circuitry does not draw down the truck starter battery when the engine is not running.

Both are needed. Without the 1314 isolator, the circuit breakers would happily allow your camper appliances to drain the truck battery as long as the current draw was 30 amps or lower. Even with the truck running, the circuit breakers will limit the current flow to 30 amps.

Paul

OK...thanks again...check the photo of the Eaton 1314 SEPARATOR and just to the left and lower there is what I believe is the circuit breaker within the Hawk...again the EATON in photo is described and labeled as a separator not an isolator..the isolator being in the second photo under the hood [I believe]...

Not sure how "smart" battery chargers are but my concern was if the IOTA could run current to my truck battery [FWC tech said that is would not...] and the Battery Tender was also running current to the truck battery that is could be over cooked..

Anyway thanks to all who chipped in with information...it was and is appreciated.

Phil

 

[PaulT]

You are correct about the circuit breaker next to the separator.

I have commonly (and incorrectly) called it an isolator where the industry name is separator. This page describes the differences. The isolator uses semiconductors to perform the function while the separator uses a relay. I had an isolator on my old VW camper that did essentially the same function from my viewpoint and just continued calling it an isolator.

The device you called an isolator is actually an automatically resettable circuit breaker like the one next to your battery separatorr.

Paul

 

[Wallowa]

You are correct about the circuit breaker next to the separator.

I have commonly (and incorrectly) called it an isolator where the industry name is separator. This page describes the differences. The isolator uses semiconductors to perform the function while the separator uses a relay. I had an isolator on my old VW camper that did essentially the same function from my viewpoint and just continued calling it an isolator.

The device you called an isolator is actually an automatically resettable circuit breaker like the one next to your battery separatorr.

Paul

Bet you miss the VW van....

Phil