Charging onboard charger with a power inverter?

[zachp]

Anyone try this, I have a 3 bank 5x5x5 charger and would like to be able to give my batteries some juice when out camping.

[iffwalleyes]

You will need a pretty good size inverter to pull this off. I think it will have to much of a power draw to work with out blowing fuse in your rig.

[Shack]

This one of those things that a man thinks of, but just could not be true. All I can say is "try it" and let us know how it goes. I think you are just transfering power from one item to another. You would just be sucking and loosing amps.

[zachp]

I would be using the battery from my pick up to charge it. I'm not very good with electricity but if my calculations are correct I would be drawing 12v(x5a)(x5a)(x5a) for 180 total watts...figure a few extra watts and say a 400 watt inverter and i should be alright? I may get one anyways and try it out at home, the camp site is not a place to be experimenting.

[Shack]

Good idea! They way they make things now, you can squeez anyhting out of something. Good luck and post when you find out. I have thought of this before, but never have tried it.

[rtwills]

I dilled a hole in my trailor and installed a female end,wired it to the truck,all i do is run a coiled cord from the trailor to the trolling motor input,and batteries charge while im driving.works great if going lake to lake and by the time i get home they are full charge.

[Shack]

Daaa, I see the light. "While truck is running". Am I correct?

[rtwills]

you got it

[Shack]

rtwills,

I think you have won the "Timm Allen Of The day award". Cool set up!

[cheesehead]

Just use jumper cables to charge each battery individually. Do not hook them directly to the battery in the truck tho. It doesn't make any sense at all to invert 12 volt to 120 so you can bring it back down to 12 volts.

[Surface Tension]

An alternator isn't intended to charge dead batteries. Sure it will work but your reducing the life of the alternator.

If you did try it you would have to run your truck a long time to charge the batteries. Your 5 amp charger say with a half dead battery would take around 10 hours to charge.

Heres what I do if I'm out for a long weekend with not electricity and know my batteries won't last. I bring another battery with.

If you compare the hassle of charging whether it be with a generator, inverter, or a direct connect the spare battery is the best way.