Put truck and car on same trickle charger for a month?

[bumperm]

In general, lead acid batteries self-discharge (assuming no "phantom" loads), about 3 to 5% per month, less if colder and more if warmer. As others have posted, not much worry either way. If it'll make you feel better, charge the tractor for several days, then switch it to the truck before you leave.

A good trickle charger (of which Harbor Freights offering is *not*) will not boil the electrolyte out of any regular sized lead acid battery. Why to I dis the HF offering? Check the voltage . . . the several I purchased were putting out less than 13 volts. A trickle charger should, at room temperature, put out more like 13.7 to 13.8 volts - an appropriate "float" charge.

BTW, there are many "intelligent" battery maintainer chargers out there. Good ones will put out an amp or two, then as the battery voltage rises and charge current drops, they will switch over to a lower, maintenance charge mode. More better than the older, constant voltage trickle chargers like HF and others sell.

bumper

 

[ruffdog]

A family's attached garage and almost the house burned down near me a couple years ago. What started it? A battery charger on a ATV in the garage. It was a very nice, nearly new, large house too.

Article and pics here.
UPDATED: Residential fire in Harmony Township - Milton Courier : Local

 

[whistlepig]

A good trickle charger wouldn't hurt anything. From what I have read it's always one trickle charger per battery. No jumping. As far as Harbor Freight stuff? Yeah, that could burn my house down. The make some nice battery maintainers these days that have microprocessors in them. They are not cheap but are a lot cheaper than a new house.

 

[lutt]

I work a month at a time on the lower Mississippi River, my truck used to set at the STL office during that time period. It has set other places also, I have been doing this for twenty years now. Sometimes it sets in 0 degree temps. I've never had any battery issues. Your vehicles will be fine, leave them both full of fuel to avoid condensation issues, which I wouldn't really worry about either. LUTT

 

[RobertN]

I would not hook a trickle charger to two vehicles. Load balance issues as noted previously.

I might consider a trickle charger for both, but only the type that senses the charge and turns on/off as needed(maintenance charger). All of our fire engines have them, especially the reserve engines.

Easiest would be just disconnect the batteries. Good opportunity to clean the posts/terminal etc too. Worst case give them a little maintenance charge when you get home, and then reconnect them.

 

[jaotguy]

run them both for 10 minutes before you leave, to top off the batteries .... forget the charger ...

 

[SSdoxie]

If your batteries won't hold charge for a month without a "maintainer" connected you need new batteries. I have 3 vehicles setting that don't get started/driven but once every 2 - 3 months and have no battery issues with them, just when I do start them I run for at least a hour. Put the trickle charger on each battery for 24 hours 3-4 days before leaving and don't worry about them. I charge my boat batteries at the end of October, leave them set all winter and they are still good in early April when I'm ready to go again.

 

[5030]

Two words... BATTERY TENDER

 

[zing]

Leave as is No need to do anything

+1

it's only a month, don't worry about it

 

[OldMcDonald]

Also aqree do nothing. In fact I would disconnect as many electrical outlets as possible if going away for even a week. And turn water off too. Any problem is covered by the law that states it will happen when you have just left, not 5 mins before you get back.