Plugged in during storage?

[blubuckaroo]

My son just asked me a question concerning his travel trailer, that I've wondered about myself.
Should we be plugging our travel trailers in while in storage? Is this good or bad for the batteries?
The only other option I can see would be to disconnect the batteries and keep them on a battery tender.

[hankpage]

Both options are good but with both you must check water levels regularly.

[sourdough]

As Hank said both processes work and both require watching the water in the batteries. I failed to do that once years ago....fried battery. I also use a battery watering system that makes the check/refill very easy. Takes about 3-4 minutes to hook it up and fill all the cells - very handy.

[JRTJH]

I'd add that it depends on how long you leave the trailer in storage between uses. If it's going to be in storage for a week or so, leave it plugged in so the converter can fully charge the batteries, prevent the parasitic drain and you can leave the refrigerator on electric so it stays cold, ready for the next trip.

On the other hand, if it's months between uses, it may be better to disconnect the battery and leave the trailer unplugged unless you can stop by about every two weeks to check the battery electrolyte level..

If the trailer only gets used in April and September, it may be even better to just remove the batteries and take them home to properly care for them. You could leave them in the trailer and leave it plugged in, but you would be making frequent trips to check on the battery and there's always a possibility that something else might stop working (like the converter or a circuit breaker from a surge, etc) that could interrupt power to the charging circuits.

So, one consideration for leaving it plugged in or removing the batteries is how long between trips.

[gearhead]

Also might depend on the age of the converter. Not so long ago converters were not as sophisticated and would just keep pouring amps to an already charged battery, boiling the water out. Newer converters are much better, especially Progressives.