Charging battery question

[DaveInAthens]

Hello folks. I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I tried finding an answer to my question through the search option but was not successful.

I have a 2022 Jayco Eagle HT 24re. It has a solar panel on the roof to keep the battery charged, but I keep my camper under a shelter and the panel gets no direct sunlight. I just found my battery completely discharged.

My question is probably a dumb one. I want to install a trickle charger in my battery compartment so that when my camper is in storage I can plug in the charger and keep my battery maintained. I have never had a camper with a solar panel and inverter system.

So finally my question. Will the trickle charger do any damage to the camper wiring, solar panel or inverter? Or should I disconnect the battery from the camper when I want to charge it?

Thanks in advance for any help, and my apologies for the lengthy post.

 

[Taftcoach]

Welcome to the campfire and congratulations on your new memory maker.

You will be fine under a canopy with the trickle charger. You may also want to consider a battery cut off switch to stop any parasitic drains on the battery. (Sensors, alarms, etc)

Easier still is running shore power if possible. Just plug it in like at a campsite. B

 

[DaveInAthens]

Thanks for the quick response. I think the camper is equipped with the battery switch. I didn't even know what is was until I started watching YouTube videos trying to find an answer to my question.

I have shore power available at my camper shelter. I just can't get real comfortable leaving it plugged in when there are times I don't get there for a couple of weeks. I'll be installing the trickle charger tomorrow!

Thanks again!

 

[Taftcoach]

Aren't you going to plug in the trickle charger? Basically you have a trickle charger built in and designed to keep your system at peak shape. Plugging in follows the engineers best design.

 

[DaveInAthens]

Yes, I plan to leave the trickle charger plugged in all the time. Maybe I'll do some thinking and eventually just keep it hooked to shore power all the time. Thanks again.

 

[Shady24]

Aren't you going to plug in the trickle charger? Basically you have a trickle charger built in and designed to keep your system at peak shape. Plugging in follows the engineers best design.

Hey Coach, so I'm brand new to the RV world as well! I have solar on my RV and was considering getting a battery cutoff and trickle charger. But IF i'm reading you right, if I get a 30Amp plug in at my residence, where I store my RV when not camping, will that basically be a trickle charge, and maintain my battery? (Or should I cutoff the battery at home when parked, even with it plugged in to the 30amp power) I'm assuming that's "shore power"?

Thanks for helping,
Shady

 

[gypsmjim]

If you insist on using a trickler, buy a smart charger that will "maintain" the battery. If its trickling all the time you may eventually boil off the water and destroy the battery.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Hey Coach, so I'm brand new to the RV world as well! I have solar on my RV and was considering getting a battery cutoff and trickle charger. But IF i'm reading you right, if I get a 30Amp plug in at my residence, where I store my RV when not camping, will that basically be a trickle charge, and maintain my battery? (Or should I cutoff the battery at home when parked, even with it plugged in to the 30amp power) I'm assuming that's "shore power"?

Thanks for helping,
Shady

Shady, plugging in to shore power, whether at home or in a campsite, will keep your batteries charged. I installed a cutoff switch at the battery that cuts off ALL draw on the batteries. Some of the OEM ones don’t always do that, I hear. During the off-season, our rig is parked at home with the battery switch off. Every month or two, I’ll plug in to a 20 amp outside outlet on the side of the house using a dog bone and top it off for a day or so. Come spring, the batteries are tip top.

 

[Shady24]

Shady, plugging in to shore power, whether at home or in a campsite, will keep your batteries charged. I installed a cutoff switch at the battery that cuts off ALL draw on the batteries. Some of the OEM ones don’t always do that, I hear. During the off-season, our rig is parked at home with the battery switch off. Every month or two, I’ll plug in to a 20 amp outside outlet on the side of the house using a dog bone and top it off for a day or so. Come spring, the batteries are tip top.

Sounds Good, Thanks!