Recommended Way to Charge my Trailer's Breakaway Battery

Updated 03/17/2025 | Published 10/28/2020

Products Featured in This Question

CTEK US 0.8 Universal Battery Charger with Pulse Maintenance - Small 12-Volt Batteries

(13)

$47.99

Hopkins Engager Trailer Breakaway Kit w/ Charger, LED Tester, Hardware, and 5 Ah Battery - Top Load

(731)

$69.30

Bright Way Solar Battery Charger - 7.5 Watt Solar Panel

(80)

$119.94

Question:

I need to install a new break away kit on an enclosed trailer Ive recently come across. Can either, or both, chargers in my subject line be connected to one of your break away kits? Do your break away kits come with slip on, or sometimes called spade lugs? Looks like both chargers come with ring lugs or alligator clips. Either charger listed will not over charge my break away battery will they? They will act similar to a Battery Tender?

asked by: Dave F

Expert Reply:

Both the CTEK US 0.8 Universal Battery Charger with Pulse Maintenance part # CTEK56865 and the Bright Way Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer part # BRW54FR would work well for this application. I prefer the solar option as it wouldn't require shore power.

As an alternative I would instead use just the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger part # 20400.

Since you're already going to be installing a breakaway kit why not one with a built in charger to save time and money? This will use your trucks 12 Volt power to charge it anytime it is plugged in. Since the only time it would be used would be when the trailer came disconnected from your truck during use they don't tend to drain.

This has been the proven method of maintaining break away kits for years and years and works very well.

expert reply by: Randy B

Hans A.

3/17/2025

I installed the Hopkins Engager 20400. The yellow charger light lights up when it is plugged into the truck. If it is disconnected from the truck what voltage would the battery require to show “charged” vs “charging required”? The battery show about 12.6V (with a multimeter) but the test still lights up as charging required.

Jameson C.

3/17/2025

@HansA If it's sitting at 12.6 volts that would be full charged. If it gets up to 12.9 volts and still showing charging the indicator light has a problem which does happen from time to time. Not to worry though it won't overcharge or anything.