Dump Trailer Battery Does Not Stay Charged

Question:

I bought a new dump trailer that I have connected to a chevy 2500 the battery doesn't want to keep charged..I.already had tested and seems like battery does work.

asked by: Lucio

Expert Reply:

There might be something in the wiring that is damaged or pinched causing a short that is discharging the battery. Inspect the wiring and fix any problem areas. Also make sure that the vehicle and trailer side connectors are clean and free of corrosion inside where the wires attach and outside on the pins.

At best trailer wiring can provide a maintenance charge to a trailer mounted battery but it can't charge up the battery. This is because the wiring is too small and most vehicle alternators aren't strong enough to push back the amperage required to charge up a trailer mounted battery so that could be the problem if the battery tested fine.

There are a couple of ways you can address this issue. First, you can make sure to keep the battery charged by connecting it to an AC charger such as # CTEK56353. This charger will not only charge the battery but also help condition it so it lasts longer.

The other option is a special DC to DC charger, # 331-BCDC1240D, that will use the tow package wiring 12 volt circuit as the input. You can keep the charger mounted on the trailer so that it is always charging as long as there is 12 volt power on the input side.

expert reply by: Michael H