5 Best Trickle Charger for RV Battery

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Last Updated on July 24, 2022 by Ted Mosby

Do you want to invest in the Best RV Battery Trickle Charger to keep your battery charged? If you have answered yes, this review guide is for you.

Though most RV manufacturers include charging systems in their recreational vehicles, they are made with cheap materials and have a very poor design, posing a threat to your RV battery.

You don’t want to overcharge your battery because of its in-built charging system.

This is why it is essential to familiarize yourself with a trusted and safe-to-use charger to prevent such circumstances.

In this review article, I will bucket a list of the Bes battery trickle charger for RVs. You will learn everything about a trickle charger, which will help you to pick the best charger to keep your RV batteries charged all the time.

So, let’s get started!

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Premium Pick
NOCO GENIUS10 Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
NOCO GENIUS10 Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
  • Sulfation detection.
  • Temperature detection.
  • Auto charge change.
  • Overcharging/undercharging protection.
  • Outstanding customer service.
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Best Value
Schumacher SC1281 Fully Automatic Smart Trickle Battery Charger
Schumacher SC1281 Fully Automatic Smart Trickle Battery Charger
  • Automatic voltage detection.
  • Easy-grip handle.
  • Powerful charging abilities.
  • A large LED screen.
  • Push-button controls
  • Multi-stage charging.
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Budget Pick
NOCO GENIUS1 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Trickle Smart Charger
NOCO GENIUS1 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Trickle Smart Charger
  • Multi-bank battery charger.
  • Different configurations.
  • Versatile.
  • Weather-resistant.
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Battery Tender Junior Charger and Maintainer Battery Tender Junior Charger and Maintainer
  • Spark-proof.
  • Reverse polarity protection.
  • LED indicators.
  • Four-step charging.
  • Microcontroller.
  • Five-year warranty.
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LST Trickle Battery Charger LST Trickle Battery Charger
  • Spark-proof.
  • Dust and waterproofwaterproof.
  • Weather-resistant.
  • Reverse polarity protection.
  • Short-circuit protection.
  • Overcharging and undercharging protection.
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What are the Best Trickle Chargers for RV Battery?

1. NOCO GENIUS10 Fully-Automatic Smart Charger

Are you looking for a trickle charger for your deep-cycle battery? Then look no further than Genius10 fully automatic smart charger by NOCO.

The charger is mainly designed to charge both 6V and 12V lead-acid deep-cycle batteries.

It includes some high-end features, like the inclusion of an integrated thermal sensor. The sensor helps the charger in detecting the temperature to change the charge.

It is a great way to prevent overcharging in hotter climates and undercharging when the temperature is too low.

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Aside from the charger’s remarkable functionality in both hot and cold temperatures, I’m also incredibly impressed with its ability to quickly charge dead batteries.

This is because it has a force mode, enabling you to gain manual control of it and charge your dead batteries at zero volts.

Moreover, the overall versatility of the charger is also something worth mentioning. The RV battery trickle charger is capable of charging different sizes of batteries, including car batteries, motorcycle batteries, lawnmower batteries, and more.

It never hurts to invest in a device that you can use for multiple purposes.

NOCO’s Genius10 also offers an added benefit to restoring your RV battery. Thanks to its high-end features and multiple safety levels, it can detect the sulfation process and battery stratification to keep your battery in its peak condition.

So, you will enjoy an extended battery life, and a powerful engine starts.

What’s more, customers are also by the brand’s performance when it comes to customer support. You can buy the charger without any worries from a brand known for its remarkable customer service and addressing all your queries even after you made a purchase.

Key Features

  • Sulfation detection.
  • Temperature detection.
  • Auto charge change.
  • Overcharging/undercharging protection.
  • Outstanding customer service.
Pros
  • NOCO’s RV battery trickle charger can easily charge dead batteries.
  • It is capable of detecting temperature to automatically change the charge rate.
  • Since it is a smart charger, it protects your battery from overcharging and undercharging.
  • The charger also detects battery stratification and acid sulfation to protect your battery performance and to extend its lifespan.
Cons
  • Because of its high-end safety features, it is a bit pricey. If you’re following a tight budget, you might find it out of your budget.

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2. Schumacher SC1281 Fully Automatic Smart Trickle Battery Charger

Are you in search of a tool that you can use both as a deep-cycle marine battery charger and a deep-cycle battery charger as well? Well, Schumacher SC1281 is the one you should consider buying.

It is among the best RV battery trickle chargers with a considerable size.

Though the charger is a bit on the larger and heavier side, this all adds to the charger’s power and charging capacities. You will enjoy two of its features when using the charger as a quick boost 30 amps charger or 100 amps jump start charger to get your battery back to its optimum efficiency.

Moreover, it features a larger screen in its center, displaying giant bold numbers to let you know your battery’s charging level.

The trickle charger also comes equipped with other high-end features, such as multi-stage charging, automatic voltage detection, etc., to save you a considerable amount of time while also getting your battery running efficiently.

Thanks to an easy-grip handle, the portability is also convenient.

However, the charge may pack a punch with its size; that’s also one of its displeasing factors. Weighing around 13 pounds, you might find the charger cumbersome to lug around.

Key Features

  • Automatic voltage detection.
  • Easy-grip handle.
  • Powerful charging abilities.
  • A large LED screen.
  • Push-button controls
  • Multi-stage charging.
Pros
  • The trickle charger is incredibly easy to use and equipped with a number of unique features.
  • It can automatically detect the voltages to keep your battery safe by preventing overcharge and undercharge.
  • It is also equipped with an LED display to let you know the charging levels.
  • The charger also has multi-stage charging nature.
Cons
  • The only downfall of the charger is its size, which makes it cumbersome to lug around.

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3. NOCO GENIUS1 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Trickle Smart Charger


Another excellent RV battery trickle charger available on the market is the Genius1 1-amp fully automatic smart charger from NOCO.

The trickle charger comes in a variety of bank and amp configurations. It means you will not have to spend much time finding a suitable model that will meet your power requirements.

Regardless of what battery type your RV is equipped with, you can use the charger to charge batteries without doing any harm.

It can safely charge batteries, such as lead acid, gel, wet, AGM, etc. The feature that attracted me the most regarding this particular charger is the fact that it can be used safely in almost any weather condition, both indoor and outdoor.

You will not often need a waterproof construction, but it is great to know you can use the charger in less than favorable outdoor or garage conditions that can cause harm to budget options.

However, the major factor that disappointed me is the people’s complaints regarding factory defects. A lot of customers have reported that the charger develops issues after a few months of use.

Key Features

  • Multi-bank battery charger.
  • Different configurations.
  • Versatile.
  • Weather-resistant.
Pros
  • The charger is among the incredibly durable trickle chargers you can use in almost any weather condition, both indoor and outdoor.
  • You can use the Genius1 to charge a variety of different batteries, such as Gel, AGM, Wet, Lead-acid, etc.
  • It is safe to use and equipped with a number of safety features, including spark protection, short-circuit protection, reverse polarity protection, and more.
  • Thanks to its smartness, you can leave the charger unsupervised without worrying about overcharging or undercharging.
Cons
  • The only displeasing factor about the charger is factory defects. A lot of customers have complained that some units start misbehaving after a few months of use.

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4. Battery Tender Junior Charger and Maintainer


Are you looking for a reliable RV battery trickle charger that can also maintain your battery’s optimum performance? Then you cannot afford to miss Battery Tender junior charger and maintainer.

It is a 0.75 amp charger that is also responsible for maintaining your battery’s health, let it be a car battery, batteries for RV, or any other battery of an off-road vehicle.

The charger comes armed with a microcontroller that is responsible for maintaining the correct level of power, while the ISM-adaptive charging system easily adapts to the requirements of your vehicle battery.

It is equipped with reverse polarity protection when it comes to safety features, which means the charger will not work if your battery is not connected properly.

Moreover, the charger also includes a four-step charging stage, entailing initialization, absorption mode, bulk charging mode, and trickle (float) mode.

Once your battery is fully charged to 100%, the charger will turn on the trickle (float) mode to top off the charge that is naturally lost with time.

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Two LED indicators keep you up to date regarding your battery’s charge status. Additionally, the charger also includes spark-proof protection to make sure you and your battery’s safe when connected to the lead terminals.

Furthermore, if you are new to trickle chargers and have no clue how to use them, this is the best option for you.

It’s easy to use, light in weight, and comes with a five-year warranty. However, I don’t recommend it if you want to invest in a trickle charger with quick charging capacities.

It is also not a good option when it comes to wearing resistance.

Key Features

  • Spark-proof.
  • Reverse polarity protection.
  • LED indicators.
  • Easy to use.
  • Light in weight.
  • Four-step charging.
  • Microcontroller.
  • Five-year warranty.
Pros
  • It is one of the best RV battery trickle chargers responsible for keeping your battery 100% charged while also protecting it from overcharging and undercharging automatically.
  • Since it is also a maintainer, you don’t have to worry about your battery health. It makes sure to keep your battery in its peak condition while also extending its life.
  • The charger is also easy to use and incredibly light in weight, which makes the portability easy.
  • You can use the charger to charge a number of different batteries, such as AGM, gel, wet, lead-acid, etc.
  • It has four-charging stages: initialization, absorption, bulk charging, and trickle mode to top off the battery.
  • Thanks to its spark and reverse polarity protection features, the charger is safe to use.
Cons
  • I do not recommend this RV battery charger if you are looking for one with fast charging capabilities. Moreover, it also comes with only a 12-ft long connection cord, which is considerably shorter than other trickle chargers cords.

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5. LST Trickle Battery Charger


Are you looking to invest in a versatile charger that is suitable for both 6V and 12V batteries of all types, including lead-acid, PB, AGM, gel, and to name a few? Then the LST trickle battery charger surely deserves a closer look.

Since it is among the best RV battery trickle chargers known for its versatility, you can use it to charge motorcycles, lawnmowers, cars, ATVs, and RV batteries.

It means you will find the charger a useful device to have on board for powering up and keeping your vehicle, tools, and other battery equipment maintained.

Additionally, the charger is built with top-quality materials, making it a reliable, dependable, and incredibly durable charger. Thanks to its five charging modes, it offers more efficiency and automatically switches between charging and floating modes according to the situation.

It also means that it is not only a charger intended to keep your batteries charged but also a maintainer to maintain your battery’s performance and extend its lifespan.

Moreover, like any other high-end trickle charger, it is also armed with an LED indicator that will keep you updated regarding your battery’s charging status. When it comes to safety features, the LST tickle battery charger is equipped with short-circuit protection, reverse polarity protection, overvoltage, and under-voltage protection, and more.

The charger is safe to use while it is in use as it is spark-proof and dust, and waterproof. It means you can use the charger with confidence in any conditions, both indoor and outdoor.

However, all of its amazing features aside, what you might find displeasing is its charging time, which is not as fast as another trickle charger’s charging rate.

It might take some time to charge your battery to its full capacity.

Key Features

  • Spark-proof.
  • Dust and waterproofwaterproof.
  • Weather-resistant.
  • Reverse polarity protection.
  • Short-circuit protection.
  • Overcharging and undercharging protection.
  • LED indicator.
  • Top-quality materials.
  • Versatile.
  • Five charging modes.
Pros
  • It is a versatile RV battery trickle charger that you can use to charge both 6V and 12V batteries of any type, including AGM, lead-acid, gel, etc.
  • The charger is made from top-quality materials that make it a dependable, reliable, and extremely durable one.
  • The trickle charger’s five charging modes offer more efficiency and keep your batteries in their optimum state.
  • Thanks to its smartness, the charger can switch between charging and floating modes according to your battery’s charge levels to prevent overcharging and undercharging.
  • It is also a great pick to not only keep your batteries fully charged but also extend their lifespan.
  • The charger features an LED indicator that lets you know about the charging state of your batteries.
  • It is also incredibly safe to use the charger with a number of safety features, including reverse polarity protection, spar protection, dust and waterproof, and short-circuit protection.
Cons
  • All of its attractive features aside, the charger is not the best pick if you are looking for a charge with ultra-fast charging capacities. You might have to wait patiently until your batteries hit their maximum charging capacity. Moreover, another displeasing thing is its low-quality alligator clips, so you have to be extra careful to handle them.
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What is a Trickle Charger?

A trickle charger is a low-amp charger used to top up a completely drained battery to maintain its maximum capacity. It is generally hooked to an idle battery providing a slow charge to a battery to prevent depletion.

Once the battery hits its maximum charging capacity, the charger automatically stops charging.

You can leave a trickle charger on indefinitely to charge the vehicle battery if you use it occasionally.

It also makes sure that the battery never goes flat.

Benefits of a Trickle Charger

Having the best RV battery trickle charger allows you to reap its benefits. Below are the top benefits that you will enjoy if you have a trickle charger onboard.

1. Prolonged Charging

The most appealing benefit of an RV battery trickle charger is its ability to charge your battery all day and night without causing any harm to it.

Moreover, most of these units also feature automatic cycles that turn off the charger once the battery hits its optimum capacity and back on when the charge level drops.

2. Top Up the Battery

Batteries, when not in use and left idle for extended periods, start dropping their charge level.

A trickle charger makes sure that your car, RV, truck, or motorbike battery keeps working even after being left unused for extended periods. You can leave a trickle charger connected to an idle battery, and it will supply the power in a steady trickle to extend its lifespan.

3. Eliminate the Risks of Malfunctioning

Another great benefit of having a trickle charger onboard is it detects and prevents your battery from becoming sulfated, which is one of the most common reasons when your battery remains discharged for a long time.

The sulfation process damages the battery and renders it useless.

Types of Trickle Chargers

There’re two main types of RV battery trickle chargers: Traditional chargers and smart chargers.

1. Traditional Chargers

The first type of RV battery trickle charger is a traditional dumb charger. These chargers have more cables intended to plug into a wall-mounted socket.

Traditional trickle chargers are incredibly powerful, have a low price, and can charge any type of battery.

Sometimes, these chargers are also referred to as “dumb” because of the fact that they cannot monitor the charging status.

It means if you leave these chargers plugged into a battery for extended periods, it might result in overcharging.

2. Smart Trickle Chargers

The second type of RV battery trickle charger is a smart charger. These types of charges come with a modern design and can also track the charging process system.

It means, unlike a traditional dumb charger, you can leave a smart trickle charger connected to your battery for extended times without worrying about overcharging.

Because of their high-end features and safety measures to prevent battery damage, you can also expect a higher price. You can leave them unsupervised and connected to your battery, and it will automatically adjust its settings according to the charging requirements of the battery.

The only unpleasing factor about these smart trickle chargers is they cannot charge all battery sizes like a traditional charger.

Final Thoughts

Having a trickle charger on board allows you to reap a lot of benefits. They are safe to use and keep your batteries 100% charged all the time without causing any harm to them.

Thanks to their smartness, you can leave these types of charges unsupervised and connected to your batteries for longer periods without worrying about overcharging.

Many of these units come with four or five charging modes to prevent overcharge or undercharge.

Moreover, having the best RV battery trickle charger with you is also great if you want to keep your batteries charged when idle and not in use.

Additionally, they also prevent the battery from becoming malfunctioned due to the sulfation process.

Above, I have bucketed the top 5 best RV battery trickle chargers that you should consider. Safe Traveling

FAQ

What does an RV battery trickle charger do?

A trickle charger is responsible for providing a slow charge to a battery to prevent overcharging.

What are the best and most trusted brands of RV battery trickle chargers?

Top brands that manufacture reliable, durable, and dependable RV battery trickle chargers include Battery Tender, NOCO, Schumacher, and LST.

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About Ted Mosby

I am Ted Mosby from Cleveland, Ohio. I am a Freelance Architect. I live in New Jersey, USA right now and I take my RV every alternate weekend. I own a Forest River Berkshire XLT Diesel 45A Class A Motorhome. As I am a Freelancer I can work anywhere so most of my work is done inside my camper remotely.