# Leaving Tv Hooked Up At Night...



## Treker (Oct 17, 2007)

Looks like we're headed cross country... if we end up spending one night say at a Walmart parking lot, dry camping, is it Ok to leave the OB electrical connection to the TV? Would I run the risk of draining the trucks batteries, if we ran the furnace for the evening? I do not believe a battery isolator is inline.

Just wondering what others have done.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

YES -- once you plug into your truck the OUTBACK thinks it now has yet a third batery to draw from and it will suck it dry if you let it...

On many GM trucks there is a onboard battery saver that only allows the Truck battery to drop to a point where the truck needs the remainder of the juice to crank and will shut off anything else drawing from it...

But if your truck does not have this feature -- then yep -- you can wake up in the monring to a cold trailer and a dead truck...


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## Outback DeLand (May 6, 2007)

Play it safe, unplug!!


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## Treker (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks! That's what I figured... our B had an isolater... this one does not,


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## renegade21rs (Oct 8, 2006)

My Ford isolates the tow vehicle from the trailer when you shut the key off ...


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

We've stayed hitched overnight on the road but always unplug. I want to leave in a hurry in the morning and don't want to deal with a dead truck battery.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I've gone for 4 days camping...never unhoooked.

You shouldn't have any problem with a simple overnigth stay.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

If I'm not unhooking from my truck, I don't disconnect the power cable either. I've never, ever had a problem. But then my truck may automatically isolate the trailer power when the key is turned off.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

raynardo said:


> If I'm not unhooking from my truck, I don't disconnect the power cable either. I've never, ever had a problem. But then my truck may automatically isolate the trailer power when the key is turned off.


Just wondering how we would know if my TV has this auto isloation switch?


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## jdpm (Apr 12, 2007)

It will not drain battery for more than 10 minutes per engine/key shut down cycle. pcm


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## justinsnow0 (Feb 5, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> If I'm not unhooking from my truck, I don't disconnect the power cable either. I've never, ever had a problem. But then my truck may automatically isolate the trailer power when the key is turned off.


Just wondering how we would know if my TV has this auto isloation switch?
[/quote]

Disco the TT battery and hook up the umbilical to the TV.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

mons02035 said:


> If I'm not unhooking from my truck, I don't disconnect the power cable either. I've never, ever had a problem. But then my truck may automatically isolate the trailer power when the key is turned off.


Just wondering how we would know if my TV has this auto isloation switch?
[/quote]

Disco the TT battery and hook up the umbilical to the TV.
[/quote]

That seems like it would cut into my camping/beer time. I was hoping for something like "all 200x Sububan's have this"....


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I always unplug the Outback from the TV when overnighting. I don't know if the Outback would drain the truck battery, but I don't know that it would not, either. So I just play it safe and unplug.

I would suspect that if your truck does not have an isolation circuit, then the Outback could drain the bettery. But it would drain all your batteries evenly - not the Outback batteries first, and then the truck. It is conceivable that you could wind up with 2-3 low batteries, none of which would be capable of turning over the engine.

Just my cautious $.02.

Mike


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

We usually unplug. Doesn't take long, and plug back up in the morning. Better safe than sorry.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Since I'm always right, my opinion is worth at least $.03, so here goes.









While 2 or 3 batteries have plenty of power to last through the night and still start the truck, even with the furnace running some... all it takes is for the kids to leave a couple lights on and/or _somebody_ to leave a light on in one of the garages...

To me it's just not worth the risk of being stranded to save 30 seconds of work.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

BoaterDan said:


> To me it's just not worth the risk of being stranded to save 30 seconds of work.


...fair enough.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> To me it's just not worth the risk of being stranded to save 30 seconds of work.


...fair enough.








[/quote]

*Come on....live life on the edge! *☺


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

raynardo said:


> To me it's just not worth the risk of being stranded to save 30 seconds of work.


...fair enough.








[/quote]

*Come on....live life on the edge! *☺
[/quote]
Easy for the guy with the Ford that has the isolator circuit to say!!!


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## mike (Dec 17, 2006)

Being new to the tt thing A follow up question? is it ok to leave the tt hooked up to the tv for 24 to 48 hours without causing damage to the tv (shocks etc.)? Thanks


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

mike said:


> Being new to the tt thing A follow up question? is it ok to leave the tt hooked up to the tv for 24 to 48 hours without causing damage to the tv (shocks etc.)? Thanks


Heck yes!

I can put 4000 miles on the travel trailer in a week or so, contantly hooked up, and even driving (imagine that!), and there's no problem. The only caveat is that you don't ever want to exceed the limits of you TV, that's when the bad stuff happens.
♂


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

mike said:


> Being new to the tt thing A follow up question? is it ok to leave the tt hooked up to the tv for 24 to 48 hours without causing damage to the tv (shocks etc.)? Thanks


I doubt just sitting there will do damage. The dynamics of driving will be significantly higher loading...


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## mike (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the replies, just one of those things i wondered about but was afraid to ask.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

mike said:


> thanks for the replies, just one of those things i wondered about but was afraid to ask.


We've all been there. Ask any question and you'll get an answer...along with some humor tossed in for the fun of it.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Oregon_Camper said:


> thanks for the replies, just one of those things i wondered about but was afraid to ask.


We've all been there. Ask any question and you'll get an answer...along with some humor tossed in for the fun of it.








[/quote]

Yep, and some of us have done some really stupid things that it would be hard for you to top. So, there are definitely no dumb questions here.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

BoaterDan said:


> thanks for the replies, just one of those things i wondered about but was afraid to ask.


We've all been there. Ask any question and you'll get an answer...along with some humor tossed in for the fun of it.








[/quote]

Yep, and some of us have done some really stupid things that it would be hard for you to top. So, there are definitely no dumb questions here.
[/quote]

But they are fun to share and then read others silly blunders as well...









Live and Learn!!


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

You should be OK to stay overnight with the trailer hooked to the TV. Shouldn't hurt either one - provided you have a fairly level, straight spot to plop both the trailer and TV.

We towed from Orlando, FL (Disney World, to Peoria, IL last summer - about 1900 miles - and stayed overnight in Alabama and Kentucky. I never unhitched the Outback from the truck until we got home (Peoria). We had paved surfaces at both campgrounds, so all I had to do was raise the tongue a bit (using the electric tongue jack) to get it level front-to-rear. Then put the stabilizers down, plug in to shore power and hook up the water and sewer. We were camping within 15 minutes, both nights.

It's all good!

Mike


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