Keep HiLo plugged in 24x7x365?
 

Curious... 2208T here stored in a garage.. is it best to just leave it plugged into the house power 24x7x365 when not "camping"? Just going out for the first time this season and the battery is 100% drained (clicking sound when trying to raise the trailer enough to get removable tongue back on). We can easily just leave it plugged in while we aren't using it, but is it really good to leave something plugged in for that long? We have one Napa gel battery.
or should I "remember" to plug it in once a month for a day? or once every other month? We have the removable tongue option, so removing the battery and leaving it on a trickle charge isn't an option.
-Matt

I've had my lead-acid batteries connected to a Battery Minder constantly for at least 3 years now and they are fine. I also keep my two vehicles connected to a Battery Minder Plus whenever they are parked in my garage and their batteries are good. The one in the Honda is 4 years old and the one in the truck is about 3 as I recall. I don't know if your trailer converter is designed to "maintain" a gel cell battery without "boiling" it. I know the old Excelsior converters were not designed for that task. My new PD Dynamics converter has the maintenance charge setting though for gel cells.

- Jack

Thanks Jack and Janet! Would I have to remove the battery from the trailer to use a battery tender (such as https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende.../dp/B000CITK8S) or can I clip this battery tender directly to the posts while the battery is still hooked up to the trailer stuff? Sorry I'm (obviously) new at this...

Hi Matt - You will be able to leave your battery in the trailer all hooked up to it electrically when you use the Battery Tender. The one you reference in your link is one that will work with your gel-cell battery too.

The link says it comes with a "ring-terminal" connection that allows hookup to hard to reach batteries. If so, this is how I did mine. The ring terminals fit over the bolts that are attached to the battery terminals and then there is a quick disconnect plug that you can extend out from under the battery box cover. You plug the Battery Tender into this, and disconnect at the plug when you want to use the trailer. The ring terminal part stays connected to the battery.

If you have to buy the ring terminal part separately, it is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...000NCOKZQ&th=1. I actually think you DO have to buy it, but it is only about $10. One of the pictures in that link shows the quick disconnect plug that you will extend out of the battery box.

The Battery Tender is actually able to recharge a completely dead battery, but it does it very slowly. It is a lot like a "trickle charger" that you may have heard of, but it has a better charging algorithm that will not boil the battery if left on continuously.

The Battery Tender is the device I first used on infrequently used vehicles. I changed to a Battery Minder because it has a desulfating feature that I wanted. It is slightly more expensive. This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer...3d670b6bc&th=1 and it DOES come with the ring terminal part.

- Jack