I have a non-LQ 34' GN trailer with 2 batteries setup to power the electric-hydraulic jack, 3 load lights (about 55 watts ea),  4 fans (each draws about 1.4 amps), 4 lights in the horse area, 2 lights in the dressing room area, LED marker & stop lights, 2 exterior 'porch' lights and 2 lighted grab handles.  I've had the trailer for about 5 months now and have hauled it several times.  Recently, I used 3 of the fans for about 4 hours while I was camped and another 2 hours while hauling.  When I was unhooking the trailer at the end of the day, I noticed that the jack was moving rather slowly & that the interior horse area lights were not as bright as I remembered.  I unhooked one of the batteries, brought it to the house and attached my BatteryMinder plus recharger to it.  It ran for almost 24 hours without going into maintenance mode.  The batteries are new, I haven't found any blown fuses, and usually turn off lights when no longer needed.

I called the trailer manufacturer and he stated that they are starting to see similar problems with the bigger trailers without living quarters.  His hypothesis is that the truck is unable to supply enough amps to the trailer's recharging system while hauling because of all the things that are running (truck lights, trailer marker lights, radio, etc.).  I have a 2003 F350 V-10.  He recommends that I connect a regular battery recharger unit to the batteries and then use a trickle charger while the trailer sits, consider a 110V converter and/or look into a solar panel powered recharger that can be hooked up all the time.

My questions are these: Are others having similar experiences with their truck being unable to keep the batteries charged?  What system do you use to keep your batteries charged? Is a permanently attached solar panel recharger worth the cost and effort to install?  Any other thoughts?

Thanks

A regular battery charger is a good suggestion. You have a large battery capacity.  I would not depend on the truck to charge the trailer batteries.   I would (and did) keep the maintenance charger on the trailer batteries when parked at home.  Then, you'll have a fully charged set when ever you leave.

The truck can only charge the batteries while it's running down the road.  Just idling, the charging system is not at full capacity.  So if you used the batteries for lights and jack( high draw) and took two hours driving home, the batteries only got 2 hours of charging.  Simply ... not enough charging time or current.

I would check and make sure the truck is charging the trailer batteries when it is running. Use a voltmeter (check thr trailer batteries with the truck off then check with truck running) or when the loading lights are dim start the truck and they should get brighter. If it appears your truck is charging the trailer batteries I would say you arn't on the road long enough to fully charge the batteries. 3 fans=4.2amps is a fair draw over time! The jack will really zap the batteries...3 load lights = 13 amps! It starts to add up!  A fix would be either a dedicated battery tender or a small 20W(bigger if you have the funds) solar panel to keep them fresh. I like the solar because it still works if you forget to plug it in. Both will just maintain the batteries so they are fresh when you go to use the trailer. Of course you will have to ration your amps carefully. A perminent voltmeter is a handy tool to see how much use you have left in your batteries . 

Thanks for the help.  I bought a Schumacher SE-1275A battery charger at the auto parts store today and have hooked it up to the batteries (one at a time).  It seems to be recharging the batteries ok, however the neddle jumps around a lot when I first hook it up and then after a few hours.  Not sure if the unit is working correctly or if it's defective.  Time will tell.

Again, thanks for the assistance.

Make sure it will not overcharge the batteries...You can boil the water out if you leave it hooked up to long! The battery tender type will float when fully charged and not overcharge the batteries.