Charging battery

Kates_Moby

Does anyone know how long it takes to charge an almost empty battery to full by using the tow vehicle? We are worried our battery will not last thru 4 days of boon docking. Wondering if we can just charge by turning on the car and taking it for a drive.

Verna

Number one, is that you don't want to drain your battery.  It weakens the battery over time, and definitely lessen how long the battery will last.  You should never let it go below 10.8V.  You can get a simple digital 12V display to plug into one of your 12V sockets to see how much voltage is left in your battery.  Here is a link to a digital battry status monitor.

And, to answer your question, while I haven't tried it, I would think that just running your tow vehicle 15 minutes or so would charge the battery.  You wouldn't have to move your tow vehicle if not needed. 

Another alternative (although more expensive), would be to get a solar panel (see the teardrop store tab at the top of the page) to charge your battery during the day. 

Kates_Moby

Thanks for the info. I am getting the battery meter and will do some experimenting. I do not have the 12v plugin as far as I know. I have a 2007 tab.

Lisa33

I've never timed it, but it takes considerably longer than 15 minutes to charge my battery with my tow vehicle (and that is from about 60% or more charge). Besides the issue that Verna raises about the potential to decrease the life of your battery, you also run the risk of seriously damaging electronics running on the battery due to low voltage conditions. Like Verna, I'd highly recommend solar if you intend to boondock.

Verna

Thanks, Lisa.  I've never had to try it--never got the battery down that far.

Lisa33

Me neither, Verna. I just know that I've driven from one location to the next and not had a full charge when I arrived. I've never sat and idled attempting to charge the battery. Of course a small 1,000 or 2,000 watt generator is another possible option. Here is a thread from another forum with some good info: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11315

Michigan_Mike

As Lisa noted, I wouldn't personally count on the car for charging up the battery of your trailer as that would take considerable time.   What will you be powering up when you are out boon-docking?   If it were me I would consider what Verna noted about and look at either a solar panel to supplement the charge of your battery, an extra battery as back-up or buy a small, portable generator.  I have boon-docked for long stints and was able to do so by the solar panel and also occasionally re-charging via shore power on long trips.   

Kates_Moby

Thanks for the link! We will only boondock ing for 3 nights at a time. I think we will take a spare battery. We will only be using the sink a couple times, one light at night and the ceiling fan. I think we will be ok. I would like to run the fridge on propane, but as I understand it, the battery also needs to be working. Thanks for the help.