Battery Maintenance: Trickle charge vs disconnect

Bunkhouse Bandit · 03-18-2019, 08:55 PM

What is your preference for maintaining your batteries while your vessel is not in use? Do you use a small solar panel to trickle charge it or do you disconnect the battery(ies) from the trailer and charge them elsewhere? Please share your hows and whys...

Oaklevel · 03-18-2019, 09:11 PM

On the camper I disconnect and charge. But I leave it in place. Same with my other trailers.

On my autos I disconnect the battery and use battery tenders and leave in place.

TitanMike · 03-18-2019, 11:06 PM

For my trailer I just leave the batteries connected and shore power connected. My converter takes care of maintenance except for water.

I use a NOCO Genius 1.5 amp charger/maintainer for my Tow Vehicle. I only use it to tow the trailer so I plug it in too.

My "get around car" is a Volt and I leave it plugged in when not using it too.

The batteries in all three are being maintained by computer controlled chargers that not only keep batteries charged but occasionally apply a desulfation charge (except volt).

This way the batteries are not sitting for any length of time in a state of partial discharge which can allow sulfation to form.

Reverse_snowbird · 03-18-2019, 11:28 PM

We usually charge up the battery on the trailer using a portable battery charger. Then we disconnect the negative to maintain the charge.

Of course, we have access to electricity where we store the trailer. When we stored it where we didn't have electricity, we removed the battery and charged it at home.

Bluepill · 03-19-2019, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

We usually charge up the battery on the trailer using a portable battery charger. Then we disconnect the negative to maintain the charge.

Of course, we have access to electricity where we store the trailer. When we stored it where we didn't have electricity, we removed the battery and charged it at home.

X2

Macrosill · 03-19-2019, 06:11 AM

Trailer battery hooked up and trailer plugged in 24/7/365 unless travelling. Tow vehicle, on board 5 amp battery tender and plugged in when parked.

NJKris · 03-19-2019, 07:13 AM

Disconnected and charging in place with smart charger. My charger is a CTEK.

**Flybob** · 03-19-2019, 07:50 AM

Because of the area I live in, we have lots of power surges dues to tree falling on lines, I prefer not to leave the RV plugged in but rather use a battery maintainer to keep batteries charged. I have moved from Battery Tender to CTEK as my maintainer of choice. Be careful of the small solar battery trickle chargers as the actual output of many of them are not sufficient to even overcome the parasitic draws.

upflying · 03-19-2019, 08:24 AM

I remove my batteries and keep them topped up with a Battery Tender in my garage.

dodgemark · 03-19-2019, 09:54 AM

I leave battery’s in camper and shut off switch and put a battery tender on. Don’t use a trickle charger, that can over charge the battery. Battery tender keeps battery’s at full charge and auto stops. When charge drops a little it puts it back to full. Will not overcharge. Cannot use on a dead or almost dead battery due to it won’t charge it up that much. When it’s close to going back in service I remove tender turn disconnect switch on and plug camper back in to shore power.

NMWildcat · 03-19-2019, 10:04 AM

I fully charge the batteries with the converter, then use a disconnect switch that separates the batteries from everything. Batteries stay at 100% for at least a few months. Never saw the need to remove the batteries for safe keeping.

All our vehicles are used often enough that battery charging is not an issue.

jimmoore13 · 03-19-2019, 02:14 PM

Off-season, I bring the battery inside...the old fashioned way. It spends about 4 months or so in my utility room, and I hit it with a trickle charger/maintainer about 3 times during that period. The charger tops off the battery in an hour or two.

During the season, I have solar on the roof, so the solar charge controller takes care of it. I leave the battery connected so it has some parasitic loads drawing on it to eat a bit of the solar charge. I don't plug into shore power other than to prep to leave.

Before solar, I left the battery connected, with parasitic loads, and I plugged into shore power on a weekly basis to top off the battery. It did not stay plugged in, but I know it could have. I enjoy the convenience of parking next to the house, so plugging/unplugging was easy to do when going to/from our cars.

About 24 hours before a trip, I plug into shore power and cool the fridge. When I roll out, I switch to fridge to propane and leave with a full battery.

Convenience plays a big part in these choices as does a bit of (largely unfounded) paranoia about the converter/charger in the rig going on the fritz and ruining the battery.

So far so good.

Stlcaly · 03-19-2019, 02:22 PM

Boat and RV batteries are removed,stored,maintainer used, and water level checked in my garage. Thefts have been known to happen

Goferbroke · 03-19-2019, 02:24 PM

I noticed in all the replies that no one seems to use one of the 1.5 amp solar battery maintainers. I'm glad to find out I was the only one dumb enough to trust one with my battery. I parked a motor scooter outside last fall and hooked up one of the solar battery maintainers to a brand new charged battery and went to start it a couple of weeks ago and it was completely dead. The battery was so far gone it wouldn't even take a proper charge. Lesson learned.

marinerjoe · 03-19-2019, 02:28 PM

I got a Torklift PowerArmor battery box that has a small solar cell on the cover. I’ve got two 12v batteries (same type and age) inside and the cell has kept the batteries topped up over the winter. The box locks, so the batteries are less likely to walk. The box is mounted behind my dual propane tanks on the frame.

RadRik · 03-19-2019, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybob

Because of the area I live in, we have lots of power surges dues to tree falling on lines, I prefer not to leave the RV plugged in but rather use a battery maintainer to keep batteries charged. I have moved from Battery Tender to CTEK as my maintainer of choice. Be careful of the small solar battery trickle chargers as the actual output of many of them are not sufficient to even overcome the parasitic draws.

How do you choose the correct CTEK? There seems to be numerous models on Amazon.

mjones12 · 03-19-2019, 02:35 PM

Not everyone can do this due to different climates, but I usually camp once a month, year-round, always with full hookups.

After five campers have never needed to remove or replace a battery except when the service dept ran one dry and replaced it under warranty.

PSU Turf · 03-19-2019, 02:38 PM

My 6V batteries stay connected, year round, to the solar panels on the roof. In the winter I disconnect the wire that powers the 12V trailer electric because there are usually extended periods where the panels are covered with snow. Parasitic draw would deplete the batteries during those periods.

xd40c · 03-19-2019, 03:39 PM

I've found the disconnect switch will not keep my batteries from draining. Therefore, when I park it at storage, even for a week, I take the batteries with me and put them on the battery tender in the garage.

jimmoore13 · 03-19-2019, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xd40c

I've found the disconnect switch will not keep my batteries from draining. Therefore, when I park it at storage, even for a week, I take the batteries with me and put them on the battery tender in the garage.

That's a good point. The disconnect may not disconnect everything.
Look carefully to see if there are "other" small wires connected to the battery, or if there is a shunt around the disconnect to service some small parasitic loads...e.g. the CO/Propane detector.

Once fully disconnected, the battery should hold charge for a long time. But I'm with you. I bring mine inside...so I can admire it.

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