Forum Discussion

camp104's avatar
camp104
Explorer
Jun 09, 2021

stay pluged in or not

I keep my RV on 50 amp when I am home. sometimes for 3 to 4 months. How many of you do this?
  • when i store it at home it's plugged in 24/7. when we're snowbirding jn AZ it's plugged in 24/7 for months. what's your issue, OP?
  • We're fulltime RV'ers, and the only time we're not plugged in to shorepower is when we're underway between campsites. Even then we often have the generator running to power the A/C units and/or my wife's medical equipment. We used to boondock fairly often, but my wife's medical issues pretty much ended that except for one spot where we can keep the generator running 24/7 if needed without annoying anyone.
  • Bought trailer new in Oct 2013. Installed 1 24 series for generator starting and 2 series 29 batteries for house use. The trailer has been plugged in everyday since new unless camping without power ( probably 12 to 20 days per year). I check water in batteries once a year. All 3 still going strong. With todays technology, overcharged batteries should not be an issue.
  • Only plugged in when in use or to charge batteries once a month. I don’t trust the converter to not over charge and boil batteries dry.
  • I use to swear by staying plugged in BUT I was always dealing with battery issues no matter how smart the inverter/charger thought it was(ie...over charging). Then one day, one of my 8D batteries exploded....what a mess, no damage but still quite a cleanup. I now use a battery tender and have so for roughly 5 years now and I couldnt be happier. Batteries, both house and chassis are always ready to go.
  • Mine is not plugged in. I maintain the battery bank, and starter battery via solar.

    If you don't have solar, then get a dollar store timer and power the RV for one hour per day.
  • I don’t travel anymore and mine has been plugged in for four years and will remain that way. I still live in it full-time even though I am not traveling.