Trickle charge vs battery disconnect

[Buckskin]

A 35 watt solar panel will also keep your battery fully charged and camper is already setup for solar charging. Bought Battery Tender brand solar controller to prevent battery overcharge after using another brand that did not work. Bought 2 sets of 4 wire trailer wire 18" extenders from Walmart to make connections, only have to use 2 wires on connector - just cut other 2 off. One goes to controller from solar panel and one goes to camper's solar port connection, showed Amazon link for connector but if you search web you can find just the plug and make your own for about $10.
I usually turn off all power to camper otherwise Battery Tender and other brand controller are always showing that battery is charging due to low voltage used inside camper that can't be turn off otherwise, for example radio display.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...er+solar&psc=1

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hopkins-T...on-18/16889050

https://www.amazon.com/SolaEnz-Adapt...onnector&psc=1

[klenger]

Regarding the WFCO converter: When I got my trailer, I was working on modifications most ever day in storage. The only power I had available was a Honda EI2000i generator. I could run the generator for 3 or 4 hours and the battery would barely last the night, with everything shut down. I never saw more than 13.6 volts out of the converter. I replaced it with a 40 amp Xantrex Truecharge2 battery charger, along with my solar installation and dual AGM batteries and saw a huge difference in charging performance. The WFCO converter is not your friend if you are boondocking with a generator.

See my power modifications at http://www.klenger.net/solar.html

[SouthTX]

Regarding the WFCO converter: When I got my trailer, I was working on modifications most ever day in storage. The only power I had available was a Honda EI2000i generator. I could run the generator for 3 or 4 hours and the battery would barely last the night, with everything shut down. I never saw more than 13.6 volts out of the converter. I replaced it with a 40 amp Xantrex Truecharge2 battery charger, along with my solar installation and dual AGM batteries and saw a huge difference in charging performance. The WFCO converter is not your friend if you are boondocking with a generator.

See my power modifications at http://www.klenger.net/solar.html

Exactly my experience, too. I added a voltmeter near the control panel and monitor the voltage several times a day. I never saw anything but 13.6 volts even if the batteries were deeply discharged or had been charging for days. Last week I swapped the WFCO for a Progressive Dynamics and now occassionally see 13.1 volts. I'm sure that the next time the batteries are deeply discharged I'll see something over 14 volts.

I suggest anyone still using a WFCO monitor their voltage closely.

[klenger]

I might add that if you always camp with hookups, then the WFCO converter will work fine because its basically just providing power to the DC loads and the battery is just floating along and never discharges. A better battery charger is most helpful when running a generator and you want to keep the run time as short as possible. Generator + Solar is the best way to do and let the generator bulk charge the batteries for 2-3 hours and then let the solar top off the batteries the rest of the day.

[SouthTX]

I might add that if you always camp with hookups, then the WFCO converter will work fine because its basically just providing power to the DC loads and the battery is just floating along and never discharges. A better battery charger is most helpful when running a generator and you want to keep the run time as short as possible. Generator + Solar is the best way to do and let the generator bulk charge the batteries for 2-3 hours and then let the solar top off the batteries the rest of the day.

That's true except that a battery that is constantly charged at 13.6volts will use more water - typically decreasing its life - and will take longer than necessary to recharge. That's why the good chargers will bulk charge at 14.1 or so then float at 13.2 when fully charged. That's very similar to what you're saying about a generator and solar except that the good chargers do this automatically and at the optimum time.

The better chargers will also zap the battery with a higher voltage every day in order to prevent sulfation.

What you save on the cheap chargers, you'll spend replacing batteries.