Let’s assume you are stuck in the middle of nowhere and the RV battery has died.
This is going to leave you in a difficult situation with minimal options. If you don’t have a replacement RV battery, you will need to start looking for other solutions.
This is why most want to be proactive and think about how they will charge the RV battery while driving.
A question you are going to ask is, does a tow vehicle charge the RV battery?
Yes, a tow vehicle can charge the RV battery. To do this, connect the battery to the vehicle’s alternator using a 7-pin travel trailer plug. This will help charge the battery and help increase its power output until the RV starts running.
This guide is going to shed some light on how to charge an RV battery with a tow vehicle and what to think about while setting things up.
Table of Contents
How To Charge RV Battery With Tow Vehicle
Tip #1: Check The Battery’s Status
When you are looking to charge an RV battery with a tow vehicle, it’s essential to know how the battery is doing in its current condition.
This is important because it helps set a baseline.
You will then get a read on how bad the battery is and what adjustments might be required to get it to run properly.
Look to use a voltage meter to get a read on the battery.
This will immediately shed light on its reading and how it is doing. You want to keep this number in mind and then connect the RV battery to the tow vehicle.
Tip #2: Find The RV Travel Trailer Plug
To do this the right way, your first step is to find the RV travel trailer plug.
Remember that you can only complete this type of change with the help of the travel trailer plug. This is how you are going to complete the connection between the tow vehicle and the battery.
If there is no plug, the charge is not going to pass onto the RV battery.
Take your time to find the plug and then make sure to set things into place as intended.
You will want to ensure it is in a safe spot and the connection is not going to be compromised as you are driving.
Tip #3: Connect The Battery To The Vehicle’s Alternator
Next, you are going to connect the RV battery to the tow vehicle.
How is the charging going to take place?
In essence, the charge is going to pass through the alternator of the tow vehicle. This is going to help keep the RV battery charged as you are driving.
It’s essential to make use of the travel trailer plug as that is how the electricity is going to go to the RV battery.
It will take a few seconds to get things into place and then you will see the RV battery charge.
Tip #4: Check The Battery’s Charging Results
A common mistake that’s made is to not look at the RV battery.
You will want to connect it to the tow vehicle and then let it sit as you drive. For the most part, this is going to produce good results and you will feel confident in how the RV battery performs.
However, it is also possible you could have a situation where the battery is not charging.
This is why getting a baseline is important with the voltage meter. This baseline is going to let you know how the RV battery is doing when it is connected to the tow vehicle.
Take the new reading and then compare it to the previous one.
Is it better?
If yes, you are good to go and the connection is working as you wanted it to. If not, you will want to go back and take a look at the travel trailer plug to see if something is disconnected.
Final Thoughts
Does a tow vehicle charge the RV battery?
Yes, a tow vehicle can charge the RV battery. To do this, it’s important to connect the RV battery to the tow vehicle using a 7-pin travel trailer plug. This will help push a charge through to the RV battery and will ensure it charges promptly.
You will have to be vigilant while doing this to make sure the connection is secure.
In general, a lot of people do use this method because it’s efficient and does not take a lot of time. The RV battery is going to be back to how it needs to be when you are driving the vehicle.
If you want good results, you will want to take this into account as a viable solution. It will produce the results you covet.
This is important when looking to set up a new RV and make sure the RV battery is in good shape. This includes RV appliances.
