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Old 11-22-2010, 05:29 PM   #1
NSTS1470
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Battery for winter

I have recently stored my camper for the winter. I removed the batter and have it in my basement. What is the best method for the winter. should I leave the batter and charge in the spring. Or should I purchase a battery tender and have it on charge all winter.
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Old 11-22-2010, 06:16 PM   #2
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Battery

I have had great luck with a battery tender, I got 7-1/2 years out of my motorcycle battery and going on five years on my wifes car.
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Old 11-22-2010, 08:47 PM   #3
Festus2
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Your battery should be kept in a charged state all winter. After bringing the battery up to a fully-charged state, you can maintain this charge with a trickle charger or battery tender such as the battery maintainer that you mentioned or with a battery charger that has a float charge component.
It is important that you check your water levels from time to time.
A battery that becomes discharged or in a low charged state will freeze but if it is kept fully charged, it will not usually freeze.
Batteries can be kept on a concrete/cement floor. It is a myth that today's batteries can't be stored on this surface. Long ago, when battery cases were made of porous rubber, leakage was common but with today's plastic casings, this is no longer a problem.
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Old 11-23-2010, 06:16 AM   #4
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Thanks for the info. What would be a recommended charger. Also if the water levels are low what do I refill it with?
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Old 11-23-2010, 07:59 AM   #5
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It is recommended that you use distilled water when topping up your batteries. There are a wide variety of battery chargers on the market and you can do a Google search to get an idea of what is available. The "Battery Tender" that was mentioned in a previous post here is one to consider.
I would choose a charger that has a "float" or "maintainer" charging component which will automatically shut off when the battery reaches a charged state. Strictly speaking, a trickle charger will continue to put out a very small charge all the time. Get one that has an auto-shutoff.
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