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© Erwin Hymer Group North America, Inc., R00
Standard Alternator Charger and Battery Isolator
While driving, your Roadtrek will also charge the coach batteries from the vehicle alternator through a
separator. The separator allows extra vehicle alternator-produced electricity to charge your coach
batteries in addition to keeping your engine (chassis) battery charged. When the vehicle engine is not
running, it breaks the electrical connection between your coach batteries and your engine battery, so
your engine battery remains charged to start your engine even though you are using coach battery
power while camped. This is all automatic - there are no user adjustments possible to the separator.
Optional Engine Generator
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine generator. The engine generator is mounted on the
vehicle engine and is operated by idling the vehicle engine. (Picture 55.1) If your coach batteries are
low, start the vehicle engine and let it idle until the batteries are sufficiently charged. Usually 30 minutes
of idling are enough to restore moderately depleted coach batteries to a useful level of charge.
As with a conventional generator, always close the rear windows of the vehicle and turn off the roof
ventilation fan when the engine generator is charging the batteries to avoid exhaust entering the
vehicle's interior.
The engine generator is charging the coach batteries whenever the vehicle's engine is in operation,
which means you are also charging them as you drive. You will arrive at your camping destination with
fully charged coach batteries.
There is no required maintenance for the engine generator. Note, however, that your vehicle's
serpentine belt (the belt which drives the vehicle's alternator, water pump, power steering, etc.) will be
different than the one for similar vehicles without the engine generator, so carrying a spare belt may be
prudent in case you have a serpentine belt failure while traveling.
Engine generator
Picture 55.1
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