Portable battery charger. What do you carry?

Many places if you start your engine it means (to the rest of the campground) you are leaving, whether you want to or not. Pull your car up and use jumper cables you will leave just as soon as you get the rig started, or car connected to the trailer.

There is nothing sadder than seeing an individual who worked and dreamed of a vacation for 11-1/2 months who outsmarted himself and had to pull up stakes and head for home 8 days early. Refrigerators in warm country and water heaters in cold country can revolt and produce the same results. When I used to come to Mexico it was with extra ice chests, chargers and a way to heat shower water (solar shower). It did no good at all screaming "You cost a thousand dollars! You cannot fail me now! You are only three months old!"

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
. It did no good at all screaming "You cost a thousand dollars! You cannot fail me now! You are only three months old!"

you forgot to read addendum "B" on the In case of trouble sheet. The proper fix is:

You #@$%%%$%!!! cost a thousand #@$%%%$%!!! dollars! You cannot fail me now #@$%%%$%!!!"
bumpy

I carry a Battery Tender 20a charger when in extreme conditions such as well below freezing.

I carry none but I have disconnected Magnetek 7555 55A switch mode converter still there just in case.

Hi MEXICOWANDERER,
Does the HF charger put out high enough voltage to equalize a pair of GC2's? I know you've posted that the transformers in the HF charger are more than adequate. Have you had the inclination to change the voltage regulation or current output? IOW, have you pimped your HF charger?

For the record, I have an Exide shop-style charger, 2,40, and 200 Amp boost. I carry a small Schumacher 2,6 Amp charger. Looking to fill the gaps between the two and carry something like the B&D or the HF models. FWIW, my solar controller has an equalize function but I'd like the option of a grid powered charger, also.

You can have the little guys.

I prefer my Schumacher SC-12000A, 6v, 12v, Speed Charger. When I get tired of it I will replace it with their next top-of-the-line (Bad @$$) charger.

:B Mark B.

Hi westend,

With a correctly maximum discharged (50%) group 29, I have instigated FIVE cycles of a Husky 40 amp battery charger and the charge level (acid SG went from 90 to 91 percent charged). I then tried EIGHT desulfation cycles on top of that and the SG did not increase on the hydrometer. So back went the charger for another. Same result. Tried a Black & Decker, not much different. I could not get the battery to fully charge. The maximum charge rate tapers too fast. Voltage droops down from 14.8 way too fast. What a waste of money connected to a generator.

So a DPDT relay connected to a timer now allows a 40 amp charge rate for an hour, switches the almost charger offline and the Harbor Freight online for 4 hours at the 2-amp rate, which usually starts out close to 8. By playing with the timer I can get a pretty full charge.

Yeah I know some three hundred dollar "smart" converters are better, but when I get serious, I slam 300 plus amps into my big battery bank, then taper at the last with the Harbor Freight set at 10 amps on a timer.

For me, common sense and a timer is hard to beat...

IT'S TIME FOR YET ANOTHER DOSE OF....

"The Harbor Freight charger DOES NOT WORK WELL ON AUTOMATIC MODE, and I do not trust it not to fail and destroy a battery. Period. With a dot.

Set the slider switch from AUTOMATIC to START. The dial is CHINAMERICAN mis-marked. START is in really MANUAL. You now have a manual charger, and this is where this charger shines. Superglue the switch to START if you have to."

Hi Mex,

Thanks for translating the Chiglish into English on the "start" setting.

A separate answer about equalization using the HF. Worst case, using a generator where time is money for fuel and noise is anguish for the ears.

Charge however until you have to modulate (adjust) the voltage so it does not exceed 14.8. When the GC's charge rate reduces to around 18 amperes at 14.8 volts (not the easiest thing to orchestrate)change over to the HF. Try 10 amps. If the voltage surges a lot higher than 14.8 reduce the setting to 2 amps which will probably start out around six to eight. This is where the HF 6 amp charger rather than the 10 amp may be a better choice if this exercise is done on a regular basis.

Let the voltage rise slowly and when it gets to 15.5 re-check the specific gravity with a hydrometer.

Equalization is not like giving the batteries a vitamin pill. It is ONLY done when the specific gravity varies greatly from cell to cell. Equalization SHEDS PERFECTLY GOOD ACTIVE POSITIVE PLATE MATERIAL as well as forces sulfate from coated plates back into solution. What equalization is, is choosing the LEAST OF ALL EVILS to maintain a battery in the best condition you can.

Lastly, any "expert" that tells you a VRB valve regulated battery cannot sulfate is either bending the truth or ignorant of it. They are harder to sulfate and even harder to de-sulfate correctly (without damage). You can tell a VRB is sulfated when it loses capacity at an early age and a strict recharging regimen has not been maintained.

KJINTF wrote:
Why do you good folks carry a portable charger?
Help me out what am I missing?
Is it that you do not have an
On board hard wired converter
Or a capable solar system
or the engine alternator is not connected to the battery bank

We have a small Class C motorhome so our "preparedness" choices and methods differ somewhat from those pulling an RV behind a tow vehicle.

We have five ways along with us at all times for charging of our coach battery bank:

1) Converter from built-in generator.

2) Small charger from built-in generator.

3) Converter from portable generator.

4) Charger from portable generator.

5) Alternator from idling of the main engine.

FWIW, all also have five ways along with us at all times for heating and cooling of the coach:

1) Cooling via built-in generator and roof-top A/C.

2) Cooling via cab A/C with the main engine idling.

3) Heating via built-in propane furnace.

4) Heating via built-in generator and a portable electric heater.

5) Heating via the cab heater with the main engine idling.


I was never in the Boy Scouts, but somehow picked up their Plan A/Plan B/Plan C/Plan X tendencies ... especially when out and about in an RV with us not getting any younger so as to have diminishing chances to try again in the future if a trip is spoiled from failed equipment.