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?

[Sam_Spade]

First, this has nothing to do with the AC unit.

Second, you need to find out what make and model of "charger" you actually have. It should be a "smart" tender type battery maintainer and NOT a cheap trickle charger.

Then, you need to invest a few $$ in a multi-meter so you can test things like this for yourself to be sure.

So....to get anything near to a good answer, more information is needed.

[Bobbo]

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.)

[way2roll]

2 of the Class A's I owned, fairly newer, would charge the batts when plugged in. Further, when plugged in to shore power it would override the battery disconnect. So it didn't matter if I hit the disconnect, it charged them anyway.

Pretty easy to see if yours does the same thing. Hit the disconnect, plug it in and see if they charge. Simple.

[KD4UPL]

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.

[naturist]

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.