Best Way to Charge Battery

[khr]

I have a question about keeping battery charged in non-use times.  We have a tongue pull trailer with one battery.  We use our trailer for basically a 2 week vacation and then 3 - 5 weekend trips each Spring and Fall.  What is the most effective way to keep the battery charged between trips - solar, shore power or battery charger?

We are blessed to have a shore power connection on the outside of our garage right next to where we park the trailer, I am ordereing a Renogy 100 watt solar panel and I have a battery charger.  Using the battery charger would require pulling the battery out of the trailer and moving it to the garage to keep the charger out of the weather and putting it back in anytime we needed or wanted to do anything in the trailer if we need lights or need to run out the slide.

I'm just not sure what would be the most effective use of my options.

Thanks for the advice and responses,
Ken

 

[NascarBobnBeth]

I keep mine plugged into the shorepower at home and never have any problems with the batterys

 

[Arch Hoagland]

You could install a battery disconnect switch. The battery will stay charged if disconnected.

If you do leave a charger on it make sure you check the water level every month or so,

 

[Kevin Means]

You could install a battery disconnect switch. The battery will stay charged if disconnected.

Actually, that's not correct, and it's left a lot of folks with dead batteries who thought the same thing. Lead/acid batteries slowly discharge on their own over time. Ken, in my opinion, the "best way" to charge batteries in a stored RV is to check their water levels monthly, and leave them plugged in to a good three stage charger. Keeping batteries fully charged while not in use is key to their longevity. We've got a lot of solar, certainly enough to keep the house-batteries charged - but I still leave our coach plugged in when it's not in use. If all you've got is an older two stage "dumb" charger, I think you'd be glad you replaced it with a smart charger.

Kev

 

[khr]

Thanks for the responses.  There seems to be plenty of differing opinions.

Kev - I'm a little confused with your post.  You said you believed the best thing for the battery is to leave it on a good 3 stage charger when not in use, then toward the end of your post you said you leave your coach plugged in when not in use.  Can you clarify what you mean? 

My charger is a new Schumacher SC-600A 6/4/2 Amp Charger And Maintainer if that helps in your response.

Ken

 

[Kevin Means]

Sorry for the confusion... Our coach's converter/charger IS a three stage smart charger, so I just leave our coach plugged into shore-power. If your RV's converter/charger is an older two stage charger, it can be replaced with a smart charger, or you can do what a lot of folks do - disconnect your batteries, buy a stand-alone three stage smart charger, and charge them with that. Yours may already be a three stage charger - I don't know, because I'm not familiar with that brand. If it is, just leave it plugged in and you should be good to go.

Kev

 

[robertusa123]

I like the small  solar trickle pannals.  No cord to run to camper.  And small enough to mount of LP bottle cover

 

[rbrdriver]

I have a 2015 Sandpiper 25RLS Fifth Wheel. I wonder type of Converter/charger I have. I looked at my specs and no mention of it there. I reckon I'll have to locate it and maybe take a look and see.......

 

[Alfa38User]

rbrdriver

Look first at your circuit breaker panel. If it shares space with fuses for 12V, then make and model of that 'power centre' may help identify what you have. Many of this type have the converter as part and parcel of that power centre.

 

[rbrdriver]

As soon as I get a chance I will do that. I have been working some long days lately so you know how that goes. I do know that my circuit breaker panel does share space with the 12 volt circuity and fuses as you mentioned so maybe I'll get a clue there huh........