Plug or unplug

[Murff]

We have had a travel trailer of some sort or another in the driveway and all have been plugged in with batteries hooked up. Been doing this since 1983 and never a problem.

Murff

[abarkl]

Originally Posted by Gman1372

Don't laugh. Spare battery. Sitting in the shop office.

It's okay. It can't hurt.

[Gman1372]

Back to topic. The last few years I've left my batteries in my boat and plugged in to the house with the shore power cable. In a boat they are a pia to take out. Now my new TT has to be stored so I have no choice but to eventually remove them and maintenance charge them. Need another piece of plywood though. Lol

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by abarkl

Sorry, but that's an old, unproven, belief.

Do Cement Floors Ruin Car Batteries? : snopes.com

"Car batteries used to be encased in hard rubber, a substance that was porous enough that battery acid could seep through it and create a conductive path through the damp concrete, draining the battery. The cases of today’s batteries, however, are made of sturdier stuff that far better contains their contents than those of yesteryear. As well, time has brought technological improvements to the seals around the posts and the vent systems.

These days, the problem of car battery electrolyte seepage and migration has been all but eliminated. Says battery manufacturer Yuasa, "Nowadays, containers are made from a solid plastic that does not allow any current to flow through it, so the batteries do not discharge, even if they sit in a few inches of water."

Interestingly, some experts (including Car Talk's Click and Clack) believe that storing car batteries on concrete floors might actually be a better idea than keeping them on shelves or other surfaces because the cold of the floor works to slow the self-discharge (leakage) rate."

Snopes is hardly an automotive authority - They are a husband and wife team and are regularly proven wrong. Ask most old school mechanics and they will agree with Gman - a wet cell battery should not sit directly on concrete. I'm of that same mindset but I've never done any real tests to prove or disprove the theory.

I'm just pointing out here that Snopes is not an authority on anything...

[Hoppy220]

Straight from interstate battery web site faq

[mike837go]

On the battery/concrete issue:


I was informed it was bunk when I first got involved with automobiles back in the early 1970's.


I choose not to leave lead-acid batteries on the floor since they are so much of pain to pick up from that level! Store and charge 'em waist high. Then they can be carried with one or both hands any distance needed.