Do you connect battery when on powered site?

[Javin]

This may be a goofy question (not sure if it has been asked before) but.....
When you are parked on a powered camp site do you leave your battery terminals on the battery or keep them removed or does it matter? I have a new AGM battery and want to make sure I don't over charge it which lead me to wonder if connected to shore power is it necessary to have the battery connected too? Not knowing much about all this I thought the battery needed to be connected even when the trailer is plugged in but to my surprise everything works when the battery is not connected and the trailer is plugged in. What is the best practice if your battery is already fully charged and you are parked on a powered site?

[Grumpy]

I never disconnected a battety when on shore power in over 40 years. Parked in a site full time in later years.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Javin

This may be a goofy question (not sure if it has been asked before) but.....
When you are parked on a powered camp site do you leave your battery terminals on the battery or keep them removed or does it matter? I have a new AGM battery and want to make sure I don't over charge it which lead me to wonder if connected to shore power is it necessary to have the battery connected too? Not knowing much about all this I thought the battery needed to be connected even when the trailer is plugged in but to my surprise everything works when the battery is not connected and the trailer is plugged in. What is the best practice if your battery is already fully charged and you are parked on a powered site?

Yes it has been asked before and your electrical system is designed to charge the batteries as needed and not overcharge them. You can leave them hooked up without fear of overcharging.

[Route 66 Traveler]

I've never disconnected my batteries since I brought it home, with the exception of cleaning the terminals..

[Old and soft]

Batteties also absorb small spikes, such as 12vdc items turning on and off.

[Jagiven]

I always keep my battery connected! Only time I disconnect it is when I am in storage without shore power.

You do not mention what you have for a camper. If it has electric brakes the battery MUST be connected when ever you are towing. In a disconnect situation, the batter powers the electric brakes to stop the rig.

Modern chargers will monitor and trick charge the battery as needed. My batteries tend to last 8-10 years.

[RogerR]

It's nice to have that battery there in case of a power outage. They you still have lights, furnace, some will need it to keep the fridge going even on LP, and a few other things.

Since I have a 100 amp lithium and 200 watts of solar I didn't even bother to plug in during an overnight stop since I didn't need AC.

[TaftCoach]

Your next question may be when hooked up to water do you turn it off when you leave for the day?

I do when I remember. Someone here had sprung a leak while gone and returned to a flooded TT. That lesson stuck with me. We also turn off pumps and the water heater if we are not on hookups.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

Your next question may be when hooked up to water do you turn it off when you leave for the day?

I do when I remember. Someone here had sprung a leak while gone and returned to a flooded TT. That lesson stuck with me. We also turn off pumps and the water heater if we are not on hookups.

X2. It was confirmed again yesterday when my camping neighbor found his Zero-G city-connect water hose blew out and flooded around his trailer before he discovered it. Granted it wasn’t a pipe inside the rig, but it reminded me that things can blow and if you’re not around it can be ugly.