Ideling to charge batts

High idle it for half hour, that cuts your running time in half. When voltage becomes low hit it another half hour. Low idle is like a trickle charger, won't do much but surface charge a drained battery.

 

If you run it at 1000 it will actually be charging your batteries. If you run it at 600 you'll just be running your accessories off what the alternator puts out with little left to charge the batteries. Either 1000 rpm or shut'er down.

 

if your laptop is draining your BIG truck batteries in a couple hours, I'd be getting my batteries tested before winter.

sumthin ain't right there.

If you computer battery is draining in about 1 1/2 hours, if you are watching movies and such, unless you got a bit 9 cell battery, that's about normal.

 

Your batteries shouldn't be dying so quick. May want to get then load tested.

 

Before I had a gen I would run it for about an hour and the amp gauge would be back to almost zero, meaning batts are charged. My Leece Neville is a 135 I think and I idle around 8 or 900. Unless they are really drained then it can take a few hours to half a day of highway driving to fully charge them.

 

Eventually you'll learn to time it so you don't have to put up with that annoying beeping! Your welcome!