How important is it to trickle charge the 12v?

[Jarratt]

Don't have my truck yet. Is there a direct readout anywhere in Settings of the 12 v battery voltage? I should imagine the Lightning doesn't have a "cigarette" lighter outlet in the cab. In my 2007 Honda Hybrid, I have a dual USB car charger with a voltmeter, like this (the OEM model I got is no longer sold): https://www.amazon.com/Charge-Charger-Socket-Outlet-Voltmeter/dp/B0BM3S5463/. The voltmeter on my device reads about 0.3 volts too low. Still, it provides a good indication of how my 12 v battery is doing without reading the voltage across the terminals directly. Although my Battery Tender trickle charger is not supposed to boil or bubble off liquid, I notice a little acid spray around the refill/check cell port plugs on the top of the battery, so I wonder how much long-term good I'm doing with my battery tender. It goes through its normal LED display cycle when I use it with no warning lights. Are there good ways of checking what the tender is doing? I guess, for starters, I could just read the voltage across the terminals in different stages of the battery tender cycle or sit in the car and read the same off the USB charger plugged into the auxiliary power 12 v outlet.

Thanks for the reply. I have decided that this is really a nonissue -- I was concerned after reading some of the comments here.

The truck does not have a 12v readout setting (at least that i've found). Good idea though. It does have a cigarette lighter -- now employed by my radar detector.

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