All,
I am seeking the best way to trickle charge my house and Coach batteries on my 90 Regency. Both sets of batts are relatively new and in good condition. I have used a Battery Minder trickle charger/desulphater for many years on various batteries with very good success.
I don't understand that if the battery disconnect is in 'DISCONNECTED' mode and all 12v is OFF, then the separate switch "HOUSE BATTS" and "BOTH" are in the "BOTH" setting: will an external charger (not inverter charger on shore power) charger BOTH banks of batteries.
I hope my question is clear, it seems a little complex and I really don't know if the "BOTH" switch in the engine compartment is mechanically linking the house battery bank and the coach battery bank IF THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. That is does the switch run a solenoid or is it purely mechanical.
In a nutshell: if the coach is not plugged in to shorepower, 12V master OFF, Engine battery switch turned to BOTH and an external charger with both banks charge.

Sorry again for all the words, just a little befuddled here.

Stratosurfer
I have the same year and chassis/engine combo you do but DO NOT have any such switch in the engine compartment that says HOUSE BATTS/BOTH. Where is this switch? My house batts are in the engine compartment street side and starting batts are on the curb side and there are all kinds of electrical relays and such, along with the fuel primer and other stuff I have no idea about with those starting batts.
I have a master switch inside by the entry door to turn off all 12V power in the coach ... that's all!
Any chance you could post a pic of this engine compartment switch and a descripton of its location?
Someday we are going to get to one of th rallys and I'm gonna get one of you mech experts to explain to me what all that stuff does!!
Don

Don,
Yes mine has this switch in the engine compartment, I will try and remember to take a pic when I'm at the coach tomorrow. It has a BOTH position and an RV position. Apparently if the switch is in the RV position, the starting batteries are apparently isolated out of the charging/discharging loop. So while boondocking in the RV position the starting batteries are isolated and can't be discharged (I don't think they can be discharged anyhow as a solenoid isolates them). However if this switch is in the the both position, then the house batteries -can- assist the starting batteries start the engine.
I -think- this is how it works but don't know if I can charge both banks of batts with this switch.

OK. I wasn't thiking along that line. Ours has a switch on the dash for that purpose labeled "AUX START". Would do the same thing but not if you wanted to emergency start an engine from the engine bay. Actually, ours does not have a remote starter in the engine bay at all.
AFAIK, our start batts are not discharged when boondocking. Pretty sure of that. Both sets of batts are charged while driving or on the generator. Only the house batts are charged while on shore power.
All Barths are different!
Don