Plug or unplug

[Art]

Can you keep your electrical plug connected to your tow vehicle if camping overnight while you plug in the AC cord? Will it do any damage to either the trailer or tow vehicle?

[K0LCB]

For snow reason I never could figure out on my 2009 Dodge the fuse for the trailer charging would blow if I left the trailer plugged into the truck while on shore powere

[DQDick]

On mine the truck shuts that circuit off when the truck is turned off so in the old days when we overnighted in parks I have done it with no apparent harm.

[8.1al]

We leave ours plugged in all the time

[BB_TX]

Not a problem on my Ford. Don't know about GM and Ram.

[Artemus Gordon]

This also begs the question? "Do you unhitch for one night"? I always unhitch and unplug, unless at rest stop for short naps. I always use my leveling system and unhook. If only a few hours, I stay hitched with plug firmly in RV.

[WaltBennett]

I leave it all hooked up for overnights as I find level spots for them. Can't recall ever having to unhook to level first, although there's always a first time for everything.

[1retired06]

We always unplug, not sure why.

[Rondo]

With the level-up system it is recommended you unhitch if you are going to level the unit for the stay. The level-up us will drop and then level the unit and if it is hooked up to the TV it cannot perform the procedure of leveling the unit. If you don't put your legs down and only open your slides for the one night stay it should not be a problem.

[BB_TX]

We do not have level up. But if I pull in for one night and I am at or near level, I leave it hooked up. I drop the front jacks for a little stability. Leave the rear stabilizers up. Connect water and electric, and usually connect sewer so I don't have to carry previous night's shower water along.

If not close to level, then I will unhook.

[Carl n Susan]

Ford trucks use a relay in the 12V charge line. It is is activated by turning the ignition switch on. That is the only time the 12V charge line is energized. You can not deplete or charge the TV battery from the RV if the ignition is off.

However, on a Chevy/GMC or Dodge vehicle, the 12V charge line is hot regardless of the key position. Lots of years in Quartzsite with water bladders and 12V water pumps plugged into the 7 Pin connector have proven this numerous times. The 12V charge line is directly connected to the RV's batteries. So for these makes, it is (unlikely but) possible to deplete the RV batteries and start drawing from the TV's batteries. If a RV can draw from a TV's batteries, then it follows that the RV can also charge the TV's batteries (assuming the TV's manufacturer didn't include a diode in the circuit).

As for unhooking for an overnight stop, I usually do as the Level Up makes it so easy and quick. If a site is level, I won't need the truck, and I wont have to access the front compartment (by the tail gate), I have extended the jacks manually to stabilize the RV. But the manual process takes just about as long as unhooking and hitting Auto Level.

[bigred715]

We have 2 slides only, so if for 1 night we usually don't drop legs or stabilizers and I unplug RV because I thought that was the consensus at the time. Don't think it makes any difference, but I still do it. Same as I always turn off breakers at post before plugging in for shore power.

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

We always unplug, not sure why.

Same here. I don't know why either. I guess just to avoid a screw up where the AC and 12v would some how get combined.

[Recumbent]

Have done it both plugged into truck and not, with not issues either way. On our Ford the truck engine is always turned off before plugged into shore power. If site is reasonably level we stay hooked to truck in pull-throughs and do Manual Leveling. Am careful to not lift the truck bed with the Montana, and if that becomes a leveling issue then we unhook.

[paulinbaja]

In the days of boon docking I had an extra battery in a box in the bed of the truck. It was connected to the trailer charge line and was charged at the same time the trailer battery was charged. I had a relay under the hood to disconnect the charge line from the truck when the ignition was off. I would plug the trailer in and the trailer battery and the one in the truck would power the trailer for the night. The next day of traveling around or fishing would bring the back truck battery to full. Then at night I would plug back in again. Two batteries got me a LOT more battery time without needing to charge the trailer or have shore power. Actually, never needed to charge, we were conservative with power usage but it worked well.

[woodman]

If it's just an overnight and we're on a relatively level spot, I'll leave the truck attached. I find the level up system to work very well, however; I also find hitching and unhitching to be a pain, especially when you have to get the post seated just right in order for the hitch to engage or disengage.