Wiring Recommendation for Charging Trailer Battery through 7-Way without Draining Vehicle Battery

Question:

Can I wire the battery into the always hot wire coming from the truck so the battery will always be charging while it is hooked to the truck? Would I need to put a diode between the battery and the truck so the battery wont drain while parked and hooked up to the truck? Thank You!

asked by: Richard T

Expert Reply:

You could run the 12 volt accessory circuit to the battery that powers your jack to give it a maintenance charge, but you should note that it would not restore the battery if it was greatly discharged.

What I would recommend you do is install a Battery Isolation Solenoid # PK5231201 on the 12 volt accessory circuit of your tow vehicle. You would wire it in to the circuit by installing it inline on your 12 volt circuit and then running a keyed power source that only sees voltage when the key of your vehicle is on to the smaller terminal. This way when your vehicle is off and your trailer is connected the trailer battery will not discharge your tow vehicle battery.

expert reply by: Jameson C