Plugin or not

[Badh]

I have a question about my Alante. Is it better for battery life to keep the unit plugged while not in use or just turn off the main power? What are the pros and cons for each?

[RetiredOne]

Batteries don't need to be plugged in 24/7. They just need to be kept charged, so they don't run down. Depending on the parasitic draw on the rig, this will determine how often to charge. A digital volt meter is your BEST friend regarding batteries.

A fully charged battery is at least 12.6 volts. When it gets down to around 12.2 volts, it should be charged, and not allowed to drop lower, so you don't risk damaging it.

[Grumpy]

Your rig had the "Smart Charger" built into the converter which keeps it from over-charging. It goes to a maintainer mode when the battery reaches full charge. I had our SENECA plugged in 24/7 and never had any battery issues. Just check the water on a normal basis.

[Flyrotor]

As RetiredOne stated, don't let it discharge.

If you leave the batteries on the trailer get a battery disconnect switch, disconnect the cables, or put some kind of a maintenance charge to the battery.

I have a small solar battery tender to keep it charged while stored outside. Prior to that I did the same as Grumpy, I never had a problem with it plugged in 24/7, but I can't do that at this time.