Battery Chargers

[dkradcliffe]

OK, So I am kind of new here.  We just took our new Santa Fe on the second trip to Mt Nebo State Park.  I am curious what kind of battery charger I need to get.  

I have a 12 volt battery now and would like to be able to use the same charger if I decied to get to T-105's down the road.  Do I need to get a charger that charges 6V or can I charge the Trojans as a 12V if they are connected in series?

We have a battery store in town and they recommended I get a 20 amp charger.  It was over a $100 so I went to Wal Mart and got a black and decker for $60 or $70.  But it only has a 12V setting....I havent used it yet so thought I would ask the question before opening the box.

[wavery]

OK, So I am kind of new here.  We just took our new Santa Fe on the second trip to Mt Nebo State Park.  I am curious what kind of battery charger I need to get.  

I have a 12 volt battery now and would like to be able to use the same charger if I decied to get to T-105's down the road.  Do I need to get a charger that charges 6V or can I charge the Trojans as a 12V if they are connected in series?

We have a battery store in town and they recommended I get a 20 amp charger.  It was over a $100 so I went to Wal Mart and got a black and decker for $60 or $70.  But it only has a 12V setting....I havent used it yet so thought I would ask the question before opening the box.

You can charge 2-6v batteries as 1-12v battery.

Just hook the battery charger to the neg post on one battery and the pos post on the other battery. Connect a battery cable from the unused neg post on one battery to the unused pos post on the other battery. That will give you a complete 12v circuit.

[dkradcliffe]

does the amperage matter?

[wavery]

You can charge 2-6v batteries as 1-12v battery.

Just hook the battery charger to the neg post on one battery and the pos post on the other battery. Connect a battery cable from the unused neg post on one battery to the unused pos post on the other battery. That will give you a complete 12v circuit.

The amperage only matters as to how fast the batteries will charge.

If you are going to leave the charger on over-night, a 10-12A should be fine. If you want a faster charge, for charging in campground or with the generator, you may want to consider a 25A.

[tlhdoc]

You want to get a "Smart Charger".  It does a 3 step charge.  The charger you purchased may be one of the smart chargers.  Check the box.