excessive idling time cause engine wear ?

[blazee]

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

Whta are you going to be powering with the second battery?

Also, in a boat application, there is usually a battery charger incorporated into the boat's electrical system which charges the battery up when you are hooked to 120v AC when you are docked at a powered parking spot.

We never idled the boat to charge ours up. 460 big block doesn't make for an economical battery charger if you catch my drift.

Our boat was a 30 foot Bayliner Avanti and it has one of those HUGE deep cycle batteries.

Just to clarify....he's not using a second battery he was replying to me and you telling him that an alternator is not a battery charger. He wants to know why it is okay on boats and not okay for trucks.

[blazee]

Originally Posted by hunter01

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum.

My boat only uses the alternator to maintain the starter battery. The AUX battery (trolling motor) gets charged by plugging in the built-in charger when I get home.

Why wouldn't it be easier for you to use a generator instead of an inverter? It most cases it would be better than the shortened life span of the battery and alternator. Your circumstances maybe different....just offering alternatives.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by blazee

Just to clarify....he's not using a second battery he was replying to me and you telling him that an alternator is not a battery charger. He wants to know why it is okay on boats and not okay for trucks.

I think I know that.

I am telling him that he should NOT have the second battery charged by the alternator.

[hunter01]

I have a 1000 watt inverter that I intend to use when I go camping. I'm going to use a compact microwave and a 200 watt sleep apnea machine.

Most of the boats around here are on moorings, as they are much cheaper than slips, and they don't see an ac outlet for the entire season.
Power boats usually have an onboard battery charger where as sailboats generally do not.
My fathers sailboat, a 33' Hunter uses the alternator to recharge the auxillary battery.

Thanks everyone for your replys, I'll have to plug something into my inverter to drain the battery so I can test recharge times. I just wanted to make sure I won't damage anything in my engine by letting it idle for an hour. Maybe I'll wait for some better weather as were expecting up to a foot of snow. When I get some results I'll post them here.

[blazee]

Hate to bust your bubble, but you can't run a 200 watt item off a 100watt inverter. It will trip the overload.

[hunter01]

Sorry typo on my part It's a 1000 watt inverter

[blazee]

oh, well that's diffferent. That will work.

[J-Ri]

Portable microwave? That ain't camping

You'll want to get some sort of battery charger for your truck. 2 amps is the most you should charge a deep cycle battery with, charging faster than that will sulfate the plates. Can't you get a camp site with electricity so you don't even have to worry about taking an inverter?

[dmbrisket 51]

Originally Posted by J-Ri

Portable microwave? That ain't camping

You'll want to get some sort of battery charger for your truck. 2 amps is the most you should charge a deep cycle battery with, charging faster than that will sulfate the plates. Can't you get a camp site with electricity so you don't even have to worry about taking an inverter?

thats my thought exactly, pay the extra few a night, and you will be fine, your looken to take and put quite a load on your trucks electrical system... on the other hand, it would be awsome to be in the "rustic" portion of the camp ground and runnen your microwave n' what not

[OverBoardProject]

How about just getting a couple of 12 volt solar panels to charge up your battery. A friend of mine does this, and it works great

[BlazerLT]

Thye are very lower amperage and can only be used for battery maintanence rather than charging.