To connect or disconnect that is the question

[mj jeaglesd]

Howdy fellow RV's,
I have a 1994 Jayco Eagle SD 215. Is it better to connect or disconnect the batteries while I have it parked and plugged in into shore line on the side of my home? I'm new to the rv world so any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Grandpere]

As long as you have shore power, leave the batteries connected and if they have fill caps check the water level weekly. It is what we do with our MH.

[pasdad1]

It depends upon the sophistication of your installed battery charger. If it's a "3 stage" charger, it would be fine to leave them plugged in and charging. If it's a less sophisticated charger, chances are it will cause the batteries to overcharge and "boil" the water out of the cells after a few weeks.

Can you post a picture of your converter/charger or measure the battery voltage at the battery posts with a digital volt meter? If voltage is around 13.6 - 13.8 then this is okay to leave connected. If it's much higher....say around 14.4. Then I would disconnect the shore power cord and remove one of the negative battery cables, and let the batteries rest.

Battery charging voltages are temperature dependant....what temperature is average at your site now?

[ga traveler]

If you decide to disconnect the batteries, make sure you unplug your converter. a converter should not be used without batteries hooked to them.

[mj jeaglesd]

@ pasdad1, Tried to post pic with no success, not sure how it's done sorry. But the charger/converter is a Intel power 9100
m# 9139, voltage meter reads 13.4 - 13.6.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by mj jeaglesd

@ pasdad1, Tried to post pic with no success, not sure how it's done sorry. But the charger/converter is a Intel power 9100
m# 9139, voltage meter reads 13.4 - 13.6.

Is this what you have?



Do you have the charge wizard accessory?



If you don't have the charge wizard, it's highly recommended to get it. It costs less than $50 and makes your charger an excellent 3 stage charger.

If you don't have the charge wizard, I would disconnect the batteries when you store it. If the weather is warm, reconnect every month or two, for a few days to top off the batteries, then disconnect again. The alternative is to leave connected all the time...but 13.6 volts is too high for long term storage, and you will need to check and refill the water in the batteries often.

With the charge wizard accessory, your charger will automatically go into a "storage" mode, which will be fine to leave connected all the time.