Battery maintenance for new tab 400 owners

Ldbake

Hi there. A bit overjoyed with our new Tab 400 2020 but also a bit overwhelmed. Our first camper ever...

I have her plugged into my garage on electric. Is this a good way to keep her in between trips? If I unplug electric and turn off everything will my battery stay charged in my driveway? 

When I winterize should I take the batteries out and out them in the house? 

Do I need to check battery water levels in a new 2020? 

The dealer showed me a solar plug on the outside of my tab on the drivers side. Can I plug in a suitcase solar to keep my battery trickle
charged while not using electricity? 

Thanks for your help. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Welcome!  

You have 2 AGM batteries that if fully charged as measured by a voltmeter or shunted device, will remain charged a very long time if isolated by turning off the battery switch.  So, you don’t need to stay plugged in - just assure that the batteries are deeply charged before turning off the battery switch.

You can leave the AGM batteries in the TaB over the winter after they are deeply charged.  They are sealed and there is no way to check water levels - essentially maintenance free.

If you only want to use solar for trickle charging to maintain the battery, no need for a suitcase.  You can purchase very small panels specifically for this purpose that don’t require a controller.  However, not sure that you need this at all.  We stored our AGM battery In our TaB for over 6 months and it remained charged at 100%.

Do not rely on the KIB monitor for battery info.  It greatly over estimates your remaining charge.

pthomas745

Welcome to the Forums.

1. A fully charged battery will hold a charge for months as long as there are no "drains" on it.  Turn the battery switch off (check that your inverter is off, too) and that would be all you need to do.  I have a "spare" small battery in my garage that has been sitting since last November.  Still at about 90 percent charge.

Leave it plugged in, if you want. 

No need to take it out.

Most batteries these days either don't need "water". 

Yes, a solar panel will keep your battery charged.  But, see #1.  There is no need to if the trailer is "Off".

Go dig into the battery compartment and take note of what your batteries are.  You will find this good to know, and if  you ever have power issues, this will be the first thing you will be asked:  Group size, type, amp hours, etc.

Here is a battery FAQ that answers many questions about batteries.  It's for when someone throws some hot battery talk at you about Group size, type, amp hours, or some such, you have somewhere to look it up!

https://www.solar-electric.com/learning-center/deep-cycle-battery-faq.html

PS:  the part about a charged battery holding a charge is described in the "self-discharge" portion of the FAQ

PSS: Opening your battery compartment and looking at your batteries is not easy on the 400.  See if any of your documentation tells you what they are, or maybe someone here can tell you.  It is good to get familiar with the equipment inside the compartment.

falcon1970

I agree that it is an adventure to get to the batteries in a TAB400.  However, it would be a good idea to make the trek.  Just because someone else has such-and-such a battery in their TAB doesn't mean that you have the same batteries.  NuCamp has a habit of changing things as they find something better or cheaper--with no notice.  And their documentation doesn't come close to keeping up with their construction.
I suggest you get to the batteries (go slowly and pay close attention to how things come apart so you can put it all back together) and take photos of all the labels you see and measurements.  That way you won't have to dive back into the battery case for a simple question in the future.   

TNOutback

@Ldbake, you didn’t mention whether or not you have built-in solar on the roof.  If so, turn your battery switch off and you are golden, as the batteries will still be charged by the panels.  Also, be sure your inverter is turned OFF when you are not using the plugs.  The inverter is wired in front of the battery cut off switch and cannot be isolated from the battery bank.  You don’t want the inverter’s fan to run down your batts.

Lastly, you mentioned your 2020 400 has a solar charging port.  Was that a dealer add-on?  My 2020 does not have that feature.

Ldbake

Hi there, I do not have the solar panels in the roof and my dealer downplayed it (maybe because they were sold out?)  just a port for
plugging in an external panel.. I will check that inverter button on the dinette seat to make sure it stays off. 

I did not have any dealer add ons that I know of. Thanks for your reply :)

TNOutback

@Ldbake I would be curious to see that solar charging port’s location.  That was not a feature on my 2020 T@B 400.

Ldbake

Here it is : 

Denny16

Here is where you will find the batteries in the 2020 TaB400, under the rear bed:

cottonmouth

Denny16 said:

Here is where you will find the batteries in the 2020 TaB400, under the rear bed:

I think that's the 2021. The 2020 has the A/C there. Your photo looks like my 2021.

Denny16

Might be the 2021 or a late 2019, but the battery is in the same place, behind the CoolCat AC.  Here is a 2020 build from a different angle, as you can see,