Forum Discussion

path1's avatar
path1
Explorer
Jul 19, 2017

Making batteries easier to charge. question

(When at house) Sometimes it is easier for me to charge batteries with 12 volt charger. Batteries are behind propane tanks hooked in series and in plastic covers. Pain to remove fiberglass built in tank cover and remove plastic battery box covers is a pain. Especially when raining, have to get on hands and knees.

Thinking about adding one wire lead to pos and neg side (batteries hooked up in series) with maybe number 8 or 10 wire. And these leads would just hang down a little. End result is I could hook up charger to leads hanging down. Wire leads (couple pieces of battery jumper cable) leads would not touch each other and of course still insulated. Starting at batteries then to front jack area near hitch. They would be exposed to weather.

Is this OK? Any suggestions?
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Jul 19, 2017
    On my generator that was stolen I had added an external charging plug. I never had to use it, so I'll not bother with the replacement genny.

    I think your plan is good, so long as you use an appropriate connector. Bare wires are not acceptable (can you say catastrophic short?).
  • Bumpyroad's avatar
    Bumpyroad
    Explorer
    Jul 19, 2017
    I hooked my battery to a 30 amp/12 volt minn kota trolling motor plug and leave it plugged into my multi state marine battery charger/maintainer. no 120 volt hookup to RV in storage.
    bumpy
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Jul 19, 2017
    The -Tickle Me Elmo-, onboard converter can do just so much. For lightly used batteries, a simple home "endless-hours-house-battery-charge" might get the batteries back up to full gravity then again it may not.

    The real problem, is: trying to manage hard-to-access flooded batteries. Can be compared to trying to handle the growing-up of an invisible child. To me, "the call of the AGM" would be resonating loud and clear.
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Jul 19, 2017
    Why can't you just use the built in converter charger system? Simply plug into shore power (as already mentioned)...
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Jul 19, 2017
    Is it not easier to use the 12v charger inside the rig out of the rain and just clamp the charger's clamps to the battery lugs on the fuse panel? You still need to run an extension cord to the rig for the charger, but that could be run inside through the door.

    I presume this is all because you don't wish to connect the shore power cable to the extension cord from the house, which means there is no power to the converter. If the converter is a plug in type and you can get at it, you could just unplug it and plug it into the extension cord and never mind the charger.
  • azrving's avatar
    azrving
    Explorer
    Jul 19, 2017
    It works just fine and something like THIS makes it easy. Make the cables long enough that the Anderson connector is fastened to something easily reached. That example is for 50 amps but a wide variety are available.

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