Hi, for an RV application, I would like to charge a vehicle lead acid 12V chassis battery using three 12 V AGM house batteries, while vehicle engine is off. I purchased an Orion-TR 12-12V 9A Isolated DC-DC Converter, however the product packaging states “not intended for battery charging.”
I looked at Orion XS products, but these use the chassis battery (connected to an alternator) to charge an auxiliary (house) battery.
Any suggestion/advice are appreciated.
Not necessarily, you can use an Orion XS to charge the starter battery. Just a matter of charge parameters.
To properly charge a battery you should use an Orion Smart (including the Orion XS), since these have proper charge algorithms.
If its just to keep a maintenance charge on the starter battery you could also use a non-Smart Orion, however a prolonged, high charge voltage can reduce battery lifetime. So take care when setting the Trimpotentiometer. And a good voltmeter should be used to check the setting
It’s not ideal but if you’re just looking to keep the chassis battery topped up vs charging from a deep discharge then you can use the converter. Set the output voltage to a float voltage. The alternator or primary charger can do the heavy lifting.
We sometimes use these small DC-DC converters as a maintenance charger on motorhomes that spend a lot of time parked off-grid. The solar chargers on the house bank side effectively act to float charge the chassis battery to ensure they can start the engine. However, I would recommend you check to see if your dealer will allow you to return the DC-DC converter and exchange it for a charger. That would be the better route.
Thank you!