Battery Maintainer Hook Up

[Topzide]

Wondering if anyone has tried hooking up a battery maintainer through the trailer hook up? Since this terminals are hot all the time and the maintainer I'm using is under 10 amps, figured this would be ideal hook up! That way there is no need for another connector needed and no need to have to open and close the hood all the time. Since I back into my parking spot, makes a fast and convenient connection! Any thoughts about this would be appreciated! Maybe I just stumbled on a get way to do this!
Enjoy these trucks! Jim

 

[AH64ID]

Only potential issue would be the voltage drop from the long run. It’s likely not a huge issue at such low amperage, but thought I would throw it out there. Otherwise that’s a slick idea.

In order to not have a tripping hazard I have a 10’ extension on my Genius 5 charger and haven’t had that be an issue.

 

[lpennock]

The factory wiring will have excessive drop if it actually needed to provide more than a trickle charge. At 8A the factory wiring has almost a 3 V drop. For a 1A trickle it should be ok but I would measure the voltage at the batteries to see if it is actually providing any charge.

The wiring to the 7 pin connector is a total joke and really only good to top off a break away battery.

 

[AH64ID]

The factory wiring will have excessive drop if it actually needed to provide more than a trickle charge. At 8A the factory wiring has almost a 3 V drop. For a 1A trickle it should be ok but I would measure the voltage at the batteries to see if it is actually providing any charge.

The wiring to the 7 pin connector is a total joke and really only good to top off a break away battery.

I don’t see that much of a drop on my 5th wheel, but it is a joke.

Usually with the truck running at 1500 rpms I’ll get 10-12A into the camper batteries at just over 13V.

 

[lpennock]

I don't see that much on my in bed connector now. It has parallel 10Ga wires (easier to run than single 8Ga) all the way to the battery for both the hot and ground. It can keep above 13V at 30A to allow my DC to DC charger to charge my LiFePo batteries at 20A.

 

[Learjet]

Yep, my truck is plugged into a Battery Tender from the 7 way on the bumper...works great!!!

Been doing it this way for a few years...sits for a month sometimes...battery voltage shows no drop in the float mode.

I'm using a 7-way to cigarette adapter, then a cigarette plug adapter on my battery tender.

 

[Topzide]

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions! Checked the voltage @ 7 way on bumper and had 12.86 Volts! So I wired a 7 way plug with length of wire and 2 pole adapter for connection to charger. After connecting to truck, at battery, shows within .1 volt to what shows on charger. Will monitor to see how it goes. Whole lot easier to connect battery maintainer to the truck. Used a piece of 14 ga orange extension cord for the jumper. Will make easier to see and remember! Wish I had this thought sooner and hope maybe it'll help others in connecting a maintainer!