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Old 11-24-2013, 04:38 AM   #1
meyerske
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Question Should my Battery be Hooked Up All the Time?

When running off AC hook-up, should my battery be connected even though I don't need it? Or just disconnect it?
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Old 11-24-2013, 04:48 AM   #2
GaryWT
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We leave ours connected as all times except when winterized. The slides run off the battery plus the battery charges when the unit is plugged in. When parked in the yard it is plugged in all the time.
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Old 11-24-2013, 05:54 AM   #3
Phil533
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New to winter camping.

I recently purchased my new rv and use it one to two days aweek in the winter as a resting stop between home and work. It is at a seaonal campground and the water system is winterized. It has shore power at all times but the water snd sewar are turned off. I also tend to leave the propane off when I am not there. I have a 301 BQ outback with the arctic package. Can I leave the battery hooked up at all times since I have shore power at all times ? Should I leave the furnance on at all times and set it at 50 degrees when I am not there or do you think I should leave it off? Last questions, Do I really need to remove the clocks. battery remotes, electronics, etc when I am not there since I intend to use it once to twice a week in the winter. I don't mind the cost of leaving the propane on and the furnace running when I am not there since I will be back once a week or so to sleep in it. I also leave the fridge powered off since I am not using it. I live in Pennsylvania and the temps are dropping in the 20's to 30's. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Old 11-24-2013, 07:14 AM   #4
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meyerske, My battery is always connected. The converter will keep it fully charged and not overcharge. If you loose shore power even for a short time your refrigerator and furnace will still operate on 12v.dc and propane. You don't say where you are located but a fully charged battery will not freeze also.

Phil533, Turning the propane off while not there is probably a good practice and running the furnace while not there for a few days would most likely be a waste of propane. It would be safer to leave the furnace off unless you have some freezables in the trailer. An electric blanket will prewarm the bed while the furnace brings interior temps up. Like I said above, keeping the battery fully charged will prevent freezing.

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Old 11-24-2013, 10:10 AM   #5
Ken / Claudia
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I went to a new owner workshop after the purchase. Before that I would have said it should not matter. They said keep the batteries hooked up. Something about the way current is going thru 12volt motors.? I can say that in 03 I got a 02, 28ft Terry TT, I got for a extra beach house back than, I removed the batteries and had it hooked up full time to shore powder for 4 years. Without any know problems. That refer and furance would have had the 12v/110 systems.
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Old 11-24-2013, 10:28 AM   #6
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If you do keep your battery fully charged, it won't freeze as Hank pointed out but remember to check the fluid/water levels on a regular basis and top up when necessary. If you neglect to do this, you may find that you have "fried" your batteries come Spring time.
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Old 11-24-2013, 08:04 PM   #7
theeyres
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Phil, why would you remove anything when not there? I never remove any of that stuff from my trailer, even when it's in storage. For me, the whole point of an RV is so you can hook up and go with minimal fuss. So it is full stocked with everything but perishables in the fridge. Leave the heat on, if you want. You may find it spendy, though.

Same for the batteries. I never remove mine. Could never figure why people remove them for the winter if they aren't using the trailer. They won't freeze, if charged, down to something like -40 or -50 so why worry? When I'm not hooked up I will remove the negative because stuff in the trailer will quickly run down the battery. Otherwise, leave it hooked up. You know the KISS principle? Keep It Simple, Stupid. That's my motto.
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Old 11-25-2013, 01:50 AM   #8
meyerske
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theeyres View Post
Same for the batteries. I never remove mine. Could never figure why people remove them for the winter if they aren't using the trailer. They won't freeze, if charged, down to something like -40 or -50 so why worry? When I'm not hooked up I will remove the negative because stuff in the trailer will quickly run down the battery. Otherwise, leave it hooked up. You know the KISS principle? Keep It Simple, Stupid. That's my motto.
When I remove mine, it is because I'm concerned about theft.
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Old 11-25-2013, 09:38 AM   #9
ianoc2
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some allow this and some do not. On mine (parallax 7300) If I leave batt. hooked up it will burn it up in about 1-2mo. So I have operated it for 7 years now with no battery without a problem, until just lately but do not think that problem is related to having the batt removed. I live in the RV so it is hooked to 110 almost all the time.
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Old 11-25-2013, 03:29 PM   #10
AdkWoody
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It was suggested to me up here in the northeast, to remove them and place them in my basement (on wood of corse) and hook it up to a trickle charge battery tender. I do the same with my tractor battery on a separate battery tender. I went and purchased closed cell deep cycle though because I'm not a fan of battery maintenance. Plug and go for me thanks.
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Old 11-25-2013, 04:36 PM   #11
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[QUOTE=AdkWoody;103714]It was suggested to me up here in the northeast, to remove them and place them in my basement (on wood of corse) and hook it up to a trickle charge battery tender.QUOTE]

AdkWoody -
Many years ago, it was recommended that you place your battery on wood rather than on concrete. The reason being that the battery case was made out of a substance that allowed moisture from the concrete to "seep" into the battery casing and fluids from the battery leaching out of the casing.

With today's battery casings, it is not necessary to place batteries on wood any longer since the they are made from different materials which are resistant to this kind of intrusion of moisture and leakage of fluids.

It is quite okay to place them on concrete without fear of any damage being done to the battery. If you are worried about the concrete floor and from any spillage of acid from the battery, then placing them on some protective layer like plywood might be a good idea.
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