Charging of the battery while winterized

Hi,
TM have found their way to New Zealand. I have a 2006 TM2720 and have just taken the unit out of its winterized mode. The battery has gone flat during the winter storage and I was wondering if any owners can advise me if it is possible to plug the power in while the TM is folded down and in storage, to charge up the battery system.

Thanks.

PS. We have used the TM on a number of ocassions during the last summer here and found it just wonderful.

Originally Posted by Kiwi Al

TM have found their way to New Zealand. I have a 2006 TM2720 and have just taken the unit out of its winterized mode. The battery has gone flat during the winter storage and I was wondering if any owners can advise me if it is possible to plug the power in while the TM is folded down and in storage, to charge up the battery system.

Hi Al,
Welcome to the TM family. Yes, you can keep the batteries charged during winter storage, in several different ways.

I remove the batteries and keep them in my garage (trailer is in storage several miles away) and keep them on a trickle charger. Place them on a shelf, or block of wood, not directly on a concrete floor. I check the water in them monthly to make sure they don't go dry. Trickle chargers usually only provide 1-1.5 amps until the battery is reasonably charged, and then reduce the amount of current to the battery, keeping it topped off.

If you store your TM at home, you can either (1) disconnect the battery leads from the trailer and connect a trickle charger directly to them, or (2) connect an extension cord to the TM power cord before you close it and keep the trailer plugged in all winter. Be sure to check the water every two weeks, at first. You'll soon learn how fast the water is "boiling" away and when you have to add more.

Thanks very much Paul. Excellent. Thanks also for the welcome. I think there are about 8 or so TM's in New Zealand at present. Kind rgds. Al

A 5 watt solar panel here in the states is $49.00 and that is what I use. Of course the rated wattage is maximum at perfect angle to a perfect sun and that is not what is constantly pumped into my batteries so it acts as a slow trickle charger.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...31281&tab=spec

[Bill]

Hi, Al, and welcome aboard from me as well.

Use the Search tool to find posts on "phantom load" or "parasitic load". You'll find a lot of info in those threads.

Bill

Welcome Al ! I plan to take my battery out of our 2006-2720 TM and keep it in my garage thru the winter on a charger, keeping a close eye on it. We are going to store our unit at the club we belong.With our annual membership of $110.00 we get to store our trailer FREE. Only catch we need to drive 50 miles round trip. Oh well the gas will be cheaper than paying storage!
Good luck and happy camping Al. My DW and grandchildren love our new TM.
It's about time to go camping again, see ya later.

Midwest Dave
Northwestern Illinois

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heuvelhorst

....Trickle chargers usually only provide 1-1.5 amps until the battery is reasonably charged, and then reduce the amount of current to the battery, keeping it topped off.

If you store your TM at home, you can either (1) disconnect the battery leads from the trailer and connect a trickle charger directly to them, or (2) connect an extension cord to the TM power cord before you close it and keep the trailer plugged in all winter. Be sure to check the water every two weeks, at first. You'll soon learn how fast the water is "boiling" away and when you have to add more.

Paul didn't notice that Kiwi-Al has a 2006 model-- he's got the WFCO panel, which automatically switches 14.4V - 13.6V - 13.2V. It *is* a trickle charger: unless you want to do some fancy anti-sulfination cycles, all you need to do is plug it into an outlet and leave it. (or, plug it overnight every couple of weeks).

Thanks very much rickst29. Appreciated. That is what I was hoping to do. Just plug it in now and again while in the "storage" mode (I store it at home in a garage) and keep the battery up without the need to take the battery out. Cheers. Al

[Bill]

Al -

Let us know how this works out. The WFCO literature says that their converter is a good long-term unattended charger, and I have no reason to doubt it. But I still stick with a) disconnecting the battery - just leave it alone - for the winter, and b) my trusty Guest Industries 3-stage charger for shorter periods of time.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Since my original querie I have plugged the mains power into the unit whilst in the "closed down" mode and found that the battery trickle charges ok. So my problem has been solved and I appreciate the input from all those who responded. Thanks very much and safe travel.

Kiwi Al