I’m looking at getting a dual bank battery charger to keep my trolling motor batteries charged, and wanted to get some ■■■■■■■■ from you guys. I’ve never had a boat with a TM, so I’m not sure what’s out there.
Everything I see for dual-bank chargers looks like it’s made to be mounted on board. That sounds nice, but I don’t mind just setting it in my boat when I’m not using it. The boat is completely protected from the elements, so if I can save a few bucks with a regular charger made to keep in the garage, that would be nice. Also, it would give me the flexibility to charge the batteries out of the boat, as well as to switch over and to charge/maintain the main batteries if I ever need to.
I realize I can just buy an on-board charger and never mount it, but I was just looking for options and ■■■■■■■■. What are all of you guys running as far as chargers go?
My laziness overrides my cheapness. My batteries are inside the console, inside another compartment.
Hardwire is the only way to go.
Onboard dual bank charger 10amp per bank minimum.
Also install a 120 plug so you can just walk up and plug the boat in.
I would suggest a 3 bank charger, mounted on board with a 120v plug as suggested earlier. This way, both of your trolling motor batteries as well as your cranking battery stay charged. Todays onboard chargers also condition the batteries extending their life. My boat is always plugged in and always charged!!
You mentioned saving a few bucks… I am with you on that.
For what its worth, my boat sits in the water all year round with no on board charger. Batteries are approaching 4 years old and still going strong.
On board multi-bank smart chargers are nice and convenient, but cost $$$$ and a few more $$ to install. A decent portable marine grade single bank charger will save you a bunch of money, not require any installation, and can be used for all of your other batters as well. You just have to be willing to spend some time hooking it up.
Both units need to be plugged in, one just takes a few min more - but saves a bunch of money.
I was thinking more about versatility over price (unless I have to buy a new charger every 2 years or something) – I like to have the option of removing my trolling motor batteries and still keep them charged. Also, my TM batteries are in my anchor locker, and I worry about space issues. On board would be nice, though. Any features that I need to look for in particular that make a charger work better or last longer?
Also, I should mention that I have 2 main batteries, so I will probably end up getting 2 dual bank chargers.
Simple math. 2 on board chargers with 4 years warranty is about $400. Thru console plugs $60. Install $200. That’s $660. ÷ 4 = $165/year. Not so much money if you think about the time and hassle trying to move the charger all the time.
Since you are right around the corner, I can look at your set up and help you determine the best set up. I can also install everything for you too. Its pretty simple once we determine where to best mount the charger/chargers. And yes, if you have two sets of batteries in two different locations, it would be better to have two seperate two bank chargers.
I use a battery tender 24 VDC charger. I use a trolling motor plug so that it is easy to connect to my under the console batteries. I also installed a kwik fill system to make re-filling easier.