Charging batteries

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I leave mine just sitting with the battery switch turned off. After I come back to pick it up from my storage lot 3 months later I turn the power back on and everything works like it is supposed to. Been doing this for 4 years. I will replace the cheap battery in there this year just because it getting old, but I haven't noticed any ill effects from using my method.

B.O.

X2. Just make sure you start the winter storage season with a full charge so that the battery doesn't freeze. Being doing this for a lot of years and never had a problem. And this year and last, the temps in Northern Indiana have been getting down to well below zero...

I have a Onan Marquis 7000 installed in a Cameo. About once a month I go by, turn on disconnect, and let run for about 3 hours. Trailer is in a pole type barn so plenty of ventilation. This seems to work for me.

Use the generator is best. Converter need to charge at 14.2+ volts to be effective. Switch needs to be ON to connect the converter to the battery.

If the switch really cuts ALL draw, the batteries should sit fine for 3 months. Less self discharge in the cold.

I leave mine just sitting with the battery switch turned off. After I come back to pick it up from my storage lot 3 months later I turn the power back on and everything works like it is supposed to. Been doing this for 4 years. I will replace the cheap battery in there this year just because it getting old, but I haven't noticed any ill effects from using my method.

B.O.

IMHO, use the genset with a portable battery charger, and leave the disconect switch in the off position. No sense to plugging the trailer into genset to operate everything else when all you want to do is charge batteries. Built in chargers/invertors would take a long time to charge battery, designed to keep batteries up when using equipment, not to charge a low battery. Make sure your portable battery charger matches your battery type, and once per month should be sufficiant to keep batteries up, charger will tell you when it is done, no guess work!

Mustangs wrote:
I live in Pa. and have my 5th wheel in storage outside.I have it covered so putting panels on the roof is not going to work I want to know which is the best way to charge my four 6 volt batteries.Should I just plug my rv into pick up truck connector or use my portable generator that i use when no shore power is available? Does my disconnect switch have to be on or off? The storage area does not supply electric.Taking the batteries out is one big chore the are in a tight spot to get at.

Is your storage on your own property, just away from power, or in a lot somewhere? Frankly, a single 10-15w solar panel, wired directly to the batteries (using gator clips), should be doable on a portable stand/mount. Here's a nice-looking one that gets good reviews: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200328565_200328565.

Lyle

With no access to shore power the genny is going to be the fastest recharge.

You did not mention how long since the batterys were put in storage. With wet cells 3 months of no attention should be OK. When I had 6 6V batterys they were left for 6 months with no top up charge at all & recovered just fine in the spring.

Now I have a single 4D AGM. It gets left 6 months & hardly loses any charge at all.

Your best bet is a generator for this. Make sure the battery disconnect has everything disconnected, which will reduce the amount of charging needed, and visit it every 1-3 months. You will need x number of hours a month of charging, so for example 2 hours once a month vs 4 hours every 2 months vs 6 hours every 3 months. When charging turn the disconnect switch on, an make sure everything still works. Depending on the size of the onboard charger, you may want to take a portable battery charger (the biggest you can run on your generator) and parallel them to reduce the time spent at storage.

How about a long extension cord from the house plus a battery tender. Cheaper and easier than the alternatives.

Best way is to leave the trailer plugged in to shore power - doesn't work for you.

Second best is solar - doesn't work for you, unless you consider somehow getting a panel temporarily fixed atop your cover, on the ground, etc. Probably would get stolen or damaged, so I guess you don't want to do that.

Plugging into truck - takes far too long and you'll be sitting around for days.

Plugging into generator - again, takes way too long, although it would be faster than your pickup truck.

Depending on how long your storage period will be, what might work best for you is to just pull the negative cable off the battery bank. Or install a switch to do the same thing, but make sure it kills everything. Most OEM switches are not wired to totally isolate the battery bank. When totally isolated, fully charged batteries will last for several winter months. But you do need to make sure they are charged before you put the rig to bed, which usually will happen as you travel home.