Forum Discussion

Tyandkate's avatar
Tyandkate
Explorer
Jun 26, 2016

Keeping camper plugged in at home

Okay so here's the question, when we are home I park the camper in the driveway and plug it in. Keeping the fridge running and the Air set on about 80 just to keep it from getting too stuffy in there, is this a good idea or is it better to leave everything unplugged when not in use?
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    We do the same here for our campers...

    The one drawback for us is the charging of the batteries. If your converter/charger always just puts out 13.6VDC then this will over time boil out your battery fluids.

    I originally had a single mode charger going and ruined one of my batteries doing this. After changing out for the smart mode converter/charger have not seen any boiling out of lfuids since then.

    I still check my batteries every couple or weeks or so just out of habit.

    Roy Ken
  • One thing to look out for is the type of controller your trailer has. If it's a relatively new trailer, it is likely equipped with a four stage controller. If it is five or so years old, it may only be equipped with a 3 stage controller.
    A four stage controller is designed for long term battery storage with little or no load. It will ensure you do not boil your batteries by reducing the voltage when the battery is fully charged.
    A three stage controller does not have this feature.
    So in other words, know which system you have before you plug it in with no load for a long period of time.
  • our tt is always plugged in at home, bathroom fan running, a light light on and keeps the battery topped up

    in the winter its always plugged in, keeps the battery cozy and warm
  • Ours is always plugged in at home, may or may not run fridge and/or air. Usually just an overhead vent fan to pull out the worst of the heat buildup. Keeps batteries charged, motion sensor lights working, and whatever.