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04-18-2015, 02:53 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Chicagoland..Da Bears
Posts: 119
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What do you do with your batteries?
I am setting up my TT with a second battery. I will hook it up to the original and therein lies to lies the problem/question. If I hook them together I will have to completely disassemble the setup to take them to my house between trips. This seems like a hassle. We have the TT stored someplace that doesn't have electricity available and I want to make sure that they are charged before the trip.
What do others do?
__________________
Ed and Jennifer Bianchina
2014 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab
2011 Puma 2011 26 RLSS
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04-18-2015, 02:57 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,255
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Without lugging them back and forth, about the only other options are to put them on solar while in storage or run out the day before and run your generator to get them topped off.
Is there a reason why you can't just park it overnight at your home before departure and plug in to your home electric? You probably want to be doing that anyway to get your reefer cooled down for the trip.
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04-18-2015, 06:56 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Chicagoland..Da Bears
Posts: 119
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I've thought of that but it is about 1/2 hour away from the house. Is overnight enough time to charge both batteries?
Also when I plug into the car does the car charge the batteries. When I plug into shore power does that charge the batteries?
__________________
Ed and Jennifer Bianchina
2014 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab
2011 Puma 2011 26 RLSS
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04-18-2015, 07:02 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 9,839
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bianchina3
I've thought of that but it is about 1/2 hour away from the house. Is overnight enough time to charge both batteries?
Also when I plug into the car does the car charge the batteries. When I plug into shore power does that charge the batteries?
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Depends on the condition of the batteries.
Yes.
Yes.
__________________
2016 F350 6.7L LB CC Reese 28K 2014 Chaparral Lite 266sab
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 2014 19 days camping 2015 17 days camping201620 days camping
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04-18-2015, 07:06 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Oswego, NY
Posts: 293
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Overnight should be enough to charge your batteries assuming the batteries are not completely flat due to some load that remained powered up while in storage. Common loads such as CO detectors, smoke alarms, digital radios can drain your batteries while in storage.
The answers to your questions: yes, the batteries charge from the tow vehicle and yes, the batteries charge when powered from shore power.
__________________
2015 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604 WS. Rear LR, large street side slide with small wardrobe slide in BR.
2014 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel Laramie Quad Cab.
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04-18-2015, 07:29 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern Ontario
Posts: 4,167
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Add a battery disconnect next to batteries......
Here is one example how to do it....
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ood-74256.html
__________________
Fonzie
2011 Rockwood 8319SS with ProPride 3P hitch/GoodYear Marathons/TST TPMS 507
2019 F350 Ruby Red 6.7l diesel 3.31 axle electronic locker
Yamaha 3000iseb generator:Progressive Ind. EMS-HW30C : Eastern Ontario
Nights Camped: 2014 (18) 2015 (18) 2016 (36) 2017 (32) 2018 (42) 2019 (28) 2020 (35)
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04-18-2015, 07:53 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 591
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On our travel trailer, the two batteries sitting on the tongue were easily accessible (which eased battery maintenance). So, if our travel trailer was going to sit for only a few weeks to a month before being used again, I left them on the trailer at our storage lot. But, if it was going to sit for several months, I took them out, put them in my garage, and connected them to $4.99 float chargers from Harbor Freight. Those inexpensive, 12v deep-cycle marine batteries were used for 3 years and were still providing full power when we sold that trailer (and batteries) last month.
With our new 5th wheel, the battery is inside a basement storage compartment and, in turn, inside a vented battery box, which complicates maintenance and removal. So, I am replacing the dealer-installed 12v battery with two 6v golf cart batteries and installing a solar panel and controller. The controller will provide float and equalization charging stages when the trailer is parked, but will also provide the bulk and absorption stages needed when the trailer/batteries are in use.
If yo have generator, a third option would be to take it to your storage yard and use it to charge the batteries on an as-needed basis.
__________________
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2020 Winnebago Navion 24V Sprinter Class C
Sold in 2021: 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8244WS 5th Wheel
Sold in 2014: 2012 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
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04-18-2015, 08:47 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Chicagoland..Da Bears
Posts: 119
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Great info!
Awesome responses everyone.
I already plan on add in a cut off switch to the battery box. I didn't realize they could sit for weeks without needing to charge. I am not too concerned with the total charge of the batteries since when we need them we will be on the road for a few hours before we get to the camp site.
__________________
Ed and Jennifer Bianchina
2014 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab
2011 Puma 2011 26 RLSS
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04-18-2015, 09:17 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 591
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If you are going to let the batteries sit on the trailer for up to a month before the next use, make sure they are fully charged before taking the trailer to the storage yard. Check the voltage and/or, better yet, the battery specific gravity with a hydrometer to make sure they are charged up.
One reason I brought my batteries home for long periods was winter weather. Batteries don't like cold and, if not fully charged, can actually freeze. So, if you are in a cold location, you may want to consider sheltering them in a heated location and keeping them fully charged all winter.
__________________
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2020 Winnebago Navion 24V Sprinter Class C
Sold in 2021: 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8244WS 5th Wheel
Sold in 2014: 2012 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
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04-19-2015, 06:21 AM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bianchina3
Awesome responses everyone.
I already plan on add in a cut off switch to the battery box. I didn't realize they could sit for weeks without needing to charge. I am not too concerned with the total charge of the batteries since when we need them we will be on the road for a few hours before we get to the camp site.
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We have a cut off switch and our batteries are still nearly fully charged even after 4 months of storage.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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04-19-2015, 09:43 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,024
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Yes, charged batteries will stay charged for quite a while..a month or more. (If they are healthy batteries.) We always plug the trailer into the 110-outlet at the house as soon as we pull up (to load or unload or wash, etc.) and that's the last thing we disconnect before pulling out.
My old camper didn't have a cut-off switch so I would just disconnect the negative (black) terminal from the battery. (It had a wing-nut for this.)
I've heard that we're not supposed to leave the trailer plugged into the truck when parked for long periods because the trailer will draw from the truck batteries. (Not sure that's true but I don't take any chances.)
__________________
Rick & Karen
(Retired USAF, MSgt)
Monument, Colorado
8-year Travel Trailer RVers
2013 Forest River Rockwood Ultra-Lite 2904SS
2014 Toyota Tundra Maxcrew SR-5 TRD 4x4 (with Firestone airbags in the rear)
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04-19-2015, 06:50 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 591
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Our 2012 FR travel trailer had a factory battery cut-off switch. It was a chrome plated push-pull switch next to the circuit breaker/fuse panel inside the main living area. It was very convenient for shutting all battery power off when we went hiking, kayaking, or sightseeing. Our 5th wheel's cut-off switch is located in the basement compartment containing the battery and is not nearly as convenient for quickly shutting everything down. So, you might check your trailer for a similar switch before installing a new one.
__________________
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2020 Winnebago Navion 24V Sprinter Class C
Sold in 2021: 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8244WS 5th Wheel
Sold in 2014: 2012 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
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04-19-2015, 11:33 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 4,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fanrgs
Our ... battery cut-off switch ... was very convenient for shutting all battery power off when we went hiking, kayaking, or sightseeing.
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Doesn't that kill the refrigerator, too?
Sent from my phone using Tapatalk.
__________________
TV: 2021 Ford F-150 4WD XLT Crew w/ 3.5L EB & HDPP, payload: 2,416#.
RV: 2020 Rockwood Mini-Lite 2507S, Propride 3P hitch w/ 1400# spring bars
Camping nights: 2021, 52; 2022, 99; 2023, 88; 2024, TBD (Est: 80+)
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04-20-2015, 09:29 AM
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#14
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AKA: 'tiredTeacher
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 1,045
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chriscowles
Doesn't that kill the refrigerator, too?
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Yes, it does.
__________________
Wright and Penny
(with Fitz and Lizzie, the camping kitties)
Richmond, Va.
2010 Tundra 4X4 5.7L V8
2014 Rockwood 2604WS
Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows.
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04-20-2015, 10:50 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 591
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Yes, but we have a sending unit for a wireless indoor-outdoor thermometer in our refrigerator. So we can read the frig temp without opening the door. If the temp inside is 40 degrees or lower, it has been able to maintain it while we are gone. Of course, we have never gone hiking in Death Valley in mid-summer with the switch shut off either. But, if we had, we probably would have had bigger problems than the frig temp to worry about!
That's an unlikely extreme, I'll admit, but we have towed with the gas and battery off on summer days without any problems as long as we don't open the frig door while in transit. And, for safety reasons, we don't travel with the gas on--which, if I remember right from our Alaska trip, is actually illegal in Canada.
__________________
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2020 Winnebago Navion 24V Sprinter Class C
Sold in 2021: 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8244WS 5th Wheel
Sold in 2014: 2012 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
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04-20-2015, 11:33 AM
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#16
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,024
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Wow, no wonder people buy generators....I went to the trailer yesterday to work on my plumbing and it was in the 30's....felt even colder inside the camper!
So I turned on the battery and plugged in the little space heater...NOTHING....gesh, the batteries can't even run that thing?
__________________
Rick & Karen
(Retired USAF, MSgt)
Monument, Colorado
8-year Travel Trailer RVers
2013 Forest River Rockwood Ultra-Lite 2904SS
2014 Toyota Tundra Maxcrew SR-5 TRD 4x4 (with Firestone airbags in the rear)
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04-20-2015, 11:41 AM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,525
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Space heater = 120v ac. Battery = 12 v dc. Two different systems. You should have been able to use your LP furnace for a few hours.
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Peace!
Dan & Rita D
2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
2016 Evergreen Everlite 242RBS
29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
(1 queen bed, large main cabin and huge bathroom)
Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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04-20-2015, 12:05 PM
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#19
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ColoradoRick
Wow, no wonder people buy generators....I went to the trailer yesterday to work on my plumbing and it was in the 30's....felt even colder inside the camper!
So I turned on the battery and plugged in the little space heater...NOTHING....gesh, the batteries can't even run that thing?
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Suggest you read up on "the 12 volt Side of Life" website.
Your battery won't run 110vAC items like a space heater.
Nor will the outlets work on battery power.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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