FWC Hawk Battery Storage Setting

[Idahomauledriver]

I have a 2015 Hawk with Dual Batteries and a controller. I am getting ready to park it for about 6 weeks and was thinking that it would be best to plug it in to shore power with the master switch pulled out and let the controller maintain the batteries. Everything is drained and shut down I am just concerned about maintaining the camper batteries properly. I will have the truck batteries hooked to a battery tender also.

Any thoughts or issues that anyone has run into.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[Bosque Bill]

The AGM batteries in my 2013 Fleet after 2 months without being charged still had 80% charge. The main power switch was off, of course. Previous years I'd hook up a charger for a couple days each month. This year I decided I'd check the voltage first, so I know they hold charge much better than I thought. YMMV.

 

[rotti]

My Hawk when plugged in also charges my truck battery.
No need for a separate Battery Tender for the truck.

Note: I did ditch the Sure Power junk battery separator for the Blue Sea model.

 

[XJINTX]

Rotti, I'm interested in that setup. I plug my Hawk in while parked in my Shop. I also have a maintainer plugged in for my Superduty. Would be nice if Camper charged truck too.

 

[ntsqd]

BEP Marine and Blue Sea Systems both offer dual sensing smart battery combiners. Which ever bank is being directly charged is allowed to be fully charged before the combiner closes and connects the charger to the bank on the far side of the combiner. So the alternator would fully charge the starting battery(ies) before the combiner closes and allows the alt to charge the camper battery(ies). Same for the camper's solar, the camper battery(ies) would be fully charged before the combiner closes and allows the solar to charge the starting battery(ies).

 

[rotti]

Rotti, I'm interested in that setup. I plug my Hawk in while parked in my Shop. I also have a maintainer plugged in for my Superduty. Would be nice if Camper charged truck too.

An easy way to monitor what is going on with your charging system is use a voltage gauge that plugs into your trucks cigarette lighter (that has a hot lead). I simply look through the window to see what voltage the truck is getting from the solar or camper or battery tender.

Also, if I use just my Battery Tender on the truck battery (camper not on shore power) all batteries, truck and camper, will be charged.

As mentioned above, I swapped out the Sure?Power for the Blue Sea isolator on my 2012 Hawk (highly recommend and what FWC is currently now installing).

Here is monitor I use, only $12:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equus-Innova-3721-Battery-and-Charging-System-Monitor/15137663?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227009075049&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40839218672&wl4=aud-310687322322la-78652684352&wl5=9028779&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=15137663&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[pvstoy]

That monitor also works great as a night light