quote:

Originally posted by thezoltar:
If the trailer is left out in the sun a small solar panel should easily keep the battery topped off. I use a 25 watt inexpensive panel and controller from Harbor Freight to keep up two 12v batteries on my trailer. This setup has kept these batteries charged for two years in temps down to -10. No plugin required.

Vehicle charging through the umbilical is often not as good as you would expect. It will run your lights and brakes (if they are electric) but may not push enough amperage long enough to fully charge the battery.

quote:

Originally posted by thezoltar:
Most utility trailer batteries are only used for emergency brakes and never get used. Therefore they don't need much of a charge other than a top off. If you actually use the batteries and draw them down you will need a more robust charging method. It all depends how often and how much demand you put on the batteries.

If this trailer is only used to tow atv's etc. a deep cycle battery is probably overkill. There's nothing wrong with that! We love our toys.