will mh chargers fry the batteries?

theoldwizard1 wrote:
No lead acid battery of any kind likes to be left on a battery charger/maintainer CONTINUOUSLY, week after week. Probably not easy to do in you MH, but if have the batteries connected to maintainer that is NOT hardwired into the coach, plug it into a cheap mechanical lamp timer set to run for about an hour a day.

This is inaccurate. I have batteries that are 10+ yrs old that have been on float chargers continuously. Any lead acid battery is maintained better with constant power than intermittent or none.

The trick is to have a power source that delivers current and voltage in acceptable levels. The two battery banks in my RV are charged every day by solar. I have a temp compensated controller that is programmable.

Battery University

Quote:
No lead acid battery of any kind likes to be left on a battery charger/maintainer CONTINUOUSLY, week after week.
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Really now ?? Shows to go how much you don't know to be fact !

No lead acid battery of any kind likes to be left on a battery charger/maintainer CONTINUOUSLY, week after week. Probably not easy to do in you MH, but if have the batteries connected to maintainer that is NOT hardwired into the coach, plug it into a cheap mechanical lamp timer set to run for about an hour a day.

Give it three days and measure the voltage on the battery terminals.
13.0 to 13.5 volts is fine. Up to 13.8 volts is fine if it is cold.

Please tell if you have temperature compensation when you post the results.
A little better location helps too.

In general you have heard wrong and the RV and battery will be fine.

Check the output of you converter charger, I have an old Magnatech 950 and people on here have said it will boil the battery dry, but the output is 13.2-13.6v I don't see how that boils a battery dry. Having said that if your converter out put is 13.8v or higher just charge your batteries until they are fully charged and use your battery disconnect. If your batteries are good they will easily hold a charge for several months. I leave mine all winter or 4 months without a charger.

If your charger is designed properly and in good shape it should go into a battery tender mode...Trickle Charge. It should not fry the batteries.

However

If one of your batteries in a set of batteries has a problem and won't hold a charge the charger will try to keep charging it and the battery or batteries may overheat. Some chargers have circuitry to prevent this from happening.

I know many RV'ers who always keep their RVs plugged in when in storage.

Depends on what kind of converter your rig has. Modern smart converter won't harm the batteries -- old fashion converter will tend to boil off the water. As far as the starter battery - consider purchasing an inexpensive Trik L Start - it will allow your house converter to maintain your starting battery.

If your rig has old fashioned converter consider an upgrade - there not that expensive and easy DIY.

No way to respond without knowing the brand and model of converter in the MH.

The CTEK will probably work okay but it will be best if the batteries are disconnected from the MH.