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Charging Electric Trailer Brake Battery

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a equipment trailer that has electric brakes with a breakaway battery set up. Only use the trailer a few times a year. Would like to charge the battery without removing it from the sealed battery box. I have a spare 7 pin male plug that I could connect to a trickle charger. Not sure what two pins to use. Pins are numbered 1 thru 7. Was wondering if anyone out here uses a similiar set up or do you just remove the battery for charging ? Thanks
 
Buy a simple solar charger and wire it up and mount it that way it charges when ever the sun is up and is low amp charge
 

That is a good idea that my buddy "young fella" Old has, I have 2-3 of those little chargers. You could also now and then just back up to the trailer and plug it in when you aren't going to use the truck for a day or two.
 
Number four at the one o clock position looking at the trailer plug is the 12 volt power supply. Number one which is at the 7 o clock position is the ground. But, do check with a test light to be sure
 
You will have to do some checking to see how they hooked it up from the factory. Some hook to the power wire, some to the clearance lites. Both of those are not too good. The clearance lite idea can cause the fuse to blow if the battery is too far down. The hot wire method can charge too fast and overheat the battery. The ones done right will have a charger in the system hooked to the power wire so it protects everything. And some do nothing, thinking the battery is a throwaway. Without checking you won't know which method was used.
 
I would rig up a matching female receptacle into which the trailer male plug will connect and wire it to my battery charger output with the appropriate pin connectors (see diagrams blow). Of course, the trailer wiring has to have the hot 12 VDC power lead connected to the trailer battery and ground proper pins. Then all you have to do is plug the charger into the trailer via the connectors and you're off to the races.

NOTE the standard (see below) 7 pole RV plug and connector wiring and appropriate pins is what I use and recommend. It has one pin for the 12 VDC power use.

Similar when I'm driving my RV engine alternator charges the battery in my trailer or toad via the 7 pole RV plug and connector. I have that wiring protected by circuit breakers at BOTH the RV and trailer or toad. A person can even add a diode so current can ONLY flow from RV to toad/trailer but NOT reverse.

A small 12 volt solar panel is another way to maintain and trickle charge a battery on a trailer that sees little use provided its outdoors. Alternatively a battery trickle maintainer can be used to power the unit.

John T
 
Just an FYI - because I've been there, done that - some of those solar trickle charges say in the instructions to disconnect them before starting the 'vehicle' because they do not have a diode to protect them from the alternator output. Ruined one when I forgot to disconnect. So... Either remember to disconnect or, like I do now, add a diode to the wiring...
 
You will also need to know how you trailer break away switch works. On my trailer the battery is connected to the brakes through the break away switch only. It is not connected to the trailer wiring other than the brake wire. I have to charge the battery separately from the vehicle.
 
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