Maintain 2 Batteries at once?

[creativepart]

I have a battery maintainer like the Battery Tender JR. Mine was sold by Griot's Garage. They don't seem to sell the one I have -- they have something similar, but it looks very different.

Anyway it's a trickle charger with a brain that maintains a healthy charge on the battery without overcharging.

I just replaced my two house batteries on my Travel Trailer. The originals lasted about 3 1/2 years. Mostly because I took such poor care of them, I'm sorry to say.

So, I want to treat these new batteries differently to make them last awhile longer.

So, I was thinking I'll pull the batteries off the trailer when it's not in use and keep them on a trickle charger back at the house. However, I have two batteries and one battery maintainer.

Would it be possible to get both batteries up to full charge and then connect the two batteries like they are in the trailer -- pos to pos and neg to neg and put the trickle charger on the pos terminal of one and the neg terminal of the other? In short, I'd be trickle charging both at the same time.

[mchero]

I was cleaning up the battery box on my rig a couple of weekends ago & while cleaning up my 4 Sams Club golf cart batteries I saw a MAY-05 date on all four of the batteries. Still going strong! I think the one reason they have lasted so long was the fact I upgraded my converter to a Progressive Dynamics when I purchased the 4 batteries.

Just keep them charged thru the winter!!

[64thunderbolt]

Been doing it for years myself.

[Seattle_Lion]

It might pay to buy a new smart charger. The Noco GEMN2 is a bit expensive, but it will safely and securely keep 2 batteries fully charged without any risk of overcharging. It is best to have isolated chargers for each battery. They do cost a lot!

[Dave_H_M]

yesserebob, i do it all the time through the winter by jumping one lawn mower to the one setting right next to it.

Spring time both batts are like new.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yup done deal but two is just about the limit and I would not trust the maintainer has enough oomph if the temperature should drop below freezing, but for now it's a piece of cake.

[MrWizard]

moved from technology