Straight Talk - Should RV Battery Stay On when Plugged into Shore Power?

[@DouglasSolon-du9ou]

Good afternoon I have a domestic refrigerator freezer runs on propane and an electricity my question is if my house batteries are low the reading 12.50 % is that stopping my propane from lighting because it'll light and run for a while and then I'll go off and if I open a refrigerator the light is blinking I had my battery's tested I'm not overcharged but it seems like my starting battery is up there to 13 1/2 but my chassis batteries are two 6 volt batteries are in a 12 range and I'm wondering if that's causing my propane tank or my propane flame to shut off and on

[@realthoughts6952]

I woke up in the middle of the night here on my first RV trip and I had that exact question. Thank you for answering the question, maybe I can sleep in peace now!

[@richpayton7162]

Please look into the difference between "trickle" charging and float charging. A small battery maintainer such as you mention should be a float type charger. If it is working properly, it will compensate for your battery's self-discharge, which if not done will allow the battery plates to become sulfated, the most common cause of lead-acid battery failure.

[@carolwillingham2993]

Hello, why is my battery making a humming out clicking sound and it doesn’t appear to be charging by the solar panels

[@_DivineTruth_is_Home_]

I am new, my motor home is plugged in to shore power, what do I need to understand regarding my batteries ? I have an older beauty 1988. I enjoy your clarity and thought I would understand as you share 😊

[@raymondgraham7559]

How do I know what kind of rv converter I have? You mentioned multi-stage converter will adjust charge so not to over charge a battery. I have a 2006 30-amp fifth wheel. I would like to upgrade to multi stage converter. What should I do?

[@jimhunt8878]

If you have a bad battery even when your camper is plugged in to electric will this cause the legs not to move up and down an make the motor would very sluggish and a grindy sound. And your landing gear won't work

[@scottbones]

Thanks Jeff. It was good to see you here. I run an intelli power 9100 series. I just purchased a Charge Wizard that enables me to reduce the charge for battery health. I am not sure if other converters offer this solution.

[@markmartinez6821]

In order for converter to charge batteries does it need shore power and do batteries to be connected?

[@user-kl9fi5gi5n]

Can I use an external battery charger to charge low batteries with the camper plugged into shore power.
Do I need to disconnect the converter for this charge.

[@glensoloway343]

Hello I have a question about shore power. Can i plug my Motorhome into shore power without having the house batteries installed first. I have the chassis batteries installed but not the house batteries. Wondering if i can safely plug into shore power at my home without having the house batteries installed first.

[@RandyStClair-li4ss]

What should I be doing to prepare my batteries and propane tanks for winter usage? We are new and full timers

[@glensoloway343]

Question can i plug my Motorhome into shore power without the house batteries installed first and i have my chassis batteries installed but not the house batteries can i safely plug into shore power without the house batteries installed at my home in canada ??

[@Mstred]

Jeff, I have a question I hope you can answer. Normally Does the negative battery travel uninterrupted from the negative battery terminal directly to the converter charger in an RV?

[@kingtitan2051]

So how long does it take to recharge a deep cycle lead acid battery these converter boxes? And do they then go to a 13.3 trickle? The.

[@phillipram12]

Thank you for the info keep up the good work .Phil from Viva Las Vegas 🤣

[@lindawagner3900]

Thank You Very Much!!😊

[@RonHoward-mc2eo]

My start battery goes dead using the stereo in parked position while plugged into shore power. Does the rv charge start battery while plugged into shore power?

[@randymoss4963]

I’m a little confused as to how the battery/electrical system works on an RV. I have a 2022 freedom express 25 foot trailer with two batteries and a solar panel. We went camping just recently. When we went into the trailer after about the fourth night, our lights were extremely dim, and the battery indicator was down to two blue dots versus the four that indicate it’s a full charge. We were plugged into a 30 amp plug and I always thought if that was the case, it trickle charged the battery, which did not seem to be the case. Is there something wrong with my system or do am I just not understanding the mechanics of it?

[@clintwalters9819]

Can the battery be on win I'm charging it at home for a couple days it was said low on my battery it's been plugged in for three day and still say low on it so i have it plugged in still

[@StanleysGarage369]

So, keep the Red key in the "On" position when off grid. This will use the battery, as the solar panels charge the battery. Leave "on" when plug into shore power to protect RV electrics? Pull the red key in the "off" position when in long term storage and use a batter tender. Do I have this correct?

[@RonHoward-mc2eo]

My start battery goes dead listening to stereo with switch in parked position while plugged into shore power. Does rv charge start battery while plugged into shore power? Also when switch is on parked position does stereo run on shore power or start battery?

[@mariamacias8276]

Do I keep my battery on or do I turn it off while plugged into 30amp electric in a full hookup RV Park?

[@TheBirdandEagle]

Great information. Thank you.

[@CharlesConner-bk9gf]

Here is my theory regarding your claim that batteries should always be on.
Im not 100% convinced that a converter on its own, running solely with no battery backup has the potential to run at such a high level that is problematic after the jacks have already been lowered and slide outs are slid out.
Here is why: Let's say for example that one plugs into shore power with the batteries fully charged and performs the above tasks. The only things left to power with DC at this point would be fans and lights. If at this point you close the battery disconnect and run off of the converter then the converter will actually be working less hard because it will not have to use part of its converting power to continue trickle charging batteries while running lights and fans. Any fluctuations in AC shore power are not going to interfere with a converters ability to run just lights and fans.
Then when your rolling up turn the batteries on perform the above mentioned tasks in reverse and drive away while your trucks alternator charges your batteries on your way home. (If your set up for it) If the batteries even need charged. Which my bet is they won't.
Thanks
Conner

[@johnmay70]

I'm installing my own solar panels on my roof of my RV. It's a 2005 Itasca Horizon. My question is when I run my wires from the solar charge controller, where is best place in the RV to drill a hole in my floor. I don't want to hit any wires?

[@brianski007]

Question- 2003 Winnebago Brave 36 won’t use the 12V battery power. Fully charged, new solenoid, new batteries, new converter. Shore power works fine when connected. Is his caused by a faulty battery disconnect relay? Thanks for any help with this one.

[@reginaglennhill5097]

Thank you thank you! Lord this helps

[@leonardmary07]

I’m smelling rotten eggs/ sulfur heavily in the front of my Travel trailer. I thought it was the propane tank but I had that checked. Not the tanks as they’ve been flushed and treated multiple times. Not my hot water valves etc either. The water in the camper from the well also has no odor. All drains have been treated also. Again the smell is beyond pungent in the front of the travel trailer where my propane and 12V battery are. I read as post that said it could be the 12V battery. Simple question, should I turn the “battery disconnect” to OFF while I’m plugged in to the 30 Amp, or should I turn the “battery disconnect” to ON? I live in travel trailer while working on assignments as I am now, so it is not being stored but actively being used. Just need to know if I turn the battery disconnect to off, that the camper. Will maintain all its power. This may be a basic question but I’m a newbie and doing this alone.

[@whatfreedom7]

The sulfur rotten egg smell is your battery overcharging.It will kill the battery without a doubt. I have the same issue on a 2 year old camper. we used it a couple weeks ago and my wife was complaining about the same thing. I shut the propane off and still smelled it and I just assumed it was the bathhouse or someone else’s sewage or something . It really didn’t smell so much like sulfur . I checked after I got home and realized my battery cells on one side were dry because it had boiled the water out of it and ruined those cells. The issue it charges but doesn’t know when to stop charging so it overcharges.mine has killed 2 batteries in the 2 years already because I thought I was doing the right thing and kept it plugged up at the house. Keep the battery in disconnect unless your using the actual 12v system of grid style. Then put a battery maintainer on the battery to maintain the voltage and a proper level when it sits for a month or longer. You can get them for about $30-$60. One unfortunately does not have a battery disconnect so I’ll have to add one but for now I just take the negative cable loose.

[@whatfreedom7]

@Frank @ The RV Shop I’ll have to look into that because that is a possibility. It’s definitely a 2 year old keystone camper we bought it new from camping world but it could still have a problem. I’m definitely not going be buying new batteries constantly.

[@georgemalek6601]

Rv circuit overcharges 12v battery, smells sulfur and very hot.
Voltage to battery on shore power appears to be constant 13.25v.
What can I do to keep the factory Jayco system from ruining batteries?
Thx
George

[@Joe-cu4hi]

I very much appreciated this question. We have a 1999 Airstream Bambi and for the first time in the 22 years we have owned it we found our deep cell 29 size battery split open and the battery case in several cracked pieces. Never had that happen. I do keep it plugged to shore power at home and check water level every few months and if needed add distilled water. What happened? Thank you

[@dianemay7372]

New RVer. I have my 07 Outback plugged into my house with no battery connected but I notice the the lights dim when turned on? Do I need to connect the battery for lights, TV, water pump to work? Thanks for your help.

[@_DivineTruth_is_Home_]

Thank you ❤

[@Texdram]

So keep the converter in the on position while plugged into shore power, correct? I know if i don't have it in on, my refrigerator ignitor will not operate when using the propane option.

[@JeffJohnston]

The converter supplies 12 volts DC to run your RV's devices that are powered by 12 volts. If the converter is shut off, the batteries still supply that power. In this case, I'd start by checking your battery state of charge, connections, and so on. The battery should still be powering the 12 volt DC part of your fridge cooling system. There are numerous online sources of this information that cover it in far more detail than we can supply here in this forum, or your RV dealer tech guys can help explain it in person.

[@IMV61]

My brand new house batteries are not furnishing power in the RV. We feel confident we’ve checked everything but still nothing works. What are we missing. Converter works fine. 1999 Winnebago Adventurer

[@arnw7933]

So I do have my toy hauler plugged in at my house when not in use for months at a time . Am I damaging my battery?....today I'm buying a lithium battery , can I leave it plugged into the house for extended periods?

[@JeffJohnston]

First, as long as the converter has a multi-stage charger (see other answers in this area or google the data) you're fine. Be sure the system is set for charging a lithium battery because they have somewhat different power needs than a lead-acid battery. The lithium battery seller should be able to provide more details.

[@JeffJohnston]

Do a web search for "multi stage battery charger" for complete information about keeping your batteries charged without damaging them while plugged in for long terms.

[@SarasotaMurph]

When I raise the rv it starts out fine but as it raises sounds like battery is giving out. Had battery tested and is good but yet there's not enough power to raise rv. Any ideas?

[@storagecontainer4268]

Hi there my new RV hotline connection fantastic to see your answering a bunch of questions me owning a motorhome for 25 years it be my parents and then hand it over to me I got a lot of concerning questions this motorhome is up and running and is everyday driver around the property here and I'm always fooling around with it and tuning it up meaning cleaning it up and getting it all good and ready it's an 87 Ford Georgie boy master cruiser with cruise control AC refrigerator and air condition and all so far so good my question is what is draining my batteries I could charge them up for 2-3 days on my two amp fully charge them hook everything back up and then within two or three days my brand new engine battery is dead and my two brand new Marine deep cycle batteries are dead nothing's on went through every single light switch and off and on switch I could even imagine that would drain at a low capacity but within two three days it's dead stereos off all the lights are off etc just trying to figure and do I have to disconnect my batteries when I charge my batteries sometimes I charge it with a 4 hour 12 amp sometimes I charge it 24 hours with my two amp do I have to disconnect my battery sometimes I take it out my battery is bring them in the garage and charge them for the weekend before I have an event and then sometimes I just charge them on the battery and I have a question me charging the batteries with a charger in the front under my hood or is it best just to plug them in and let the converter do the charging I'm learning about batteries they're fascinating these deep cycles marine batteries are even more fascinating appreciate your time thank you so much look forward to your comments how to keep batteries alive while being used and stored thank you

[@connieallen8237]

Only have one outlet only the top part works rest in kitchen and living room none working bathroom one not working I. The compartment only outside behind the refrigerator doesn't work either there's a plug there does that need to be plugged into outlet for frig to work?

[@lakegeorgeloyalist2151]

This sounds a bit complicated. IMHO this is beyond someone that asks this question, Get an electrician so you don't get injured.

[@alive-awake]

When I have my rig in storage I've been plugging in to regular 110 ? outlet with an adapter because I didn't want my batteries to go bad in the AZ heat. Essentially, a trickle charger, correct? Maybe I just need to put the coach batteries in store mode and call it good??? What do you say?

[@fladave99]

I am full time not moving and I got rid of my 12v battery. 12 service works fine without it. is that ok. AND I have a resi refer

[@randtgorman]

I have a 2022 Reflection Grand Design 312BHTS TT. I am a full time RVing first timer. I am currently staying put at an RV park while searching for land. Do not plan on moving the rv until gas prices come down some. Have been here for 3 months. Should I unplug my battery. I have a built in inverter, and a 165W solar panel. I am confused on how it all works together. Could you advise? Confused newbie

[@lindalinville4755]

When I'm plug my travel trailer in my house power will my slide out operate

[@user-km8ge9zg2f]

Hi there I'm keith, hope all is well. Just seen your video and you are the only person spoke on anything close to the issue I'm having. For starters I'm new to the rv world so I'm learning as I go. I bought a older model gulfstream innsbruck travel trailer from a private owner. The issue I'm having is I purchased two new deep cycle batteries to give me more battery storage when I'm out without shore power. But I'm getting no battery power, but when plugged into my generator everything is powered up. What am I missing? All fuses in my converter are new. Is there a different breaker or something outside my converter to use my battery power, any advice at all would be very much appreciated. By the way is a 1993.

[@jimperea2614]

I just bought a 2013 keystone passport. I have a new battery on it and another one that is just a few months old. I plugged in the trailer cord and figured the batteries would stay charged, (1 week) and I just went out and the batteries are almost completely dead. Is my converter bad?

[@JeffJohnston]

Something is amiss. Was your battery shutoff switch engaged? One week should not be enough to kill batteries due to parasitic drain. Start by unplugging the RV from shore power and check the voltage at the batteries. Then plug it back in, and check the voltage again. If it doesn't increase with the converter activated, something is wrong. Check if the converter has its own circuit breaker apart from the "house" breakers, look at all of your "house" circuit breakers and fuses, then start checking your electrical connections for tightness and perhaps corrosion. Good luck!

[@stanyake4803]

My battery completely failed and no land power. Could this cause failure of most of the electronics. I have been told that this destroyed two control boards.. and my converter. Is this really possible?

[@brentechelberger6641]

Hello Jeff, I'm redoing my Son's 14ft, '69 Komfort travel trailer. I'd like to put in a converter to run some 120v, 12v and charge the 12v battery. What brands would fit my need? (no microwave, AC, water heater or heater. Will using a toaster and a small electric heater as needed). Thank you

[@lakegeorgeloyalist2151]

converter changes 110v to 12volt. 110 for appliances does not go through converter

[@jasonlittle118]

I just replaced my one group 27 with two 6v 225ah batteries. Batteries were wired in series for a 12v system. Now when I am plugged in to shore power and I turn my lights on my converter fan runs constantly. Any ideas?

[@kennethbeeler1]

Try to help a friend, my buddy is living in his fifth wheel at the moment and yesterday his 75 amp converter blew up. I went to the local RV store to pick up a new one only to find they wanted 600 bucks for a unit I can get on eBay for 249.O0 . My question is he’s plugged in with 50 amp service. How should I configure the electrical grid so that he doesn’t have to come stay with us until the new unit gets here. I’m thinking a battery charger would work fine for a few days. And 75 amp converter with only one battery . Thanks for any response.

[@JeffJohnston]

$600 seems really steep for an RV converter. The use of a portable battery charger, like you'd use for your auto, should work fine for keeping the batterys charged until you find a built-in converter solution. Be sure to choose one that has multi-stage battery charging to avoid overcharging the batteries.

[@michelmichael8957]

Hi Jeff. When driving down the road with my rv. Should I keep my battery disconnected switch on or off.

[@AiBilly]

Question: You mention a little trickle charger. I have 4 6v batteries, Do I need 4 trickle chargers and do the batteries need to be disconnected when charging. Thank you. ooops i just looked down in the comments and you don`t answer so this question is redundant.

[@lakegeorgeloyalist2151]

I used to trickle charge my 2 6 volt batteries on one charger but they were wired in series. If you don't get an answer, get 2 chargers. The two "banks" of batteries may not stay at the same state of charge.

[@dinosanchez8528]

I have two switches above my front door, one MAIN switch and one AUX switch. I know to keep the MAIN switch turned off, it controls the starter and radio. But do I keep the AUX switch on or off? I'm at an RV park plugged in 24/7 and everything seems to work with it turned off. Thanks for the info.

[@JeffJohnston]

Your RV dealer or manufacturer would be the best source of information about this. With it turned off you may be running only on converter 12 volt power and not charging the batteries. Check the battery voltage with a multimeter with the switch both on and off. If you have more voltage with the switch on, you should leave it on to keep the batteries charged. Do a web search for "multi stage battery charger" for complete information about battery charging and care.

[@dinosanchez8528]

@@JeffJohnston Wow, thanks, I'll do that!

[@JoseGarcia-kz2eu]

What causes the fuse burn out in a RV when using the Jack ?

[@gr7485]

If the proper size fuse is installed the cause would be an over current draw. Check the jack to make sure it’s working properly and not binding in any way.

[@vicentafalcon1608]

What would make RV ac. Trip breaker.

[@johnwilliams7083]

Great content.

[@brandibell891]

What is the amps for a one relay switch

[@brucegordon3566]

When on shore power it charges house ok but not chasis

[@JeffJohnston]

That's normal. The converter charges the house batteries but, in a motorhome, not the chassis battery, which is normally charged when the motor is running. Adding a small trickle charger to the chassis battery, when parked and plugged in, will help keep it up to snuff and avoid battery drain due to standard parasitic losses.

[@trishm2132]

We have our RV plugged in at home always. We dropped off at service, they have had it two weeks now parked waiting for parts. They told us to leave battery on when we dropped off. Is this right? Will this hurt battery?

[@JeffJohnston]

No, it won't hurt it, but parasitic drain from electronic devices can discharge the battery. If you have solar charging that would help keep the batteries topped up. Two weeks should not drain the battery due to the parasitic drains, but disconnect them and that would save the low-battery hassle. The service guys can reconnect as needed.

[@JeffJohnston]

Leaving the RV unplugged for a couple of weeks shouldn't have any ill effects on the battery, though parasitic drain by various RV electronics will likely draw it down somewhat. But no permanent damage should be done as long as the battery isn't pulled clear down to zero charge, but that would likely take longer than it's been at the shop. I hope it worked out for you.

[@sparlin88]

Just bought my first Pickup Camper . So when sitting in my driveway I keep the camper shore power plugged in . But my battery dies . So being plugged in that doesn't charge the battery sitting in my driveway ? How then do i keep my battery charged ? Do i take battery out and put a battery tender on it ? Thanks so much

[@JeffJohnston]

Sorry for the slow reply. Yes, being plugged in should keep the battery charged. Check the wiring, fuses and so on, including a possible breaker on the converter. Use a multimeter to check the battery voltage with the RV unplugged. Then plug in and check the voltage again. If it doesn't change, there's something amiss in the power supply chain. Also make sure the plug in has power, sometimes if it's a GFCI they can be tripped and shut off unexpectedly.

[@whatfreedom7]

I kept mine plugged up and it roasted 2 batteries back to back. It was charging at 14.2 plugged up but it doesn’t know when to stop charging so it overcharged the battery. If it were mine disconnect the battery Put a battery disconnect in-line if you don’t have one then you can kill the connection easily. Then use a battery maintainer to keep it a reasonable level. I’m betting your battery is already and if it’s not charging plugged up. Check with a volt meter see what voltage you have then disconnect and let it sit 2 days and I get it starts dropping. You can also use a battery hydrometer to see the actual charge levels in the cells. You may see one or more cells reading lower than the rest. In mine it boiled all the water out of one side and the cells are bad now and will not recharge.

[@sparlin88]

@@whatfreedom7 Thanks very much for the answer. I took the battery out and put it on a tender and will install an in line cutoff for when we are at the campground plugged in . Again Thanks

[@mrzif0013]

god advice. how about explaining dirty or sine power? i am considering going to one house battery from two and my buddy suggest to keep two batteries to clean up the power from the shore ac and generator, what do you think?

[@JeffJohnston]

The use of one or two batteries has nothing to do with "cleaning up the power," it just means you have more amp-hours in reserve if you have two batteries. Your converter owners' manual will tell you if the unit has a multi-stage charger, and if not, it's a good investment to replace it with an upgrade multi-stage "smart" charger. That's great for your battery durability. And "dirty or sine power" refers to the 120-volt AC produced by an inverter, a pure sine wave inverter produces the best, cleanest 120-volt AC power that's good for sensitive electronic devices.

[@JeffJohnston]

Do a web search for "pure sine wave" power and you can find extensive documentation about that.

[@JeffJohnston]

Having one or two batteries makes no difference as far as "cleaning up the power" is concerned, that's all dependent on the converter and generator output.

[@josepagan3395]

Don't get power from converter/inverters to the control Remote

[@JeffJohnston]

Jose - I'm not sure what you mean by "control remote" but if there's no power at the device, you need to inspect the wiring for defects, check the fuses or circuit breakers, and so on. If this was a factory install or dealer aftermarket install -- you did not provide enough details to answer this specifically -- it could be their warranty requirement to repair the system. A close look at an owner's manual may reveal something about setting up the system that you haven't run across yet. Good luck!

[@michelelabree2631]

You didn’t answer their question.

[@JeffJohnston]

Hi, you didn't say who "their" was so it's kind of tough to understand your message. As a reminder, these UA-cam posts are not a paid technical answer service. It's a free service and we aren't able to monitor every post we've ever made to quickly answer any question that comes along. In most cases, the answer is readily available by way of a brief web search, instead of us needing to re-write an answer with hundreds of words when those answers are already available.

[@alive-awake]

When I have my rig in storage I've been plugging in to regular 110 ? outlet with an adapter because I didn't want my batteries to go bad in the AZ heat. Essentially, a trickle charger, correct? Maybe I just need to put the coach batteries in store mode and call it good??? What do you say?

[@whatfreedom7]

I dod the same thing and I’ve cooked 2 batteries in 2 years.