Battery Maintainer?

[Azimuth551]

So I have (4) 6-volt batteries with a Boondocker charger and I would like to add a battery maintainer so when my trailer sits for months, the batteries will be maintained instead of always just charged.
Any thoughts on which battery maintainer to get? The batteries would be fully charged from the on-board Boondocker so I will not have to use this maintainer to charge them. Once charged, the Booondocker will be unplugged and the maintainer will do the work.
Thanks, Brent

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

So I have (4) 6-volt batteries with a Boondocker charger and I would like to add a battery maintainer so when my trailer sits for months, the batteries will be maintained instead of always just charged.
Any thoughts on which battery maintainer to get? The batteries would be fully charged from the on-board Boondocker so I will not have to use this maintainer to charge them. Once charged, the Booondocker will be unplugged and the maintainer will do the work.
Thanks, Brent

What do you think a "maintainer" does to maintain the batteries other than keep them on a float charge?

[Azimuth551]

Your right, it will provide a float charge and will be able to di-sulfate the batteries to help extend the life.

[bob26rls]

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

So I have (4) 6-volt batteries with a Boondocker charger and I would like to add a battery maintainer so when my trailer sits for months, the batteries will be maintained instead of always just charged.
Any thoughts on which battery maintainer to get? The batteries would be fully charged from the on-board Boondocker so I will not have to use this maintainer to charge them. Once charged, the Booondocker will be unplugged and the maintainer will do the work.
Thanks, Brent

You didn't say what model charger you have. If your Boondocker is a four stage model, and it's working, you shouldn't need anything else.

To test if it's working, turn everything in the trailer off, removing fuses if necessary, and let the batteries charge for a couple of days without turning anything on, because even turning on one LED light will likely kick the charger out of storage mode. Measure the combined battery voltage. If it's around 13.2V, then the charger is in storage (float) mode. If it's 13.6V, then the charger is in normal and you risk overcharging the batteries.

If the converters isn't dropping into storage mode, and you can't figure out why, you could always just disconnect the charged batteries and then periodically recharge them, say once/month.

[Azimuth551]

I've got the Powermax PM3 60 Amp. So I guess it is fine to leave these plugged in as it does have a storage mode. Great instructions you gave to ensure it is functioning as designed, I'll give that a go.

[brulaz]

Many ORVs have a small solar panel that can maintain the batteries when everything else is disconnected (leaving just battery self-discharge). Think it would work with 4 GC2s, but you would need full sun. And perhaps not if snow covered in the winter.

[keymastr]

The powermax PM3 is a 3 stage charger. It does have a float mode. For just a couple hundred on Amazon you can get a Progressive Dynamics converter/charger that is a 4 stage charger. I believe you want the 9260 which has the charge wizard and is a direct replacement for the factory unit. In fact that is the unit the factory is using on the new trailers.

[vsheetz]

NOCO makes some very nice battery maintainers. I have a 10a unit.

[keymastr]

I would not get a 'maintainer" to keep up with 4 6volt batteries. Stick with your smart charger which will lower the charge to match but has the power to actually charge that large of a bank. Maintainers will not have enough amperage.