Kinda OT, Battery Charging Question!

jfralph · Nov 13, 2002

I need info on keeping some 6V batteries charged. They are the coach batteries for my tow rig. I have had bad luck keeping them alive in the past, and figured some type of trickle charger over the winter would be appropiate.

BTW, I take the batteries out of the RV in late Sept. or early Oct., depending on weather, and don't put them back in until some time usually in May. I store them in my basement in a wooden box, on a concrete floor. I have thought about putting a rubber layer down on the concrete before the wood, to further isolate the battery from the conc. Any comments or suggestions? It is getting pretty expensive replacing the bateries every 2 years.

My question is, could I hook the batteries up in series and use a 12V charger on them? I have been unable to find a resonably priced 6v trickle charger. If my thinking is incorrect, is there a way to use a 12v trickle charger on them?

BTW, I have tried to occasionally put a charger on them, but I tend to over the winter forget about them after several cycles. Sometimes I forget to put the charger on them, or worse, forget to take it off. I really need a connect and forget solution for this forgetful person.

Thanks for any help!

Jeepzilla · Nov 13, 2002

I`m not a battery expert but I dont see the difference in the batteries being in a vehicle ( wired in series) and being on a trickle charger wired up the same . I`m sure others will have some input too . I have a Marquet battery charger I`ve had for years and it has 6 volt - 2 amp charge on it as well as 2 , 12 volt settings . It wasnt cheap

I think Marquet makes industrial welders too .

Jeff

LEVE · Nov 13, 2002

1. You're doing everything right.
2. The newer generation of trickle chargers would be a good investment.

3. I would not favor puttting them in series and using a 12 volt charger. Two 6 volt chargers would be better.

4. A rubber cushion won't hurt, but I doubt it'll help, either....

5. Go HERE and build a kit that the kids can use to keep "physical fit."

6. How about a couple of low priced motorcycle battery chargers?

Jim_Lou · Nov 13, 2002

If the batteries are equally charged, putting them in series on a 12-Volt trickle charger should be OK. It's the same as a big 12-Volt battery with some space between the two halves. But using two 6-Volt chargers IS better.

If they are unequally charged and connected in series, the one with the greater charge will be overcharged until the lesser one is fully charged.

CJ7Taz · Nov 13, 2002

As long as they are the same type of battery, putting 2 sixes in series will charge fine on a 12V charger. That's the way my Hero Jr. robot does it with gel cells, that's the way my old MGA did it with lead acid batteries.

Why batteries loose their charge on concrete is one thing I never learned in pursuing my EE degree. I doubt it has anything to do with insulating it electrically but rather thermally. After all, most battery boxes are a piece of sheet metal, most battery powered vehicles have them sitting on a steel plate and batteries are often charged on steel tables. Concrete is a pretty good electrical insulator but a real heat sink when I go in the basement in my bare feet.

1607 · Nov 13, 2002

I agree with LEVE. I use a "Battery Tender" on a watercraft and a motorcycle and they work great. Just plug them in and forget about them for the season. They automatically play with the amount of charge the battery has, bringing it up to full, then back down to 97% (I'm pretty sure that's the number), then back up, to keep the batteries fresh.

536 · Nov 13, 2002

autozone sells a Schumaker 1 amp trickle charger for $18 that will charge both 12v and 6v batteries. it works really well.

matt

Kinda OT, Battery Charging Question!

Our Vendors

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities