Battery Tender or WFCO

BogieMeister
BogieMeister Member Posts: 120
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
I store my T@B next to our home and have an dedicated electrical outlet for the T@B. My question is, should I keep the T@B plugged in 24/7 and let the WFCO maintain the battery, or should I get a Battery Tender. I'm concerned that the WFCO may not be as effective as a Battery Tender, or that I may be creating unnecessary wear and tear on the WFCO. (I do have the onboard Progressive protection) I must say that just using the WFCO is convenient.
Gerri (Gary) Ewing
Montgomery TX (Birthplace of the Texas Flag)
2018 320 S - "No Agenda Hacienda"
Tow Vehicle 2023 Honda Pilot AWD


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Comments

  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    edited October 2020
    I use the WFCO, no need for a separate battery charger.  If you are just storing the trailer, whilst not in use, than once the battery is charged, Tuen the battery switch off and you can shut down external shore power, the battery should be fine for several months, turning everything back on once a month for a day, will keep the battery topped off.  
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @BogieMeister - what kind of battery do you have?  AGMs can go many months with extremely limited discharge.  If you have a regular lead acid battery, I would use a battery tender and save the wear and tear on the TaB converter.  A lot less hassle to replace a battery tender.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,655
    For no explicable rational reason, I am not a big fan of keeping batteries on chargers unless I am concerned that they are always at the ready. I agree with Denny16 that there is no real reason to keep the T@B battery hooked up full time.

    Once I winterize, I remove the battery and take it inside for the winter. I check the charge periodically and top it up as needed. Even my five-year-old basic wet cell can still hold a modest charge for over a month without intervention.
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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  • Mouseketab
    Mouseketab Member Posts: 1,238
    Mine has been plugged in my garage since 2009. I have replaced the converter once. I leave the 12V fridge on, only defrost it twice a year. 

    I'm on my 3rd battery. The first two were wet cell. My current battery is an AGM.
    Carol
    MOUSE-KE-T@B
    2007 Dutchmen T@B Clamshell #2741
    2022 nuCamp T@B 320 CS-S
    2021 F-150 502A Lariat SuperCrew, 3.5 EcoBoost 4x2
    Harvest, AL
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