Battery Charging

[Calrootpeg]

Is it ok if not better to use an external battery charger to top off the battery charge before traveling? The 175RD seems its draining or not fully charging when plugged in. It does not have a quick battery disconnect for storage, any layman's fix? Thanks!!!

[oldmanAZ]

It is best to start with a fully charged battery. The 12v connection from your tow vehicle will not charge it even if driving for hours.

Note that there are draws on the trailer battery even with everything shut off. You will need to disconnect the battery or have some way to plug your trailer into shore power or a solar charger to keep the battery charged. Not keeping the battery charged will shorten its life.

If you remove the battery and take it home, a 'trickle charger' will keep the battery ready for your next trip.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, put a tag on the battery cables if you remove the battery. The colors used for polarity are NOT the same as automotive.

[GrumpyDad]

There could be a few problems here
1) battery could be bad (from age or too many deep discharges)
2) Discharging during storage - need to disconnect fully when not using the trailer.
3) Converter not charging battery properly when hooked to shore power - What voltage do you see at the battery when connected to shore power? If it's not at least 13V, your converter isn't doing anything.

oldmanAZ is right, you need to start your trips will a full charged battery. Don't rely on your tow vehicle to fully charge your batteries while driving. You can charge with the converter (assuming it works) or a separate battery charger. Most people only use the separate charger when the battery is taken out for winter storage.

Do you have a voltmeter? Go measure the voltage before and after plugging the trailer into shore power and that will tell you quite a bit.

[jimp]

I use a 1.5amp smart charger when my TT is on the pad at the house. I just have to move the extension cord when I mow the grass and hook it back up when done mowing.

[Calrootpeg]

Thank you folks. Guess the answer is "yes" top off the battery with an external charger before leaving. And, disconnect the battery after the trip is complete until the next trip. Solar trickle charge seems to be the longterm answer, guess that's my next move.
Thanks again,
me.

[Siamese]

Using an external charger isn't necessarily the answer.

As others have pointed out, it's imperative that you disconnect the battery immediately after every time you're done using the trailer. The manufacturer and the dealers tend to ignore this very important point. Every trailer should have a battery disconnect switch, but they don't.

Batteries that have been completely discharged and left that way for a period of time, possibly multiple times, need to be replaced.

The charger in your trailer is perfectly capable of charging your batteries, assuming it's working correctly. If it's not, replace it.

If your charger is working (you can check it's voltage output as it's charging a discharged battery), then there's no reason to use an external charger unless your batteries aren't in the trailer.

If you disconnect your batteries (with a full charge) immediately after use, they can sit for a few months without use or charge.

Trickle charging is optional if you don't exceed a few months of inactivity. For longer periods, a dedicated trickle charger is needed. I would prefer a dedicated trickle charger (one that ONLY trickle charges) over a smart charger with a trickle mode, so I don't risk sending too much voltage to the batteries and boiling off the water.

[skids]

What I do is charge the battery with the converter by plugging it in to house power. Then I use a quick disconnect at the negetive side of the battery. Also I unplug from house current. I know that batteries can discharge slowly even when the negetive terminal is disconnected with the quick disconnect, so once a week I repeat the process.

[Isaacs]

Just curious...why does everyone always recommend disconnecting the negative rather than the positive? What's the difference?

[GrumpyDad]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

Just curious...why does everyone always recommend disconnecting the negative rather than the positive? What's the difference?

Well, to disconnect the batteries, you can disconnect from eitehr postive, negative, or ive you have a 2x6v system, you could even put the switch on the wires between the battery.

HOWEVER, there is one reason I always put my disconnect on the positive side of the battery, and that is this: Because the trailer grounds to the frame, if you leave the positive side of the battery connected to the rest of the trailer, any accidental grounding elsewhere in the system could create a momentary current flow. Or at least that's my thinking.

[oldmanAZ]

IMO, it's a safety thing. That's why I do it.

If you use a wrench or pliers and it is on the positive terminal and contacts anything (the frame, metal brackets, etc.) secured to the frame,there is likely to be a spark (not good near wet cell batteries) and maybe a large current flow. And if you wear a ring and that ring is between the wrench and the frame....!

Hopefully they will be able to save both the ring and your finger.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

…. Because the trailer grounds to the frame, if you leave the positive side of the battery connected to the rest of the trailer, any accidental grounding elsewhere in the system could create a momentary current flow. Or at least that's my thinking.

If you disconnect the batteries negative terminal, it opens the battery circuit so it would not matter if you shorted any positive cable/connection to the frame...

Most Gear Heads (that I knew anyway) used to disconnect the ground cable first. Why you ask, well the positive terminal is within a wrenches reach of the cars metal, fender.... and causes a pretty good arc when the wrench accidently hits the car's metal while loosening/tightening the positive terminal bolt with the negative cable still connected.

In the case of an TT, it is a matter of personal preference. Well wait a minute, if you have any kind of memory issue, I would put the disconnect switch on the positive terminal. Reason is that if you put the disconnect switch on the negative terminal, and you forget to turn the disconnect switch back on before leaving on your outing, you will not have any emergency electric brakes on the TT, should it disconnect from the TV. The TV will supply 12volts and ground to the TT while traveling.

That is the nice part of having SOLAR, I never have to worry about disconnecting the batteries.

Don

My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

If you disconnect the batteries negative terminal, it opens the battery circuit so it would not matter if you shorted any positive cable/connection to the frame...

Most Gear Heads (that I knew anyway) used to disconnect the ground cable first. Why you ask, well the positive terminal is within a wrenches reach of the cars metal, fender.... and causes a pretty good arc when the wrench accidently hits the car's metal while loosening/tightening the positive terminal bolt with the negative cable still connected.

In the case of an TT, it is a matter of personal preference. Well wait a minute, if you have any kind of memory issue, I would put the disconnect switch on the positive terminal. Reason is that if you put the disconnect switch on the negative terminal, and you forget to turn the disconnect switch back on before leaving on your outing, you will not have any emergency electric brakes on the TT, should it disconnect from the TV. The TV will supply 12volts and ground to the TT while traveling.

That is the nice part of having SOLAR, I never have to worry about disconnecting the batteries.

Don

My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

This makes sense, especially in a car.

Yes, with the solar I never disconnect--I pretty much just ignore it even during the long cold winter when I'm hanging around in your neck of the woods!

[jimp]

I find it much easier to connect/disconnect my small trickle charger using the QD connector I installed than removing/disconnecting a battery cable.

[Steve1152]

i have only one cable going to my negative terminal. there are many going to the positive. its a lot easier.

[Dondevers]

If you do not remember to turn off the battery switch there are still items running that drain the battery, ie. Smoke detector, CO detector. Switch off the batteries and you probably have a full charge next time you go out and there will not be a need to charge the batteries.

[RichR]

Originally Posted by Dondevers

If you do not remember to turn off the battery switch there are still items running that drain the battery, ie. Smoke detector, CO detector. Switch off the batteries and you probably have a full charge next time you go out and there will not be a need to charge the batteries.

Has anyone checked to see how much drain the converter has on the battery even when nothing is connected? When the fuses are removed from their sockets little red LED's light up.

[GrumpyDad]

Most people just make it zero by disconnecting the battery. Even a tiny drain will empty the battery during storage over time.

[Atlee]

A topped off batter is crucial. However, you do not need an external battery charger to do this before leaving home.

However, you do need a good on board converter. My trailer was less than one year old, when I took the old WFCO converter out, and replaced it with a PD4655 Wildkat converter replacement unit Best Converter. You just take the old converter out, and replace with the new one. The old distribution panel is used. So only 5 wires are needed to disconnect and reconnect.

Now I know my batteries are totally topped off before I leave the house. And when I either deploy the generator on the road, or plug into an AC pedestal, I know whether the converter had gone onto a bulk charge, boost, mode, normal charge mode (the last approximately 10% charge after the bulk charge has stopped, and storage (strictly maintaining the full charge), and periodic desulfication (short periods of bulk level charging to a full battery, which promotes battery health).

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by RichR

Has anyone checked to see how much drain the converter has on the battery even when nothing is connected? When the fuses are removed from their sockets little red LED's light up.

I can not speak for anyone else, but I checked mine long ago (when installing SOLAR), and there is "0" drain when no shore power is provided and batteries are connected to the TT.

Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[RichR]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

Most people just make it zero by disconnecting the battery. Even a tiny drain will empty the battery during storage over time.

That's what intend to do.