time needed to charge 12 v battery

[sclarson]

How long does it take to charge the 12v dc battery when the unit is connected to a 120-volt power source ?

[arhayes]

Depends on what state the battery was in. On shore power mine reads 13.8 volts, so it's getting a pretty good charge. What's the concern?


Alan
2015 380TH RVD2
2014 F350 DRW 6.7L
2012 Honda GW1800

[Cate&Rob]

Also depends on the output capacity of the charger. This could be anywhere between a few amps and a hundred amps.

Rob

[TheSpareTire]

If your rig came with the awful WFCO converter it is worth testing to see how the charger is working. Typically the WFCO are horrible, never going into bulk charge and suck in absorption mode and it can take forever to charge a battery and never fully charger the battery. I suggest that you test yours and verify it will do, 13.2 float, 13.6 absorption and 14.4 bulk, possibly the new models are better. If you don't have solar keep in mind you are not getting any equalize to remove the sulfur buildup on the battery which can cause issues with how fast it can charge and the life of the battery. On my old rig I ripped out just the converter and replaced it with a Progressive Dynamics PD9260C 4 stage - 60amp charger mated to a pair of 6 volt batteries.

My plan on my GD trailer is to rip out the WFCO (WF-8900??) converter with a Magnum MSH3012. I driveway surf and dry camp frequently so I want the hybrid technology to allow me to simultaneously combine shore power along with battery power to make up the difference in power to run the higher power devices. The new Magnum will most likely be couple to a pair of Battle Born or StarkPower LiFePO4's so you can get a quick charge. Something that traditional battery are lacking, especially with the WFCO converters.

[sclarson]

my leveling system had a low battery message, just wondered how long it would take to charge after hooking up shore power. overnight plug in corrected problem.

[jeffdawgfan]

I always carry a supplemental battery charger with me. From my experience with other TT's I have owned, the battery never gets completely charged and is never de-sufanated (spelling?). About once a month I try to drain it down a bit and then charge it with my good conditioning battery charger.

[TheSpareTire]

I have owned, the battery never gets completely charged and is never de-sufanated (spelling?).

This is a fantastic reason to rip out the horrible WFCO converter and get a proper four stage charger. Put a volt meter on the battery and I would be shocked if it went into bulk charge mode. They don't have a stage for desulification.

It is worth the expense to get a better charger. Most of the GD trailers I have seen have a deck mount charger. They couldt be easier to swap. The only advice I have is the factory batter cables may be on the small size based on the length. Make sure you referrer to a DC voltage drop chart.

[Ruach-Elisha]

I always carry a supplemental battery charger with me. From my experience with other TT's I have owned, the battery never gets completely charged and is never de-sufanated (spelling?). About once a month I try to drain it down a bit and then charge it with my good conditioning battery charger.

Do you like a supplemental charger like the Battery Tender, or do you prefer something else that is more robust? https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...or+12v+battery