Charging in storage

[Mroe67]

We keep our Montana 3120 in a covered storage place plugged in, to keep the batteries charged. My question is, is that a good thing, or should I be using a smaller trickle charger rather than the unit itself to keep the batteries up?

[markcee]

Curious as to responses to this as well.

But, my .02 is that using a simple battery maintainer would be best option. No wear and tear on the trailer's converter/charger that way, especially if you have no need to use AC while the trailer is in storage.

[Lee]

Hi,

I also keep my TT under covered parking year round. I also keep it plugged into shore power. The converter is designed to provide battery trickle charge. I also run a Dehumidifier on a timer.

[flybouy]

No need for a trickle charger to IMO. The converter should do the same function without straining it. In either case you'll need to check the electrolyte level every 4 to 6 weeks. Just for convenience I'd remove the battery and take it home and use a quality battery maintainer, there is a difference. For me it just seems easier to step in the garage to look at the water levels with less chance of forgetting about it.

[sourdough]

Mine stays plugged in year round. In storage I have easy access and I'm out there from time to time for various reasons, checking on the RV or looking for something. It's a very secure storage facility but I still like going out there to look things over. Check the water every now and again and all is well. No worries about the converter, it's made to do that.

[GaryUT]

I don't leave my trailer plugged in all the time.

I let it charge for a couple of days. Then test the batteries with a hydrometer to make sure they are fully charged and disconnect the batteries.

I check the battery voltage every 3 or 4 weeks, When they read 12.4 volts (80% charge) with no load I reconnect them and plug the trailer back in for a couple of days. Repeat as necessary until spring.

[roadglide]

I have been using 4 amp batter tender with 5 Amp built inline fuse going on 6 years. It’s charging 3 Duracell 115 AH AGM battery’s close to 6 years. I turn the disconnect off doing that allows my batteries to charge 100% other wise the battery’s leaves out around 85%. I know the battery’s are starting to weeken and I never let them go below 50%.

[dutchmensport]

Three travel trailers and 1 fifth wheel over the last 25 years never unplugged from shore power unless actually on the road (we don't boom dock) or we've had to leave one of them at the dealership/service for service. Short term or long term storage we've always let the converter on the campers keep the batteries charged. In 25 years of RV ownership.

If you remove the batteries completely from the camper, then yes.... use a trickle charger storing them in your garage or a shed at home. But if in the camper, just let the trailer's system do the work. Don't complicate it. Check your batterie's acid levels frequently and you are good to go.

[rhagfo]

I find this interesting, before we full timed, never charged batteries in storage. Installed a total battery disconnect switch and never had an issue. During the winter we could easily go two months between trips, never an issue with the batteries holding a charge.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

I find this interesting, before we full timed, never charged batteries in storage. Installed a total battery disconnect switch and never had an issue. During the winter we could easily go two months between trips, never an issue with the batteries holding a charge.

If you installed a true battery disconnect that actually disconnected ALL power from the batteries you could do that, but typically the factory installed disconnect DOES NOT disconnect all load from the batteries & they'll be dead in less than a week.
If you remove the batteries to your garage use a battery maintainer rather than a trickle charger & be sure to check the water levels in them monthly topping off with distilled water.

[theasphaltrv'er]

When our trailer is sitting in the driveway with nothing to do, I unplug it from shore power turn the disconnect off & hook up our 130 watt solar panel to it and let it charge it for a couple of days till the Victron gauge says it at a 100%, then I unhook it and let it sit. I check it every couple or 3 weeks and if it needs some charging, then I'll connect the panel and let it charge it back up. That's what I've done for this battery for the 6 years of its life. It's still going strong. Plug 90% of the trailers use is boondocking.

[NH_Bulldog]

We plug into shore power between trips. When we put into winter storage for 5-6 months I pull the batteries and set them on the workbench in my shop with a Battery Tender connected. It charges, maintains and conditions the batteries.

[Mroe67]

My son has a pull behind that seems to drain the batteries when nothing is turned on, he just bought 2 new AGM batteries and it’s still drawing power from somewhere he keeps a separate solar panel connected to try and keep the batteries up, but can’t figure out where the draw is coming from.

[Camp CA]

The main risk of leaving your trailer plugged for too long is that you may damage your batteries due to overcharging. This progressively depletes the electrolyte levels in your battery cells, shortening their total capacity. https://www.rvingsmart.com/is-it-bad...0faced%20by%3A. Therefore, suggest a smart automatic battery maintainer like a Noco Genius, 5A Automatic Smart Charger..........which is what I use on my tow vehicle when stored between trips OR disconnect the battery when stored...........which is what I do on my fifth wheel trailer.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by Mroe67

My son has a pull behind that seems to drain the batteries when nothing is turned on, he just bought 2 new AGM batteries and it’s still drawing power from somewhere he keeps a separate solar panel connected to try and keep the batteries up, but can’t figure out where the draw is coming from.

Typical culprits:
CO/Propane detector
Smoke detector
Stereo clock

The first two are almost always bypassed around the factory disconnect switch for safety reasons. Not sure why the third is, but it often is.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Typical culprits:
CO/Propane detector
Smoke detector
Stereo clock

The first two are almost always bypassed around the factory disconnect switch for safety reasons. Not sure why the third is, but it often is.

The stero is wired to bypass inorder to retain the settings and station memory.If you remove all power then when it's restored you'll have to reset things like bass/treble or equalizer settings, the clock, station presets, etc.

Typical smoke detectors are not powered by 12vdc.

If the factory disconnect is on then and antenna is left on antenna it will drain the battery. Also the control boards for the fridge, water heater, etc.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

The main risk of leaving your trailer plugged for too long is that you may damage your batteries due to overcharging. This progressively depletes the electrolyte levels in your battery cells, shortening their total capacity. https://www.rvingsmart.com/is-it-bad...0faced%20by%3A. Therefore, suggest a smart automatic battery maintainer like a Noco Genius, 5A Automatic Smart Charger..........which is what I use on my tow vehicle when stored between trips OR disconnect the battery when stored...........which is what I do on my fifth wheel trailer.

This is actually false information!
If plugged in fulltime the converter has multiple stages of charging from full on to maintenance charging. If your converter is overcharging ruining the battery then there's an issue with the converter. Leave it plugged in with the converter charging is actually the best way to keep the batteries safely charged. If you have FLA batteries the electrolytes will have to be checked periodically & topped off with distilled water.
If removal is the preferred storage method use a battery tender/maintainer rather than a trickle charger with periodic electrolyte checking.
If leaving them on the rv with no type of charging remove the negative cable from the battery that goes directly to ground, this totally disconnects power. Or add a disconnect of some sort to that negative cable, but do not count on the factory disconnect to totally disconnect all power drains, your battery will be dead in about a week.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

I find this interesting, before we full timed, never charged batteries in storage. Installed a total battery disconnect switch and never had an issue. During the winter we could easily go two months between trips, never an issue with the batteries holding a charge.

Originally Posted by travelin texans

If you installed a true battery disconnect that actually disconnected ALL power from the batteries you could do that, but typically the factory installed disconnect DOES NOT disconnect all load from the batteries & they'll be dead in less than a week.
If you remove the batteries to your garage use a battery maintainer rather than a trickle charger & be sure to check the water levels in them monthly topping off with distilled water.

Well as stated I did install the total disconnect switch. At that time had a single Interstate SRM27 battery. Would flick the switch once we parked at storage. I could actually go to the trailer between trips and run the slides out, do some work run the slide back in no issues.

[DanM]

I have been using a Harbor Freight solar trickle charger for the past 11 years. We unplug the power in storage all winter and service the batteries at the start of each season. Never had any problems with our 2008 Copper Canyon.

[crowbar]

I remove my batteries from the trailer each winter and store them in the garage. (elevated - not on the concrete) They are connected to maintainers but when they're fully charged, I disconnect them and let them sit for maybe a month and then hook them up again. Check the water maybe every six to eight weeks. Never had a problem.