to plug in or to not plug in

[lorax614]

Just started thinking about getting the trairer ready for winter. The spot where I'll be parking it is within easy reach of an electric receptical. Should I leave the trailer plugged in all winter to keep the battery charged, or should i unhook the battery and bring it into the shop for the winter. This is our first rv and I'm not sure which would be the best option.

Thanx, any input would be appreciated.

[hankpage]

I really don't have anyplace heated to store the battery so I keep the trailer plugged in year round. Been doing this for 17 years and am still on my third battery. (second one went with old trailer when I traded it in 5 years ago) So I will say that it works for me. Travel safely, Hank

[parkgirl]

We also have a new trailer on a seasonal site and have access to power but our dealer told us to disconnect the battery and bring it home and store it in a heated room, not the garage or the basement. We wondered whether we would have to do anything to keep it charged but they said we didn't have to do anything, that it would be fine as long as it was stored in a heated space. So that's what we're doing.
parkgirl

[Festus2]

parkgirl -
If you are going to disconnect your battery and bring it inside, it is perfectly safe for the battery to be stored in the garage or the basement. While it is desirable that it be stored in a heated place, it is not necessary to do that.
The battery will not freeze if you keep it fully charged - that is the key. If you have a battery charger with a trickle charge setting, connect your battery to it and check the water level from time to time.
Batteries are kept outside all the time during the winter and as long as they are charged up, they will work fine.
You could leave your battery at your site but it needs to be in a state of charge.
Leaving a battery uncharged for long periods of time is not good for the battery and your dealer who tells you that "you don't have to do anything to it" is misinformed.
If you disconnect it, put a trickle charge on it and check the water level!

[fred1609]

We live in a climate where it doesnt get below freezing to often and I leave the unit plugged in and the batteries hooked up. If you take your batteries out dont leave them on a concrete floor......have them stored above ground.

[SAABDOCTOR]

fred the don't store your battery on a concreat floor is from the old days when batteries were incased in a rubber case. they would sweat the acid and the damp floor would draw the acid out and then there would be a path for cuurent flow bettween the post. now the batteries are in plastic cases so it will not happen any more. but the very cold floor will promote freezing in a weak battery which is why you should always keep the battery up on the charge! i do the same thing as hank batteries last a long time!

[Festus2]

Barney's comment that it is okay to place today's batteries - unlike those "from the old days" on concrete is quite correct. Now, how would a young guy like Barney know about the "old days"?

[parkgirl]

Ah, thank you again Festus2. So we will have to buy a battery charger then, I guess. We have no experience with batteries! Problem with the car battery? Call up CAA and have them deal with it, that's all we know.
parkgirl

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by Festus2

Barney's comment that it is okay to place today's batteries - unlike those "from the old days" on concrete is quite correct. Now, how would a young guy like Barney know about the "old days"?

He must have been sent an AARP magazine by accident.

[Festus2]

parkgirl -
There are several small trickle chargers that you can buy and attach to your battery. One that comes to mind is the Battery Tender ( or Battery Minder) ---- can't remember the exact name - a Senior moment here. You can Google trickle chargers and get some ideas about what is available.

PS- Just looked up Battery Tender.....that's the one I was thinking of and then there is Battery Tender Plus. Check these two out for starters.

[Criptix]

I live in Edmonton, Alberta.

Temps here go way below freezing. On my dirtbike which has an electric start I use a battery tender and leave it on my battery all winter in an unheated garage. Always starts up first time come spring. Battery is 5 years old.

http://batterytender.com/products/mo...-at-0-75a.html

I have another battery tender for my RV battery. Got it from Canadian Tire on sale for $23. I am planning on using it on the battery while it is stored in my basement.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

[SAABDOCTOR]

Festus thank you for the compliment but my socks are the correct color for my age! when i was born the chevy small block v8 wasn't

[parkgirl]

Thanks for the link, Criptix. Gotta love Canadian Tire. We're in Ontario with lots of days below freezing as well.
parkgirl

[SteveC7010]

I've always pulled the batteries for the winter and kept them in a heated basement with occasional trickle charging. TT, boat, and lawn tractor.

The original TT battery lasted 8 seasons.

Our Cougar now gets stored several miles from our house for the winter. Pulling the batteries is as much an anti-theft measure as extending battery life.

[SAABDOCTOR]

Originally Posted by hankpage

He must have been sent an AARP magazine by accident.

HI HANK I ARE A CARDCARING MEMBER OF THE AARP

[lorax614]

Is there much difference between a trickle charger and the converter in theTT? Also if I remove the battery will the 12v lights still work as long as I'm plugged in ? I'm planning on some interior mods over the winter, mostly better storage solutions and being able to use the TT lights would just make life easier. That said, I'm also interested in getting the max life out of the battery. If it's better for the batt to bring inside I'll just rig ext cords and clamp lights.

[smiller]

Originally Posted by lorax614

Is there much difference between a trickle charger and the converter in theTT?

That depends on which trickle charger and which converter as they vary widely in design quality. If you have a good 3-stage temperature-compensated trickle charger (the Battery Tender Plus is a good example) then it will be much easier on the battery than a typical inexpensive OEM converter which frequently employs too high a standby voltage for long-term storage. Alternately if you have upgraded to a quality aftermarket converter that would also be an excellent choice. If you have a well-designed charger the optimal condition for best life would be to float the battery at the proper voltage when in storage, but if you have a cheap charger you are better off bringing the battery in because a poor charger can easily do more harm than good.

[parkgirl]

Just one further question about charging our battery. We have purchased a battery tender and now I'm just wondering something since I've read stuff about air circulation and batteries overheating, etc. We brought home our battery in the plastic case that attaches it with a velcro strap to our hitch. I'm assuming that it's okay to leave the battery in this case while charging it, since that's how it works when it's on the trailer, but I just thought I'd check that out in case that's a no no when you're only charging and not drawing on it. (We have purchased a good battery charger/tender that is appropriate for our battery).
Thanks,
parkgirl

[smiller]

Charging a very low battery with a high-amp charger can generate some heat, but maintenance/float charging supplies very little current and there will be negligible heating effect on the battery, so if that's all you're doing then you should have no problem at all.

[audio1der]

With access to power, I would put a trickle/maintenance charge on the batteries instead of plugging the whole trailer in to shore power. The charge is better quality and it won't end in any false readings of mis-charged batteries.
My $.02