Recommended Equipment To Charge A Travel Trailer Battery

Question:

I am trying to find a unit or units to set up my travel trailer. Id like to be able to charge off the 8pin plus when driving, accept solar charging when parked, and plug in at a campsite and charge/use power. Thank you

asked by: Glenn E

Expert Reply:

To properly charge your trailer battery while driving you would need a DC to DC charger like the Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger # RED96FR. This will charge the trailer's battery off of the alternator so that you're only charging the trailer battery when the vehicle is running so that you don't accidentally drain the tow vehicle's battery and get trapped at the campsite. You'll also need a fuse # RED76FR in order to complete this installation.

Solar can just be ran directly to the battery and would send power regardless of whether you're driving, parked, or on campsite power. The systems we carry have charge controllers that read the battery charge level and adjust the charge running to it accordingly so that multiple charge sources can be used at the same time. If you don't have a system already then you can go with one like the Go Power Overlander Solar Charging System with Digital Solar Controller - 200 Watt Solar Panel # 34282181.

To recharge your trailer battery when connected to the power pedestal at the campsite you'll just need a converter. You can get a standalone converter like the Go Power RV Converter and Smart Battery Charger # 34266167 you were looking at or you could get an all-in-one power center which would have your AC distribution panel, DC distribution panel, and converter in one box. The Progressive Dynamics # PD4135K is a common size for most trailers but we can determine a better fit if you need more circuit breaker space or a higher amperage converter.

This is a lot so if you still have questions please let me know and I can break it down further.