Have been told 2 different things so requesting feedback. Own a 5thwheel. We were initially told that if we are plugged in, we should leave the battery switch ‘off’ ( the switch where the batteries are). If left on, it would wear out the battery ( hooked up so no need for it). We brought it in for warranty work and were told our unit was wired wrong ( they fixed this). When we picked up the battery switch was turned off. Even though the unit was Plugged in, there was not enough juice to get the last slide in ( per the mechanic - he switched the battery on and it worked like a charm). Now we are living in it full time and are wondering if we leave the switch on or off. It is currently on. I just checked the battery sensor and the battery is only at 75% ( usually 100%). We would do a trial to see if we ‘lose power’ ( if we switch the battery off), but currently in lovely Arizona where it got 119 degrees out yesterday. We have dogs do don’t want to risk things going wrong when at work. Any feedback would be appreciated. We don’t want to wear out a battery if not necessary!! Side note: pay the extra money to get temp housing vs staying in a camper here in the summer ??. Lesson well learned!

You are going to have to leave the battery switch on. Quite a few of the items in the unit operate off of 12 volt supplied by the battery. Your refrigerator is one of them.Any lights you don't plug into an outlet are also 12 volt. When plugged in the converter charges the battery and may supply a small amount to power other stuff. Any time you use a high draw on the 12 volt side, like running slides in or using your jacks to raise or lower the trailer, you are using the stored energy in the battery.If you are not hooked up to electric and you are not using the unit for several days, that is when you would want to turn the battery switch to off. It would prevent parasitic loads from draining your battery. I say this assuming you would not have anything in the refrigerator and would not need it running on gas for that time.

You're pushing it with those dogs. An RV AC can only keep that RV so cool. Power goes out?

I also have a battery question. Brought my Travel trailer out of storage about 2 weeks ago. Battery was out of the rig and stored. Charged and re-installed. Today upon arrival I find the battery flat although I cannot find anything being powered.Is this normal and should I disconnect the battery when in storage. We used to own a 5th wheel and there was a battery disconnect we used when in storage but this small trailer does not have one.

Batteries are “worn out” by time, discharges, not fully recharging daily and heat. At 119F they will fail fast. Rather you’ve been told, read about batteries on the Trojan site.

RVERICJAN wrote:I also have a battery question. Brought my Travel trailer out of storage about 2 weeks ago. Battery was out of the rig and stored. Charged and re-installed. Today upon arrival I find the battery flat although I cannot find anything being powered.Is this normal and should I disconnect the battery when in storage. We used to own a 5th wheel and there was a battery disconnect we used when in storage but this small trailer does not have one.Yes, you should disconnect the battery if the unit is in storage. There is most like a propane detector or other parasitic draw that will drain the battery in a few days.

Battery on or off | Good Sam Community

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jul 13, 2020
True story: When I was growing up you could let a Diesel engine idle all day but try that with a Gasoline engine and you'd foul the plugs.
Today.. Well it is basically the reverse. A diesel at full idle for long periods may fail emissions test but you can idle a computer controlled Gasser all day.

(Source: Click and Clack the tappet brothers. or Car Talk on PBS long ago)

The moral: Things change

Back long ago there was a fantastic device a converter charger made by a company called Magnetek, model series 6300 and if you left your batteries connected it would fry them if plugged in too long... That is no longer made

Nearest thing to it today is the Parallex (they bought 'em out) 7300 and it should not do that.

Most RV's today have either a Parallex 7300 Or equivlent OR a good 3 stage converter like.. Well the best is the Progressive Dynamics wizard controlled units or their equal Some are even programmable .

These .. Well I leave my batteries turned on 99.99 percent of the time (Turn off when refilling propane tank Turn back on a few minutes later) and the batteries last 7-9 years.
RVERICJAN
Explorer
Jul 13, 2020
Thank you to everyone for the advise......much appreciated
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 13, 2020
Battery will actually last much longer if it is kept 100% charged. To do this the switch must be on for the converter to float charge the battery. If the battery is allowed to discharge it will slowly sulfate and lose capacity.

OK so the RV guy is partly correct from the old days of poor converters float charging at fairly high 13.8 volts causing excessive water use and risking damage from low water levels.

Best to evaluate your charging system when in extreme conditions such as 100+ or less than 30F. Typical converter still floats a bit high at 13.6 volts for 119 temperatures. If your voltmeter finds this true consider a replacement converter that drops to 13.2 volts for long term use or storage such as Progressive Dynamics or PowerMax.

Do check your battery water levels and add distilled water only if needed. Fill to 1/4 to 1/8 inch below the split ring that extends down into the cell. Just touching is absolute max. Use eye protection.

The 12 Volt Side of Life

And yes you need 12v power to operate many of the controls. If the converter fails the fridge and A/C will probably shut down and maybe more but with a connected battery all will be good for the day.
valhalla360
Navigator
Jul 13, 2020
The disconnect is for when it's in storage (not connected to shore power). Various small draws can kill the battery over days or weeks.

When hooked up to shore power, unless you have a faulty charger, it won't damage the battery.
dougrainer
Nomad
Jul 13, 2020
Always leave the Battery ON when using. This makes the Converter operate better. Also, you stated you had to have the Battery switch fixed under warranty. Do you have a Jayco Trailer? Doug
cavie
Explorer
Jul 13, 2020
Always leave it on unless it is in storage.
schlep1967
Nomad
Jul 13, 2020
RVERICJAN wrote:
I also have a battery question. Brought my Travel trailer out of storage about 2 weeks ago. Battery was out of the rig and stored. Charged and re-installed. Today upon arrival I find the battery flat although I cannot find anything being powered.Is this normal and should I disconnect the battery when in storage. We used to own a 5th wheel and there was a battery disconnect we used when in storage but this small trailer does not have one.

Yes, you should disconnect the battery if the unit is in storage. There is most like a propane detector or other parasitic draw that will drain the battery in a few days.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jul 13, 2020
Batteries are “worn out” by time, discharges, not fully recharging daily and heat. At 119F they will fail fast. Rather you’ve been told, read about batteries on the Trojan site.
RVERICJAN
Explorer
Jul 13, 2020
I also have a battery question. Brought my Travel trailer out of storage about 2 weeks ago. Battery was out of the rig and stored. Charged and re-installed. Today upon arrival I find the battery flat although I cannot find anything being powered.Is this normal and should I disconnect the battery when in storage. We used to own a 5th wheel and there was a battery disconnect we used when in storage but this small trailer does not have one.
jdc1
Explorer II
Jul 13, 2020
You're pushing it with those dogs. An RV AC can only keep that RV so cool. Power goes out?

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