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Old 02-20-2017, 01:34 PM   #1
CrazyCain
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To charge or not to charge

Looked through a zillion threads and couldn't get a satisfying answer so Just a wondering, testing the voltage on my house battery, ( in the basement for storage since October 2016), it reads 12.4. Is it in need of being put on a trickel charger or is it good to go?? Attached is the charger i have...a classic!: No manuel and can't find it on line either.
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Old 02-20-2017, 05:52 PM   #2
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From what I've learned, 12.4 is discharged. Should be at about 12.9 for a full charge. I'd get a decent trickle charger ( not a Harbor Freight one - they do not last very long). Use it after you get your battery fully charged. Is it a wet battery? If so, check the water before you charge it.
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Old 02-20-2017, 06:08 PM   #3
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https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/arti...ry-basics.html

According to the article above, 12.7V is considered 100% charged and 11.9V is considered discharged. I wouldn't worry about it until you get down to 12.1V
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Old 03-22-2017, 07:54 AM   #4
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RV battery

Hello - first time RV owner here and new to all of this so please be forgiving LOL. We took our first weekend trip with our Hideout 177LHS not long ago. My husband apparently didn't flip the electric plug in on correctly and it appears that this drained our battery. How do we recharge it? I know with the tow vehicle, and plugging into electric at a campground - but can I plug it into a standard outlet, in our garage for example?
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Old 03-22-2017, 08:15 AM   #5
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Tina
You will need a adapter which you can get at walmart and then plug in to a standard outlet.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:10 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Tina-S View Post
Hello - first time RV owner here and new to all of this so please be forgiving LOL. We took our first weekend trip with our Hideout 177LHS not long ago. My husband apparently didn't flip the electric plug in on correctly and it appears that this drained our battery. How do we recharge it? I know with the tow vehicle, and plugging into electric at a campground - but can I plug it into a standard outlet, in our garage for example?
I assume your trailer has 30 amp service? If so you need to get a 30 amp to 120 volt (regular AC plug) adapter. Sometime Walmart will have them; ours don't but we're not in an area that has much RV business. You can get them a Camping World and probably at a Home Depot or Lowes Home Improvement.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:21 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
I assume your trailer has 30 amp service? If so you need to get a 30 amp to 120 volt (regular AC plug) adapter. Sometime Walmart will have them; ours don't but we're not in an area that has much RV business. You can get them a Camping World and probably at a Home Depot or Lowes Home Improvement.
If not 30 amp, being 50 amp, then you will need another adapter to get you from 50 to 30 then this 110 volt adapter
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:27 AM   #8
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If not 30 amp, being 50 amp, then you will need another adapter to get you from 50 to 30 then this 110 volt adapter
They make a 50 amp to 120 volt adapter (we have one for our trailer). Think I got it at CW. I figured a Hideout 177LS was probably 30 amp.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:30 AM   #9
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You most likely have 30 amp service and will need one of these
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...apter/16817349
It has a 30 amp female and 15 amp male to plug your 30 amp cord into a household 15 amp outlet. Don't try to run your AC this way though.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:34 AM   #10
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You most likely have 30 amp service and will need one of these
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...apter/16817349
It has a 30 amp female and 15 amp male to plug your 30 amp cord into a household 15 amp outlet. Don't try to run your AC this way though.
We have a dedicated 15A (if I recall. Could be 20A) circuit to our trailer but the AC (15k unit) runs fine as well as all the lights (LED). Just have to be careful after that.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:38 AM   #11
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We have a dedicated 15A (if I recall. Could be 20A) circuit to our trailer but the AC (15k unit) runs fine as well as all the lights (LED). Just have to be careful after that.
I've been able to run an AC off a 20 amp garage circuit, too. Seems some will and some won't. Just giving a heads up. Maybe on a smaller trailer like that it might only have a 13500 and be fine. But better safe than sorry.
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:48 AM   #12
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They make a 50 amp to 120 volt adapter (we have one for our trailer). Think I got it at CW. I figured a Hideout 177LS was probably 30 amp.
Thanks for reminding me, as noted in this picture, that is what I am using now This is proof that this old ........ is needs his nap.

ADDED: OOPS this is a short 50 to 30 to 110 adapter. Okay definetly NAP Time
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Old 03-22-2017, 09:59 AM   #13
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We have a dedicated 15A (if I recall. Could be 20A) circuit to our trailer but the AC (15k unit) runs fine as well as all the lights (LED). Just have to be careful after that.
Be careful with a 20 amp circuit and a 15k A/C. If you have access to a quality VOM, you might want to monitor the voltage drop to the trailer when the A/C is running and specifically when it is starting. One of the biggest reasons for A/C failure is "compressor loading" from low voltage conditions. Not to say yours is in that situation, but many (including my Holiday Rambler) have burned up an A/C in a "brownout" situation caused by a "slow blow circuit breaker" on a 20 amp circuit.....
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Old 03-22-2017, 10:34 AM   #14
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Be careful with a 20 amp circuit and a 15k A/C. If you have access to a quality VOM, you might want to monitor the voltage drop to the trailer when the A/C is running and specifically when it is starting. One of the biggest reasons for A/C failure is "compressor loading" from low voltage conditions. Not to say yours is in that situation, but many (including my Holiday Rambler) have burned up an A/C in a "brownout" situation caused by a "slow blow circuit breaker" on a 20 amp circuit.....
Thanks John. I will do that when I get my trailer back
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Old 03-22-2017, 11:17 AM   #15
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You're very welcome. We ran our HR on a garage circuit for several years, finally had a "smoking A/C" and wondered why. After doing some checks, I realized that the garage 20 amp circuit was on a "slow-blow" circuit breaker and the actual voltage to the trailer when the A/C was starting was around 95 volts and when it was running around 105 VAC. Doing some quick math, the amp draw at the starting voltage was about 3 or 4 amps more than it "should be" at 115 VAC. So, over a period of time, that extra amperage "did its work" on the compressor.
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Old 03-22-2017, 02:09 PM   #16
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I'm not trying to be a "Smart A**" here... but, to eliminate some confusion for the masses, its all 120+/- volt shore power we're talking about here.

The adapters needed go from 30 to 15 AMPS, or 50 to 15 AMP, or 50 to 30 to 15 AMPS. I personally believe the fewer adapters the better when stepping down to household (15 amp) outlets. I have a 50 to 30 for campsites, as needed, and a 50 straight to 15 "dog-bone" for home maintenance connection.

As a life long electronics geek, I've learned over the years, the fewer transitions,(read that "splices / adapters"), the less resistance. It may cost a few extra $$$, but worth it. In my riding days, we used to say "The cheapest thing on a Goldwing... is the owner"!

Good Luck,
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Old 03-22-2017, 04:45 PM   #17
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Wow, this thread is far from what i originally asked about....

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Old 03-22-2017, 05:33 PM   #18
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As the door is requested to close by the OP, let me throw in one more last minute deviation, EMS /surge protection. Keep in mind these portable units plug into either 30 or 50 Amp receptacles so when we are discussing plugging our rigs in to garage/home receptacles (10 or 15AMP) you gain no protection such as low voltage due to large voltage drops.

On the other hand if you had installed a hardwired unit you would still have protection and and more important as discussed in this case protection from possible "LOW VOLTAGE"

So here is an advantages of a hardwired EMS/Surge Protector over a portable one. OKAY back to that other power source 12VDC and specifically for the OP's question on BATTERIES

ADDED: this may be like turning an aircraft carrier around
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Old 03-22-2017, 05:38 PM   #19
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As the door is requested to close by the OP, let me throw in one more last minute deviation, EMS /surge protection. Keep in mind these portable units plug into either 30 or 50 Amp receptacles so when we are discussing plugging our rigs in to garage/home receptacles (10 or 15AMP) you gain no protection such as low voltage due to large voltage drops.

On the other hand if you had installed a hardwired unit you would still have protection and and more important as discussed in this case protection from possible "LOW VOLTAGE"

So here is an advantages of a hardwired EMS/Surge Protector over a portable one. OKAY back to that other power source 12VDC and specifically for the OP's question on BATTERIES

ADDED: this may be like turning an aircraft carrier around
Since this is to be closed we need to discuss the above in another thread....I'll start one
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Old 03-22-2017, 05:43 PM   #20
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Question

I guess wrong selection of wording, I did not mean CLOSE CLOSE I was saying OP wants to get back to his original question. I am not closing this thread.
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