Right or wrong, for three years now I have always had the Barthmobile plugged in when not on the road. I'm talking twelve months a year. Batteries are always charged and have never had a problem. But I am concerned about the amount of energy consumed.

Can anyone think of a reason why I couldn't put it on a timer and just charge maybe 6 hours a day?

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"Ships are safe in the harbor.....But that's not what ships are for"

1985 28 foot Regal
Dave and Deb Bowers

ummmm.... you will lose your preferred custumor status with your electric company? I would think that if all you are doing is topping off the batteries that you are not using much if any juice until their level goes down so 6 hrs a day should be fine....however i am no expert so i think you should consult with Ron on this.... you DO have a male to male connector involved in this somewhere i hope!

Unless you have major items consuming I would not expect any difference between 24/7 and 6/7. I keep my boat plugged in 24/7/365 and have less than $7/mo except when using AC or heat in the harbor. I keep the refrig (115VAC) on always and a 75 watt bulb on in the bilge to minimize condensation on the engine electrical systems.
I think you will be better off with the system not cycling, either always on or always off.
Trying to stretch winterizing one more month,
Tim

Dave i recall reading that batteries lose 5 % of their charge per 30 days when idle.also in cold weather go down faster and wont take as good a charge as in warm wearther. and that water can freeze in the battery and if jump stared can cause a explosion that is a real blast.believe I would leave them on charge. -at least low - during the winter and check the water -once a month. Fred

The battery should be thoroughly charged with an automatic deep cycle charger before storage. I would recommend a digital volt meter to monitor the voltage if you leave it on charge. A constant voltage charge, called a float charge, should be 13.2 volts. If that is not what is happening, then something else has to be done.

A small charger with a timer would indeed be OK for winter use. I have done that for years on my boat. A once a month (or less often) hydrometer reading will tell you what timer setting is good for your batteries.

Boat stores, JC Whitney or Harbor Freight sell float chargers that work well, too.

That 5% figure per month is not at Minnesota winter temps, though. The colder the battery, the less it self-discharges. A fully charged battery freezes at -92 deg F, so you will be OK.

I like a "Killer Watt" for keeping track of AC power consumption. It also tells me my genset frequency.

But, for sure, use a hydrometer and a digital volt meter. Avoid the ones that plug in to the cigar lighter. I have two, and they are both junk.

One more thing: The converter that was original equipment with my 84 had a manual that stated expressly that it was NOT intended to be a battery charger. I never actually read the volts, but I suspect it was just 12 volts. Yours could be the same, and all it does is just keep the battery from dropping below 12 volts. That is just below half capacity.

Check your voltage.

Hmmmm, I know that the battery-check switch will give me a "Fair" condition reading with the on-board converter running. If I put a dedicated charger on the bang, I get an immediate "Good" indication.

Dave, I have an old charger that I keep tucked under the compartment when the coach is parked. I'll switch it on every week or so for a 10-hour trickle. Since I've only had the Barth for a year, I cannot tell you if I am doing the right thing or not but I suspect any perodic charging will prolong the battery life.

That "Fair" doesn't mean much.

I have a really up to date solar system, and all my Barth panel ever tells me is "Fair", even when my Trimetric says the battery is at 100% and the Fluke digital voltmeter says 12.6 volts.

Dave;We keep our Barth on elect.all the time,when we aren't traveling.When on the road and the motor is running,I cut off the converter.Don't know if I'm right or wrong.Pictures on the ways.

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br2409

Last winter we did not keep ours plugged in and after about four months inside a barn (very cold in northern New Mexico) batteries wouldn't turn over the engine. This year (in Oklahoma) we're leaving it plugged in. Our neighbor who has an SOB ('99Vogue) has always kept his plugged in, summer and winter, with the heat and AC left on at a low temps but he is all electric. He says he's never had any problem or excessive bills. We also plan to be in warmer climes for the next few months this year.

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Susie and Gary (SUGAR)
'95 Barth Regency 34'
'96 Explorer