4 replies to this topic

[la_morris]

As I've said before, I don't understand electricity. It is probably two years too late asking this question, but do I need to do something to maintain my two deep cycle Fleet shell batteries in between trips? I don't have anything to plug in to shore power, as far as I know.

Edited by la_morris, 12 November 2018 - 02:54 AM.

[Beach]

If lead acid, check the water level. If AGM or maintenance free you can't check. Highly recommend you check the battery voltage while they are at rest and put on charge if less than 12.6-12.7 volts

[Wandering Sagebrush]

As I've said before, I don't understand electricity. It is probably two years too late asking this question, but do I need to do something to maintain my two deep cycle Fleet shell batteries in between trips? I don't have anything to plug in to shore power, as far as I know.

It depends on the length of time between trips. If more than a couple of weeks, you should charge the batteries by some source (driving/charger/solar), as they. do discharge slowly over time. A good quality battery tender is an option if you don’t have a converter or solar on your shell.

[munchmeister]

As I've said before, I don't understand electricity. It is probably two years too late asking this question, but do I need to do something to maintain my two deep cycle Fleet shell batteries in between trips? I don't have anything to plug in to shore power, as far as I know.

If you are driving your truck regularly between those camping trips, your trucks alternator should be charging your FWC battery as you drive. The charging system is designed to keep your truck battery charged, then send current to the FWC to keep it charged. You can buy a small device to check voltage or have one wired in to allow you to check the voltage. This is very helpful if you don't have something already. Something like this unit is only around $10:

AMPRO T71140 Battery and Alternator Voltage Checker https://www.amazon.c...i_avA6BbT24XSJM

And, as noted by the guys above, if it's draining slowly, you can put it on a trickle charger, if you can get the battery close to the trickle charger cable and leave the camper battery/truck. This maintains the battery if you're not driving the rig around.

Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V, 0.75A Battery Charger https://www.amazon.c...i_HGA6Bb60JZX6B

Hope this helps.

[AdventureDave]

If you want to get more than a few years of life from your auxiliary battery, it's very important that you fully charge the batteries before periods of non-use, even for a short time.  Also, do not discharge more than 50% before charging again.  These apply to any deep-cycle, lead-acid battery including AGM.