What does my battery work on

6v batteries in series will accept a similar current to what any other 12v battery will. The batteries in a TT, or fifth wheel AFAIK, have a long charging path. If the wire is not big there will be a large voltage drop which will limit the charge rate.

Two 6v in series accepting only 2-3 amps max = Totally False. Unless they are close to 100 percent charged already.

I've heard pros and cons about 6v batteries connected in parallel(?) to make a 12v system.

Someone told me today that for charging you can really only do trickle charging because the 6v's will only accept 2-3 amps charging max and it takes forever to recharge. So when hitched up to TV, short trips will not fully recharge.

T or F ?

I would add that if you do decide to keep it plugged in AND you have the old school pullout type cord with the round cover and little trap door, be careful of critter intrusion.

Mice will use the cord as easy access and don't think for one second that little sliding door will stop them. I speak from experience.

donn0128 wrote:
Yes, a converter/charger equipped RV will keep the house battery charged as long as it is plugged into 120VAC. Have always had my RVs plugged in at home and as long as you check battery water level regularly I have never had a problem. As a plus benefit, when we get ready to go, all I need to do is turn the refer on and a day later load it with food.

Just don't leave the battery installed and NOT plugged in or on a better tender in the winter. They will freeze and will be ruined in the spring.

Experience, the best and sometimes the most costly teacher.

You can also extend your battery life by switching out incandescent or halogen bulbs for LEDs. LEDs use about 1/6th of the energy of an equivalent brightness incandescent. No need for using flashlights, etc unless you are into extreme conservation.

korbe wrote:
My batteries appear to over charge while sitting idle and on shore power. I will use my disconnect switch if on shore power for awhile. And after a trip I will allow the converter on shore power to charge my batteries.

Which is likely due to having a single stage converter that is boiling the batteries. Newer converters such as the Progressive Dynamics converters are three stage, with high voltage for heavy charging of a low battery bank, then a couple of lower voltages to power stuff and maintain the batteries without cooking them, and also a desulfater cycle to help de-sulfate the battery plates for long life.

Charles

When we "dry camp", without using electrical hookups, we are very careful about using anything that uses the battery. We use camping lights and flashlights in the camper... don't use the camper's built in lights except for those midnight bathroom runs. Don't use fans, unless really needed and only for as long as needed. Don't use the camper's radio, especially the CD player. Don't use the camper's heater, that is what blankets are for - plus, when you cook using the propane stove, the camper will heat right up. Yes, use the sink, toilet and shower, but shut off the water pump when you are done. You will learn to conserve your water. Lots of forum threads with good reading on how to "dry camp".

Our single battery will usually easily last a weekend, up to maybe 5 days - being very careful using it. We have found we don't need a generator - BUT, we do schedule our dry camping trips to avoid hot July and August camping, so we don't need the air conditioner.

When you get used to dry camping, it is very enjoyable and opens up all those "rustic" campgrounds that you might normally skip.

When I park our camper at home and am not going to use it for more than a couple weeks, I disconnect the battery and do not plug in the camper. About 3 days before a camping trip I reconnect the battery and plug in the camper (usually also turn on the frig to cool it down). By the time we leave on Friday for a weekend camping trip, the battery is all charged up and the frig is cold.

We mix dry camping with full hook up camping throughout the season. Once you get used to it, it is no big deal, and many times I prefer our dry camping trips!

toedtoes wrote:
Not all converter/chargers are smart chargers, some can overcharge the batteries. Also, depending on how old your RV is, some of the named items might not be powered by 12v (older RV fridges don't require battery power to operate).

If you do not have a smart converter/charger, which you probably don't since the manufacturers usually use the less expensive converters, you should check the water in the battery every couple of weeks. After you have done this a while, you will learn how often it really needs checking.

If you don't know what your converter is, post the manufacturer and model number here.

Either way should work. I assume the battery tender is designed to keep a trickle charge on the battery. If so, this is the best answer to keep the battery topped off while at home.

A good quality converter/charger in the RV itself, will do the trick quite well also. All converter/chargers are not of the same quality, and this is especially true of older models. Older models, tended to only charge at full strength, and would not revert to trickle charge when the battery was mostly fully charged.

jarata1 wrote:
Great answers
So leaving the rv plugged at home in will actually charge my battery,or should I keep it on a tender for battery only