Trickle Charger

[OSCBRADLEY]

Hello,
I'm thinking of purchasing this trickle charger. It would be nice to be able to pick up the tt from storage with a fully charged battery. It looks to be sufficient for what I need......just wanting to see if anyone has advice, thanks. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=13005742

[tmmar]

I have a battery tender that works fine. Not sure about the one from walmart but looks like a good price.

[NWJeeper]

Looks almost identical to the Battery Minder that I have used for years. They work well. Should be fine for what you want to do.

[KyDan]

I use battery tender Jr that cost in the $25-$30 range
and
the knock off version from Harbor Freight that cost less than $10
Both will keep your batteries charged and not boil off the fluid.

[OSCBRADLEY]

Strange, I went over and plugged in the trickle charger.......for some reason the "charge" light never came on. Tried a different extension cord, disconnected trailer cables from battery but still no charge light when i attach the chargers clips.....am I missing something here?

[OSCBRADLEY]

Could it be that that the battery is totally drained? it should still be able to charge it though I would think.

[flyrotor]

Verify your electric source is valid, no circuits are blown, then try hooking up to your truck or car battery to see if it works there

[OSCBRADLEY]

Flyrotor,
Electrical source is good and when I hook it up to the truck battery the yellow charge light DOES come on......so I guess the charger is good.....could it be the trailer battery is just to low for the charger to do anything?

[flyrotor]

Do you have a volt meter? would be good to see the baseline of the batteries, that may tell you a lot, who knows, could be overcharged?

[OSCBRADLEY]

No Voltmeter but battery is definitely dead. It usually only lasts a couple days after I put it back in storage. I think its the fire detectors that is draining the battery so quickly. I cant think of anything else feeding off of the battery when its in storage.

[KyDan]

Depending on your trailer there could be several things inside
draining your batteries.
If you have LP gas detector, it's always on.
Your onboard power center itself will drain your batteries
when you aren't plugged in.
A battery that is completely drained might be ruined.
You can pull a bunch of fuses each time you store your trailer
but I get tired of being down on my hands and knees doing
this pretty fast.
I've installed a battery disconnect switch in every one of my
trailers for these reasons.
They should be standard equipment in all new trailers but very
few builders install them.

You can get a decent little digital volt meter at Harbor Freight
for less than $5 on sale. Or go visit Radio Shack. Everyone with
an RV needs a multi meter!!

[Team Wilhelm]

Can you leave on a trickle charger for say 5 months while unit is in storage ?

[KyDan]

It absolutely depends on what kind!
There are dozens of different kinds on the market.

Many folks here use the battery tender brand.
The battery tender Jr. costs about $25 and it will keep your
battery fully charged and not boil off the electrolyte.
Harbor Freight has a knock off version that's in the $10 range.
I have a couple of each and am happy with both kinds.
I use them on my motorcycle in the winter, my riding lawn mower,
my truck which is not used much in the winter and my trailer.
I have found that they all stay charged and do not use water any
more than normal.

If you use one of these you can top up your battery with distilled
water and it will be OK for 5 months.
You also want to be sure nothing is on in your trailer!
LP detector and even the onboard power center will suck your
battery dead unless you pull fuses or have a battery disconnect
switch.

Other chargers and YMMV!

[Team Wilhelm]

Big thanks KY.

[Sean&SuzieWkndr]

Does anyone have a picture of the Harbor Freight knockoff? I have a Harbor Freight across town from me, and would just like to make sure I'm getting the correct item. Thanks.