How do you keep the trailer backup battery charged. (or do you)

[ljjhouser]

Ordered a two pack of sealed lead acid maintenance free batteries off of Amazon a couple of weeks ago for $24.99 and replaced them in both of my gooseneck trailers, one was over 12 years old and the other was over 7 , I hope I get the same good luck out of these 2 new ones and I have never charged either one of them.

That is great. i must have been getting the wrong batteries. Even the new one that came with the trailer did not even last one summer.

 

[Hay Dude]

That is great. i must have been getting the wrong batteries. Even the new one that came with the trailer did not even last one summer.

What the heck? Doesn’t sound right. Look for a parasitic drain. Are the batteries parked in a really hot direct sun?
Maybe over an ancient Native American burial ground or magnetic vortex? (Whatever that is lol)

 

[dirttoys]

Like most people here, over the years, I have had several trailers. Some have proven to be good and some have not. But every trailer that has had a backup brake battery has been a problem. Every battery has gone bad. Every year. So before long, I quit checking it. I live in Missouri which requires a backup battery to last enough to apply brakes on both axles for 15 minutes.

When I bought my new Kubota tractor in 2017, I also bought a new trailer. Best trailer so far. But hauling heavier equipment really makes you want to comply with all the laws. That meant I had to do something about the battery.

My new trailer also had one of those new worthless little weenie batteries. It went bad the first summer. I threw that thing away. Then I did the following.

• I purchased an AGM battery from Menards. Cost $80
• I purchased a small pelican case to hold new battery and charger/maintainer. $60
• I put both in the Pelican case and wired the battery to the original box connections.
• I used Anderson Connectors in case I needed to disconnect any part.
• I purchased a MPPT solar controller, Victron 75 watt. $120
• I purchased a solar panel, SunPower Flex, 50 watt. $110
• Wired it to the controller – 3 connections, battery, solar, and load. The load terminal is used to power the GSP unit.
• The battery maintainer is if I want to charge via 120v extension cord. But I have never used it yet.

I have used this system for 4 years. NOW THE QUESTION – I have not seen any trailer using solar. How many of you guys do something like this, and If not, how to you manage that stupid little worthless battery?

some of the pic's were a little small for me, sorry. Any concern of heat with the sealed pelican case?

Best,

ed

 

[notaz3]

I keep a little solar cell plugged in. Has kept my trailer and truck battery's full between use.

 

[RickB]

I knew that was coming. I knew that would be said when I typed it. But I have invested about half that in those cheap batteries. And since this battery also maintains the GPS locator. It has to stay on the trailer and stay charged.

Well that's the rest of the story and the rest of your problem. Those things suck more power than that little battery was designed to provide over time. So if that was explained in the beginning my responses would have been different.

 

[sandman2234]

If you take a look at tractor trailers that are constantly dropped sometimes for days to weeks at a time, a lot of them have built in tracking devices, and with solar backup panels to keep their battery charged.
I kept one of those purchased from a wrecking yard and kept it on my little Ford 1100. It lasted for years, till someone (and I won't mention that idiots name)forgot to remove it from the battery when he went to bush hog. Since it just laid on the tractor, not mounted, it didn't take long for it to find the blades of the bush hog and become inoperative.
BTW, that idiot is typing this right now.
David from jax

 

[the old grind]

Expect any 'wet' battery's life-span (conventional, maint-free, SLA/AGM) that doesn't spend most of it's life topped up with a reliable trickler on it when not in use to die young. 'Wet' battery life is directly proportional to time spent at full charge. No exceptions.

btw, Battery-Minder 1500/510s (my faves) make up the half the dozen or so I keep on idled equipment. (BH, trucks, mower, CUTs, motorbike, skidder) Good ones are a lot cheaper than batteries.

 

[ljjhouser]

If you take a look at tractor trailers that are constantly dropped sometimes for days to weeks at a time, a lot of them have built in tracking devices, and with solar backup panels to keep their battery charged.
I kept one of those purchased from a wrecking yard and kept it on my little Ford 1100. It lasted for years, till someone (and I won't mention that idiots name)forgot to remove it from the battery when he went to bush hog. Since it just laid on the tractor, not mounted, it didn't take long for it to find the blades of the bush hog and become inoperative.
BTW, that idiot is typing this right now.
David from jax

I think that is where I got the original idea to try solar. It did cost more that I would have liked, but it has worked well for the past 4 years. The GPS tracker is dependable and the controller connects to the phone and gives the solar output and charge state of the battery, and battery voltage. I have not had any experience with Glass Matt batteries, so we will have to see if using AGM was a good idea. My level of frustration was somewhat high because all the times the trailer was not ready to travel. Thanks for the post.

 

[ljjhouser]

Expect any 'wet' battery's life-span (conventional, maint-free, SLA/AGM) that doesn't spend most of it's life topped up with a reliable trickler on it when not in use to die young. 'Wet' battery life is directly proportional to time spent at full charge. No exceptions.

btw, Battery-Minder 1500/510s (my faves) make up the half the dozen or so I keep on idled equipment. (BH, trucks, mower, CUTs, motorbike, skidder) Good ones are a lot cheaper than batteries.

In looking back, that may have been the problem with my I had with most lead acid. I attempted to use a NOCO Maintainer only one time and lost that battery.

 

[ljjhouser]

What the heck? Doesn’t sound right. Look for a parasitic drain. Are the batteries parked in a really hot direct sun?
Maybe over an ancient Native American burial ground or magnetic vortex? (Whatever that is lol)

Well, you made me laugh! NO drain. But I did not check for the possibility that it may be parked on a burial ground. That battery on the new trailer was "blown up." Almost round and bulged out.