Staying hitched for short overnight trip?

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by switters

We have a short overnight trip coming up where we'll be camping at a fairground with full hookups. Long story short, we'll be there less than 24 hours and we have to leave quickly after the event is over (with little time to hitch up etc.).

Because of this, I'm considering leaving our FC 23FB hitched to the TV. Is there any reason not to do this? The site is completely level.

Thanks!

Yes. It is fine. Ours sometimes for many days.

[RosenBob]

Just make sure jack and any stabilizers are up if you use them for leveling.

[patandcole]

My wife and I do this all of the time with no issues whatsoever!

[Fungus]

We go through the complete departure checklist even if many items are moot (no stabilizers deployed, no hitching, no water, no sewer, no electricity, etc.). Only takes a minute or two.

[Paul Dobbin]

We don't unhook because our TV is the Airstream. Unless we need to drive what we're towing, it stays hooked up.

[kgottleib]

for a one nighter I use the jack to take the weight off the TV, and I also then drop the stabilizers down since I don't like the trailer moving around when someone is walking about, but this preference I guess

[nryn]

For one night stays I'm usually on my way somewhere and I'll try to get a pull-through if I can, usually because if I'm only spending a night it's because I plan to leave early in the morning. I keep the trailer hooked up and do the following:

• Raise the jack until it's level
• Extend the stabilizers
• Unplug the 7-way

I keep an 18" bright orange gear tie in the driver's side door pocket in my truck. If I do any of the above, I wrap this gear tie around the steering wheel, rear view mirror or driver's side door handle/mirror. Easy, unavoidable reminder to double check before driving off.

[jmslade]

Is the reason for disconnecting the 7-pin because of not having a DC-to-DC charger? Alternator damage cannot occur while driving?

[Ky76Argosy]

Don’t know what TV, but unless like a VW van or rear really swatted with tongue weight, I don’t know why not leave hooked up. May take weight off with Jack to level, or not. Unplug if you want. Chock, not needed but could if feel safer. Stabilizers not needed but could drop, I have if staying inside on windy night, or teenagers are late night owls moving around. I have stayed hooked up for a week without issues. Be safe.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by jmslade

Is the reason for disconnecting the 7-pin because of not having a DC-to-DC charger? Alternator damage cannot occur while driving?

Hi

If you have lithium batteries in your trailer and lead acid's in the tow vehicle, the Lithiums like to run a couple volts higher than the lead acids. This *can* result in power flowing from the trailer to the TV. Disconnecting the charge wire in the trailer is a simple / cheap way to prevent this. So is using a $70 DC/DC converter.

When does this become a problem?

Running down the road, you *assume* the trailer is getting charged. You get to the campsite and look at the data .... hmmm .... the batteries are worse off at the end of the drive than when I started .... yuck ..... ( = the lithiums powered the truck for most of the drive ....).

Sitting there at night with things plugged in. There's still loads here and there in the truck pulling power. Not much, but some. The battery is trying to sit there at 12.6V and the lithium charger wants it up at 14.6. Not the best thing for your battery.

Do both of these things happen? Most trucks disconnect the 7 pin after they have been parked for a bit. Most trucks *do* hook up somehow when running down the road. Folks here have trucks made in the 1980 right through this year. There's no way to know what every combination does ....

Bob

[jmslade]

Have there been reports of alternator damage from being connected while driving? Unplugging once at the campsite seems like a reasonably easy fix in the short term, though arriving with depleted batteries wouldn’t be good!

[nryn]

Originally Posted by jmslade

Have there been reports of alternator damage from being connected while driving? Unplugging once at the campsite seems like a reasonably easy fix in the short term, though arriving with depleted batteries wouldn’t be good!

I can't speak to alternator damage. Bob described the issue with lithium trailer batteries, which I don't have but will in the next week (yay). I was told early on that the tow vehicle batteries could be drained, but I'm not worried about that with my TV for an overnight stop (I have dual batteries in my truck).

Honestly, the reason I disconnect the 7-way is because having it disconnected prevents me from turning on the running lights or reverse driving camera. It's another reminder to make sure everything is stowed, connected and safe before I take off. You've heard this refrain over and over in this thread—you really can't be too careful. Most folks (myself included) have checklists and protocols for campsite arrival and departure but in my opinion it's the quick overnights that pose a greater risk because it seems like you can just get up and go.

[mythbuster88]

We park, put out a floor mat, and take a walk with the dog.
That is it.

[Tim J]

For 16 years, if we don't need the truck when on a trip, we just unlock the door and get comfortable!

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by jmslade

Have there been reports of alternator damage from being connected while driving? Unplugging once at the campsite seems like a reasonably easy fix in the short term, though arriving with depleted batteries wouldn’t be good!

Hi

Yes, there are a whole bunch of threads about alternator damage. They are talking about the Bosh alternator on the Sprinter Vans. The alternator could (but probably should not) be wired into to the batteries through *big* wires. That could result in a *lot* of current ( like many hundreds of amps) running around.

In a trailer, you have skinny 10 gauge wires running a long long way back to the load. Voltage drop in those wires limits the current delivered. You often see folks talk about <10A sort of numbers.

You also have a fuse in that line that is in the 20 to 40A range ( 30A is pretty typical). Most trucks also have fancy modules that do this and that to limit things as well. These days you see a lot of trucks with 300 to 400A alternators on them.

Simply put, blowing out the alternator is not a big deal on a lithium install on a trailer.

Since the alternator is doing nothing while you are parked / engine off. No matter how you have the 7 pin hooked up, the alternator will not be the problem.

Bob

[jmslade]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Simply put, blowing out the alternator is not a big deal on a lithium install on a trailer.

Can you clarify? I think I followed the rest.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

I don't unhitch either if it's just one night. I may have to extend the tongue jack to level things. If I do, I tie something around the steering wheel(like a dog poop bag, which are always handy) so I remember not to drive off before lifting the jack.

Good idea.
Since I always drop my 12 x 12 block under the jack to minimize extension, I never forget and drive away. Tossing the block in the truck bed is part of the routine.
Overnight I never connect the sewer and use water only about 50% of the time. Electric always. It's not about saving time setting up, it's about saving time in the morning. Coil the power cord, retrieve the block, and go.


I often wondered, "if the trailer is level, why am I (and others) raising the tongue overnight?"

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by jmslade

Can you clarify? I think I followed the rest.

Hi

Have you seen references to alternator damage on TV's from lithium installs in trailers? I have never seen a post like that. If you have information, please pass it on.

There is no way that a lithium in a trailer will damage your alternator when wired in the normal fashion. If you are planing to do something crazy, then let us know what that is and we can go over those plans.

Alternators are damaged by pulling to much current. You can't pull enough through the 7 pin to damage an alternator. You would blow a fuse first.

Bob