Built in Trickle charger on AC unit

[jimroach]

My RV has a built in trickle charger, but does it work if the battery disconnect switch is engaged? If no, should I not use the battery disconnect switch for long term storage?
Can’t really find an answer to this, is it different for every RV?

[jdc1]

If it's one of those 1' square micro-solar chargers, you really don't have to worry about it overcharging the batteries. They only put out about 500-750ma.....great for what you are trying to accomplish. I used one for years on my diesel trucks and dump trailer that would sit for weeks at a time.

[dodge_guy]

Very good. I installed one of those on the propane tanks on my TT. Never had weak batteries from storage after that.

[jimroach]

Just a quick follow up, I never did find out the manufacturer, but did, as recommended, take a multi-meter to it, and it is working, even with the battery disconnect. Bought one for the chassis battery, and it seems to be working well also.

The reasons for this is where I store my RV is about a half hour drive from my house and I can’t always make it out there regularly to start up the RV.

[Bobbo]

jimroach wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
What converter/charger is installed in your unit? Without knowing that we really can't give meaningful responses. (HINT:If it is a Parallax/Magnatek unit, do NOT leave it plugged in all of the time, it will boil batteries dry and kill them. Some other brands are perfectly fine to leave plugged in 24/7/365, my Progressive Dynamics for example. My trailer came with a Parallax/Magnatek, but I replaced it within 24 hours of trailer delivery. I actually had the replacement converter/charger here before I got the trailer here.)

Don’t know the brand, owner’s manual doesn’t specify, will try to go through other paperwork to see if I can find out

Look either on, or inside, the door that covers your fuse box/breaker panel. Usually the manufacturer is listed there.

[Sam_Spade]

jimroach wrote:

Unfortunately, where I have to store it, leaving it plugged in is not an option, just bought a trickle charger for the chassis battery, just don’t know about the house charger

I hope what you bought really is a smart tender type automatic charger and NOT a cheap trickle charger. The difference is important.

THEN....if you have a place to plug in a battery charger for the chassis battery.....why can you NOT just plug in the whole rig ?
OR get a second tender for the house batteries ??

Of course, if you have a "good" solar charger with a charge controller and it sits out in the sun, that might be all you need for the house batteries, once you figure out how it works.

[jimroach]

Thanks everyone for the replies, will get a multimeter and try to measure it!

[jimroach]

Bobbo wrote:
What converter/charger is installed in your unit? Without knowing that we really can't give meaningful responses. (HINT:If it is a Parallax/Magnatek unit, do NOT leave it plugged in all of the time, it will boil batteries dry and kill them. Some other brands are perfectly fine to leave plugged in 24/7/365, my Progressive Dynamics for example. My trailer came with a Parallax/Magnatek, but I replaced it within 24 hours of trailer delivery. I actually had the replacement converter/charger here before I got the trailer here.)

Don’t know the brand, owner’s manual doesn’t specify, will try to go through other paperwork to see if I can find out

[jimroach]

KD4UPL wrote:
If you can plug the RV in while being stored I would leave the battery switch on and let your charger float the batteries. Not all RVs are wired the same but I would thing most of them, when disconnecting the batteries, would indeed disconnect them from the charger.

Unfortunately, where I have to store it, leaving it plugged in is not an option, just bought a trickle charger for the chassis battery, just don’t know about the house charger

[jimroach]

naturist wrote:
Some RVs have a 4-stage converter that will trickle charge, perhaps that is what you mean? I’ve never heard of a rig that has a separate trickle charger that came that way from the factory but yours might have one added by a previous owner. If the last, you would have to ask whoever installed it as to how they wired it.

No, bought it new, the solar charger is mounted on the AC unit

[wa8yxm]

Only way I know to find out if it works disconnected or only connected is to use an ammeter. Those small panels won't put out much Pehaps a couple amps tops. See which way the current flows or IF it flows when battery is not connected.

[dodge_guy]

If it’s the one like the one on my buddy’s 2017 then it’s a small solar trickle charger. Not sure how it’s wired. But with a trickle charger designed for RV storage I would imagine it would be wired in at the battery and not the switch. There is only one way to tell. Turn off the disconnect switch and disconnect the solar charger and check for voltage at the RV side of the connector.

[Gjac]

When you say trickle charger on your AC unit are you referring to a small solar charger? If so the easy way to answer your question is to check voltage across your pos and neg terminals with switch off and on when the sun is out.

[garym114]

Get a decent digital volt meter and you can see for yourself.

[YC_1]

Use a voltmeter across the terminals of each battery bank. Report those voltages and we can answer with some accuracy.

These are snowflakes and if not brand new a previous owner could have modified things a bit.

Take some pictures of your battery banks and print them out. Then write those readings down for future use.