Plugged Into Shore Power Question

[rookie_rv]

Hello, Rookie Rver :C here! I am just checking to see if there are any potential problems if I unhook house batteries, turn of switch to crank battery and stay plugged into shore power (at home)for a long period of time? Will it cause any problems with converter?

[wa8yxm]

Two possible issues.. one has been covered above, by the way it can be fixed, ask if you have a Magnetek 6300.

The other is if the batteries are older and their self discharge rate has gone up.. You need to monitor them with a digital volt meter at least once a month. If the voltage drops too much,, Re-charge.

[wny_pat1]

tiffinboy wrote:

rk911 wrote:
nope. if you have a 3-stage converter/charger you won't have any issues with your house batteries. a 3-stage will maintain the house battery charge without boiling them. and if you wire in a Trik-L-Start you won't have starting battery worries either.

OP said plugged in with House batterys "Disconnected"and he wont have a Inverter/charger 3 stage system in this old unit
BUT why would he disconnect house batterys if he,s plugged in?

I think our minds automatically go to what happens when we do not maintain our battery banks, and we want to warn them about the bad things that could happen. Some people who leave a coach in a spot all summer long and are concerned about cooking the batteries, therefore remove them and use the converter/charger for those items in the coach that require them - lights - various detectors, etc. I know where there is a Country Coach that hasn't moved in 3 years, but it's owners family does camp in it weekly. And some disconnect their batteries over the winter. I can only guess why he wants to disconnect his batteries.

Mine has the batteries in it all winter long and it is plugged and with the 3 stage converter charger operating all the time. And I also have a Trik-L-Star jump charging the starting batteries. That smart, 3 stage, converter charger can figure out exactly how to charge my batteries better than I can.

[lanerd]

rookie_rv wrote:
Hello, Rookie Rver :C here! I am just checking to see if there are any potential problems if I unhook house batteries, turn of switch to crank battery and stay plugged into shore power (at home)for a long period of time? Will it cause any problems with converter?

After a "long period of time" you're just gonna have dead batteries using this procedure.

If you "unhook house batteries and turn of (sic) switch to crank battery", you'll need to put some battery minders on all batteries to keep them charged.

I don't think this procedure will cause any problem with your converter....but I gotta ask: if you disconnect all batteries, why even plug into shore power?

Ron

[tiffinboy]

rk911 wrote:
nope. if you have a 3-stage converter/charger you won't have any issues with your house batteries. a 3-stage will maintain the house battery charge without boiling them. and if you wire in a Trik-L-Start you won't have starting battery worries either.

OP said plugged in with House batterys "Disconnected"and he wont have a Inverter/charger 3 stage system in this old unit
BUT why would he disconnect house batterys if he,s plugged in?

[wny_pat1]

But if it is your '97 Rexhall, it just might have a old magnetek converter charger boat anchor in it.

[rk911]

nope. if you have a 3-stage converter/charger you won't have any issues with your house batteries. a 3-stage will maintain the house battery charge without boiling them. and if you wire in a Trik-L-Start you won't have starting battery worries either.

[ScottG]

Only if it is one of the very old converters like the MagTek 63XX. They required a battery be present for maintaining a clean output.