Does My RV Battery Charge While Plugged In?

If you’re new to RV camping, you might be wondering how your RV battery gets recharged. Does the battery get charged when you’re hooked up to shore power, for instance?

Psst … if you’re not familiar with the term “shore power,” we have a lot to talk about! But before I drench you with science, let’s sip from the soft stuff.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUCEMENT! Unfortunately, the internet knows this is a question often posed by new, defenseless, babes-lost-in-the-woods RV owners. A lot of the information out there is bogus. I read one article that suggested your house batteries were only being trickle-charged while plugged in, which is absolutely false. Another article said the batteries were charged at a constant current, which is also untrue (unless they’re lithium) .… And yet another article said batteries were 80% charged at 10.5 volts, which is laughable. At 10.5 volts, your 12-volt battery is beyond dead! So don’t trust everything you read out there, ok? 

  • Make sure the circuit breaker powering the converter isn’t tripped.
  • Ensure the shortstop breaker off the battery isn’t tripped.
  • Make sure the battery disconnect switch or BIM is set to “On.” 
  • Have the battery load-tested at an auto parts store to make sure it can actually hold a charge.

2 responses to “Does My RV Battery Charge While Plugged In?”

  1. J Woo

    When my RV is in storage, I leave it plugged in to shore power. I also turn the battery cut off switch to ‘disconnect’. Does my battery still charge in this situation? And, if it is still charging, will the automatic charger built in to the RV give too much power, thus burning up the battery ?

    1. When it comes RVS, never says always! Usually, disconnecting the master battery disconnect switch will totally isolate the battery from the converter, but sometimes other circuits bypass the master circuit. These circuits can still cause parasitic drains. If you’re having this problem, buying a terminal-mounted disconnect switch/lug is an easy $20 fix. Modern automatic multi-stage chargers won’t “burn up” or “boil” a battery by applying too much voltage and evaporating the water out of the electrolyte, but old chargers will do this. If you have flooded batteries, top them off with distilled water before putting them in storage so if any electrolyte is lost, the plates won’t be exposed.

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