Winter Battery maintenance do you leave your batteries in or take them out?

DMK · 12-13-2014, 09:30 AM

Ok, I have a 2013 Raptor 300MP, I pulled the batteries last year and maintained them in my garage, but this past year had a 50 amp pedestal installed for my TH.

So, wondering If I would be OK to leave it plugged in over the winter with the 3 stage converter that my TH has, or if I should remove them. It's just a PITA if I need to move it with the jacks working off the 12 volt system. I live in a Northern climate that usually has a few weeks of sub zero temps. What say you??

Festus2 · 12-13-2014, 09:44 AM

I leave my two 6V Trojans in the RV all year round - including the winter. While we don't get a few weeks of below zero (C), we can have a week or 10 days of freezing temperatures. I am not plugged in to shore power all the time but do plug the RV in for a few days at a time during which the batteries get recharged. During these cold spells, I do plug the RV in so the batteries are being charged.

As long as the batteries are kept in a fully-charged state and not allowed to completely discharge, they won't freeze. You do need to check the battery water level and top up when needed.

Others will recommend that you remove them and place them on a battery tender of some sort but I've not had any issues with leaving them in year 'round. If my batteries were a lot lighter and much easier to remove, I might consider taking them out but they are a real bear to lift and remove.

**JRTJH** · 12-13-2014, 10:10 AM

We live in Michigan, at the 45th parallel, so it's below zero for significant parts of the winter. Very similar to Minnesota's weather. If I had power to the pole barn I store my trailer in, I'd leave the batteries installed and just plug it in every couple of weeks for 24 hours or so. I don't think I'd leave it plugged in 24/7, there's electronics in the converter and no need to have them powered all the time if the only thing required is maintaining the batteries. The "mean time to failure" (MTTF) is rated in operational hours, so the more you have the converter "powered on" when not needed, the more likely you are to have a failure along the way. I'd plan a schedule to plug it in one day a week, or some similar schedule and go from there.

Remember that if you use your battery cutoff switch, you need to turn it back on for the converter to charge the battery. And, if you leave that switch on all the time, the parasitic drain may deplete your batteries sooner than the weekly schedule. Very cold deep cycle batteries don't provide the same energy level as batteries that are at a "more normal" temperature and they will charge slower than at "normal", so take that into consideration as well when you try to plan your schedule.

But, in a "nutshell" You can leave your batteries in the RV, keep them charged and they will be OK, even in the sub zero weather.

Good Luck

DMK · 12-13-2014, 11:00 AM

Thanks for the replies, as far as the disconnect switch, I figured the parasitic draw would be good with the shore power being plugged in to keep some amperage running through them at all times.

We have a mild weekend with temps in the 40's today, so I think I will pull the battery covers off, check the voltage, water level and decide from what I see if I will pull them or leave them in.

As far as only powering it up once or twice a week, I wonder about condensation in the convertor that's why I thought leaving it plugged in all the time would be better...

Desert185 · 12-13-2014, 05:40 PM

I would leave the battery(ies) in the trailer, use the battery disconnect to isolate the battery and connect a Battery Tender (brand name) continuously. The tender is designed to maintain the battery for long periods of time without harming it.

xaugievike · 12-13-2014, 08:42 PM

Mine comes out and goes to the garage on a battery tender whenever the rig is parked for extended periods of time.

ChuckS · 12-14-2014, 02:54 PM

I also leave batteries in and have a quick hook up connection for my battery tender

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

EricLynnAllison · 12-15-2014, 09:27 AM

I'm trying to leave them in this year. I'm running my generator every 2 weeks for 3 to 4 hours. I'm checking every week. Hope I'll be okay. I have a battery disconnect to stop voltage leaks

christopherglenn · 12-17-2014, 01:41 PM

I leave mine in, and plugged in full time. The MTTF is a sliding scale, hours at max output count more then hours pushing 2-3 amps in float. We get occasional power outages (storms) so having a lifeboat charged up to go to is nice.

theeyres · 12-17-2014, 08:41 PM

When we lived in Eastern OR where we always had below freezing temps for weeks at a time, I would leave them in, with no charging, but disconnected from the trailer. When we'd get near summer, I'd plug in the trailer, let em' charge up and never had a problem. As long as they are fully charged they can sit out there in freezing weather with no problem. Why create problems where there aren't any?

jkohler70 · 12-18-2014, 06:35 AM

I keep mine plugged in all winter, but I have a 20 A outlet near my driveway. Here are the recommendations from Trojan battery for maintaining a deep cycle battery:
1.Shallow discharges will result in a longer battery life.
2.50% (or less) discharges are recommended.
3.80% discharge is the maximum safe discharge.
4.Do not fully discharge flooded batteries (80% or more). This will damage (or kill) the battery.
5.Many experts recommend operating batteries only between the 50% to 85% of full charge range. A periodic equalization charge is a must when using this practice.
6.Do not leave batteries deeply discharged for any length of time.
7.Lead acid batteries do not develop a memory and do not need to be fully discharged before recharging.
8.Batteries should be charged after each period of use.

What is a "periodic equalization charge"?

**JRTJH** · 12-18-2014, 06:54 AM

Trojan Battery Corporation has a very good "Battery Maintenance Guide" located here: http://www.trojanbattery.com/tech-su...y-maintenance/

To answer your question, "What is a "periodic equalization charge ?",

Battery acid is a mixture of acid and water. The acid is "heavier" than the water and over time, it tends to settle to the bottom of the battery. Additionally, chemicals (mostly sulphur) in the battery tend to attach themselves to the lead in the battery plates. A "process" of overcharging the battery (usually by employing a higher than normal voltage) is applied to the battery to "boil" (cause turbulence to mix the acid) and to disrupt the sulfation process (break the crystals away from the lead plates).

A much more imformative answer is located about 2/3 down on the webpage I've listed.

Normally (not in all cases and not with all converter/chargers) your converter will have a built in "3 stage" charger section. The "first stage" is a high voltage "sulfation" stage, followed by a "normal charging" stage and then finished off with a "maintenance" stage. On WFCO converters, these stage are called:
- Boost (Bulk Mode) 14.4 Vdc
- Nominal (Absorption Mode) 13.6 Vdc (includes charging and load)
- Trickle (Float Mode) 13.2 Vdc (after 44 hrs.)

I hope this helps you understand a bit better. The Trojan website is a great place to learn about batteries in general and especially in how to maintain them properly.

Festus2 · 12-18-2014, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

The Trojan website is a great place to learn about batteries in general and especially in how to maintain them properly.

John -

Trojan not only produces an informative website, but also makes a great battery!

Yosemitebob · 12-21-2014, 03:58 PM

I wouldn't take mine out even if I could, I'm not exactly young and those batteries weight in about 80lbs a piece and you have to lift them out and over, I ain't as strong as I once was, is the saying. Other than that, they get plenty of charging time even during the winter around here. No need

Desert185 · 12-22-2014, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yosemitebob

I wouldn't take mine out even if I could, I'm not exactly young and those batteries weight in about 80lbs a piece and you have to lift them out and over, I ain't as strong as I once was, is the saying. Other than that, they get plenty of charging time even during the winter around here. No need

Bingo! Why move batteries if you don't have to? Of course, if its parked in a storage lot...

Scttw · 12-23-2014, 04:48 AM

A battery is a battery .....

It does NOT enjoy sub-zero temperatures and when you drain it - it's hard on them. Worse thing is to drain and charge - etc.

If you can get a 2amp tender on it, it will last way longer. They only kick on when they sense it has dropped. I bring mine inside the house and tender it. You can pick up a 2 amp tender for $15.00. It will not charge a dead battery though, but it will charge one that is at least at 50%.

nuff said

You may also like: