>> I'm also wondering if it would be practical to use my tow vehicle's
>> alternator to recharge the boat batteries as I drive. That would
>> be nice if
>> I'm traveling and can't always stop somewhere with an electrical hookup to
>> power my charger.
Eric Johnson wrote:
>
>That may be a little trickier since you'll have a 24V system, but I've
>contemplated the same thing... you might want to rig a parallel-series
>switch with an isolator so when towing its only technically a 12V system,
>but we're getting pretty complicated now. You could go simpler by having
>some switch so that you're only charging one battery at a time, and on a
>trip, when you stop for food or gas or whatever, that battery should be
>charged and you could switch to the other one.
>
I just found a product already on the market called a "Road Charger." It's
in the Bass Pro Shops catalog, which appears to be the best source for
battery chargers and other trolling motor and battery accessories. But the
Road Charger is designed to mate with the trolling motor receptacle, so I
would still have the complication of charging the 12 V batteries separately
or in parallel. The Road Charger is $44.95 and appears to consist of
wiring, connectors, and a circuit breaker. Should be a pretty
straightforward installation for those with 12 V trolling motors.
Harry Gordon
P14 #234, Manatee
Mountain View, CA