Battery charger - Montana Owners Club

2007dura · 01-22-2005, 04:18 PM

Looking for a battery charger, and came across this one at Camping World, the batteryminder. http://www.campingworld.com/browse/c...ID=58&subOf=55 Has anyone used this, or have some suggestions on a better model.

Montana_657 · 01-23-2005, 01:13 AM

3 battery chargers on this page...what is it your trying to do... revive a dead battery???

Glenn and Lorraine · 01-23-2005, 02:00 AM

I do love to shop at Camping World but only for those RV necessaties that you can't find else where. I find their prices a bit hi and yes I am a club member.

For the Battery Minder charger I would shop at a good reputable auto parts store or WalMart.

But I don't recall ever seeing the Battery Minder at Wally World.

Montana_657 · 01-23-2005, 02:57 AM

Still haven't figured out what your trying to do. If it's keep the battery warm don't forget the loads in your trailer...propane detector, fridge heater etc. It all might prove to much for that thing unless you disconnect the battery. You still have to do battery maintenance, I use a similar device on a 12 volt back up sump pump. The battery needs water ever 4 months or so.

You have a 2004 trailer... I suspect your converter is more then up to the task of keeping the battery at charge without overchargeing (new ones are much better then the oldtimers). If your going to use it for trailer batteries, why not just use that???

2007dura · 01-23-2005, 08:46 AM

I am going to use the charger to keep the battery charged up during the next couple of months while not camping. Battery will be out of unit. Have read that it helps life of battery if you keep it charged verses letting it drain down and then charge.

The charger I was looking at is the Batteryminder.

Have found some chargers at Home Depot, Lowes, but more expensive and have extra options. But if these chargers are worth the extra money compared to Batteryminder, I will consider.

ken · 01-23-2005, 09:18 AM

We pull both batteries in the winter and store them on my work bench in the garage and charge them once a month during the winter months. That way we can check the water level and monitor its charge. I use a standard battery charger that you can purchase anywhere that has a auto trickle charge when the battery is fully charged. I use the same battery charger to charge the boats batteries, tractor battery, and bobcat battery.
Ken and Velda Taylor

Dahlgren VA
2005 3475RL Montana
2000 Ford F350 Diesel

sreigle · 01-23-2005, 09:56 AM

2002dura, are you planning on leaving the battery in the Montana and using the charger to keep it charged? If so, why not just plug in the Montana and let the converter take care of it? We used to plug our Montana(s) into a 20amp (15 amp?) outlet on our patio and leave it on all winter. Never had a problem with the battery. In fact, we're still using the original battery in this Montana. I just checked the water once during the winter. Never had to add any until Spring and then just a little.

2007dura · 01-23-2005, 02:14 PM

Steve,
I am going to pull battery from the Montana. Where I am storing is not close enough to run cord. I am hoping to make a pad with hook-ups this year at my house.

sreigle · 01-24-2005, 08:06 AM

OK. I used to pull the batteries out of our boat for the winter. One of those was a marine starting battery and the others were deep charge batteries like RV batteries. I used an ordinary automotive battery charger with a tapering charge so to not overcharge. I just turned it on once per month and left it on for a day or so. Unless the higher dollar charger has some features you want or need, a normal automotive type charger should work just fine at a lower price.

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