Off season battery care

Jon Jenkins · 09-22-2010, 02:55 PM

Don't worry I'm not calling it a season yet

Actually will camp throughout the winter on the nicer weekends but can get bitter here in SW MO. Just curious if folks take their batteries out and place them on a quality charger/maintainer/conditioner, or just let them sit. Just planning ahead and needing to determine how many batteries my new maintainer will need to accomodate (mower, tractor, TT, etc.)
Secondly, for how long will you let them sit before placing them on a maintainer? 1 month, 2 months, couple weeks, etc.
Thanks in advance,
Jon

barrelslime · 09-22-2010, 03:40 PM

I put our unit away Nov 1 every year here near St. Louis. I remove the battry and put it in the garage, not heated but wont freeze, and install a battry tender. I put it on for a half month, then remove and put it on the lawn mower battry for a half month, then the motorcycle battry for half month. Then start the cycle over.

Albertaguy · 09-22-2010, 04:33 PM

I also take out my battery and put it on a battery tender in my garage.

JPBeck · 09-22-2010, 04:44 PM

What's off season? ohh you mean for those of you that don't live in Southern Ca -- you people that have seasons.

ByDesign · 09-22-2010, 05:05 PM

We use the BatteryMinder 12248 and I remove the RV battery and place it down in the basement connected to the charger. I then watch for its cycle to complete, disconnect it, then let it sit for 18hrs and take a reading. If there are problems they should show up during maintenance or checking its charge.

I'll have four more 12Vs golf cart batteries to maintain this winter too. All of my 12V are lead-acid.

You can leave the charger/maintainer on for extended periods of time if you choose. Since I will be bouncing around with 5-12V units I hope to allow enough time to maintain all 5. We'll see how that goes, but I'm optimistic !

kipper · 09-22-2010, 05:47 PM

You should top off the water level , give it a full charge , I put mine in the basement so it wont get too cold , and in the spring check the charge , and its good to go

ByDesign · 09-22-2010, 06:04 PM

Distilled water is recommended.

JPBeck · 09-22-2010, 07:27 PM

One more tip--
I use water miser caps -- it keeps the water from cooking out- and makes filling the calls with distilled water easy. Search Water Miser--

Jon Jenkins · 09-22-2010, 08:36 PM

Thanks all for the replies. Is it still true not to set batteries on concrete? I know years ago it was a no-no and I've always put my batteries on a 2x of some sort, but just wondering if that is true with today's batteries.

hammerdown · 09-23-2010, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Jenkins

Thanks all for the replies. Is it still true not to set batteries on concrete? I know years ago it was a no-no and I've always put my batteries on a 2x of some sort, but just wondering if that is true with today's batteries.

It's OK to set batteries on concrete now.

Seann45 · 09-23-2010, 09:53 AM

Since you say it is a maintainer.. hook it up right now and just leave it on..

barrelslime · 09-26-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammerdown

It's OK to set batteries on concrete now.

What makes it ok to set battrys on concrete NOW???

Albertaguy · 09-26-2010, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barrelslime

What makes it ok to set battrys on concrete NOW???

I was wondering that too. Put it on boards if you wish to put it on your concrete.

JPBeck · 09-26-2010, 10:40 PM

Will storing a battery on concrete will discharge it quicker? No. Long ago, when battery cases were made out of natural rubber, this was true. Now, however, battery cases are made of polypropylene or other modern materials that allow a battery to be stored anywhere. A battery's rate of discharge is affected by its construction, its age, and the ambient temperature. The main issue with storing on concrete is that if the battery leaks, the concrete will be damaged.

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/FAQ.aspx

http://www.thebatteryterminal.com/Te...n_Concrete.htm

http://www.cartalk.com/content/colum...vember/06.html

Will storing my battery on concrete drain the charge? No. Regarding today's batteries, this is a myth. A battery placed on concrete will not discharge any faster, but a battery will discharge over a period of time wherever it is placed. If the battery has a surface layer of acid or grime which is conductive, the battery will self-discharge more rapidly than if it were clean and dry.
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/w...ce/storing.htm

Welcome to Space Age Plastics!

RidgeRunner · 09-27-2010, 09:29 AM

Good info on batteries is helpful. Too often we trash our batteries because of our ignorance.

Here's a site that has helped me understand batteries and proper charging.

http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

McMonk · 09-27-2010, 06:54 PM

Good resources there .. thanks!

RedWingsFan · 09-27-2010, 07:06 PM

I left my 17Z in storage since August, checked the other day and the battery is dead. Two questions: 1 Will the battery recharge when I plug in the shore power cord before our next trip in October or do I need to pull it and put it on a charger? 2 Do you leave battery tenders constantly connected throughout the winter? Thanks.

Seann45 · 09-27-2010, 11:21 PM

There are phantom loads in almost every RV.. always disconnect the battery when in storage.. yes you did damage to the battery.. you shortened its life.. dont worry about it for the time being...put it on a separate charger.. that is the best thing for it...oh when recharging from a dead state take the battery caps off if it has them.. and after charging make sure that the water is full in each cell.. NOTE... DISTILLED WATER ONLY.... YES leave the maintainer on all winter.. it maintains the battery... it will not boil it dry.

Albertaguy · 09-28-2010, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

I left my 17Z in storage since August, checked the other day and the battery is dead. Two questions: 1 Will the battery recharge when I plug in the shore power cord before our next trip in October or do I need to pull it and put it on a charger? 2 Do you leave battery tenders constantly connected throughout the winter? Thanks.

I removed my battery last week-end, added some distilled water, hooked up my battery tender. It took two days to fully charge my battery and will now stay hooked up until I re-install it. I will check the fluid level every so often.

RedWingsFan · 09-28-2010, 10:54 AM

Thanks Seann. I'll have to buy a charger/maintainer to get this thing going. I remember them telling me in my walk through to disconnect the battery when putting the unit in storage. I thought they meant winter storage, did not think it would drain down in a couple of months. Of course it makes sense since the stereo always has power, it must run from the battery.

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