How do you keep your batteries charged with no outlets?

[gomester]

I am sure there are plenty of you that store your boat at an outside storage yard. Now, most if not all have no electrical hookup for your onboard charger unless you have inside storage for $170+/month.

My question is other than pulling your batteries every time to put on a trickle charger, how do you keep your batteries charged while in storage until the next outing?

[Rich hamilton]

http://www.adventurerv.net/yamaha-porta ... ce=Froogle

Bullet proof! Honda is great too but since I run a Yammie Outboard on my Ranger I wanted to stay true. Quiet and simple to start.

[gomester]

Thanks but I know a generator will do it but I still have to wait for it to finish charging which would be some time. I am looking for a set it and forget it type of system.

Scenario: Store boat at outside storage yard which is where I launch so when I get out off the water (launch here 99% of the time), it is 60 seconds from the launch ramp to the outside storage area. I want to unload the boat, take out my gear, park the boat and know that the batteries are charged when I come back. Having a generator run will be noisy and not real feasible.
If at a 2-day event, sure but this is a different scenario.

Maybe I just use a portable power pack and a solar panel.

Was just hoping somebody else has already encountered this situation and had a decent solution they could pass along.

[scottsweet]

Here are a couple of things that will help. First, try using the Stealth Charger. It will charge your batteries every time you run your big motor thereby reducing some of the overall battery charge time. Second, get yourself a good solar panel and connect it to the Stealth Charger. I used to have to store my boat with no power at all. I had a solar panel that I would connect to the cranking battery (Stealth Charger) and it would charge my batteries unless it was overcast for many days.

If you have questions, let me know and we can discuss it.

[gomester]

Sent PM. Thanks Scott.

[Brian D.]

Solar panels wont be able to charge enough to be noticeable. Kinda like a water faucet dripping and being in the desert. Same goes for the battery charging systems. Unless you run large bodies of water at 30-45 min runs, the charge will be negligible. I hear good things with the Lithium batteries with cycle time, weight, years of use etc. but the cost is still up there.

[reddog]

The stealth charger system sounds interesting I personally have never seen one in action though. I suggest you get an extra set of batteries AND put a solar system on your storage roof to plug in your boat for maintenance between use. I dont think that would be reliably charged when you show up but it would add charge back to your system to help maintain the batteries. Tractor supply sells a system for a fairly inexpensive price if you want to "try" it out at home first to see what type of time frames you would need to get a good charge with X type of sun exposure. I have often wondered how I could charge my trolling motor batteries while fishing and have yet to figure anything reliable out. Solar panel on the back deck while fishing the front? etc. Sniff, Sniff, I smell a market!

[Rich hamilton]

My scenario is the generator/inverter is cable locked to your trailer,you "set it and forget it" with half a tank of fuel (6 hour run time or 12 hour whatever your system requires for a full charge) generator runs out of fuel and shuts down on its own. Noise can be a factor thats why I suggested the Yammaha 1000 it is pretty darn quiet. You will have fully charged batteries and not have to worry about sun or half charged situations.

I know what you are looking to do but trust me there is not a system out there that can charge a fully drained 36 volt system and a starting battery on the market right now. I recently had charging issues at clear lake and nothing worse than ruining your day with operator error uncharged batteries