2005 Ram 2500 5.9 L Cummins 7-Way Connector Starter Drain

Question:

Is anybody familiar enough with the 3rd Generation 5.9 L Ram 2500 to know if my Cabover is draining my starter battery when left connected to the truck via the 7-way connector? Is there an isolator in the system in-between the starter battery and the 7-way connector? Maybe this is an obvious or dumb question, but I wasnt entering the correct Google Search or somehow was missing if this was already answered somewhere on Internet forums. My truck camper sits on the truck almost all the time, and I usually leave the 7-way connected but barely drive the truck except on road trips. I am about to buy a new set of batteries for the truck, and if my camper is actually pulling a slow drain off the truck battery through the 7-way, I thought it would be another reason to consider more expensive AGMs that can handle this drain on top of the truck sitting parked for longer periods. And, during the Winter mainly, I do often keep a trickle charger on the truck battery.

asked by: Joel

Expert Reply:

The 12V accessory line on the 7-way connector on your truck which is the pin in the 1 o'clock position when looking at the front of the 7-way, will not charge the battery in your camper.It will deliver a maintenance charge, but won't fully charge a trailer or slide-in camper battery.

An isolator like the Battery Isolation Solenoid # PK5231201 shuts off the 12-volt feed from your vehicle battery to 12-volt accessories on your trailer when the ignition is turned off. This lets you run the trailer's electrical components without draining your battery.

If you don't go with adding an isolator, you can also disconnect the trailer from the vehicle to prevent the battery on your truck from discharging. If you have the camper connected to the truck while you are driving or while the truck engine is running, it will not drain the truck battery. You also can charge your battery with a charger like part # CTEK56353 when land power is available.

expert reply by: Patrick R