It is common knowledge that with all of their electric, plumbing, HVAC and mechanical systems, trailers are more complicated than just a box on wheels and they can make their owners very nervous.

Nervous while driving, backing up or just parked.  Just read an owners’ forum, any one will do, to find out what drives us batty.

So, an unexpected abundant snowfall this week was sufficient reason for a short drive to check on T-Boo at the Navan hibernation yard where she sleeps.

T-Boo is the first in a line of lounging trailers, in fact she is the bearing the brunt of westerly winds. I had expected she would have been protected as she is in the #2 spot but #1 is vacant and at this point in the season will no doubt remain so.

With a few inches already fallen and with expected rain later in the day, I wanted to clear as much of the soon to be heavier snow as possible.  The snow was also preventing the solar panel from doing its job.

After some research a few months ago I decided to leave the batteries in the trailer. They are quite heavy and require storage in a warm place with a connected charger.

I read they can be left in place as long as there is a power source maintaining a charge.

At least, that is what I think after struggling though the many differing and occasional condescending opinions.

Having a trailer stored by the house can make life easier because it can be plugged in.

Shore power it is called.  You can plug an appliance or a lawn mower into an exterior outlet and that is what it is, an outlet.  But, if it’s a travel trailer or a semi it becomes shore power. Perhaps Airstream started this when it introduced its Land Yacht model. I don’t know.

Unable to shore power, I drive out to Navan a couple of times every week to clear off the solar panel after a snowfall.  It’s not a big deal as it takes me around 15 minutes to reach the yard.

The snow removal procedure involves a step ladder and a telescoping aluminum pole on which I have fitted a window squeegee. I wonder which international agreement determined that sticks and poles would be threaded in such a way to accept any number of attachements.  If only the electronics industry could agree on their power cords.

T-Boo’s snow clearing gear is permanently stored in the truck, at least until April if I am lucky.

Once the snow cleared, the little meter showed the panel was back at work.

Judging by the lack of tire tracks in the yard, I seem to be the only person out there checking things.

I could be obsessive or just missing a piece of crucial information on trailer electrical systems. Perhaps T-B’s neighbours have removed their batteries or don’t really care.

I just don’t know.