Winter batteries storage

[CRPT1955]

After the camper is winterized, and no electrical available, how should a person store the coach batteries

[RogerR]

Best is to take them out and store where you can keep them on a battery tender and check water level at home.

At the very least take the cables off the batteries (mark them if not color coded. Or better yet, mark them just to make sure you remember in spring).
Other ways, add solar to keep charged and check over winter for water level.
Or use generator to top off batteries once a month or so if you have a generator.

[CRPT1955]

Thanks, I did not think about adding solar. Where is the best place to investigate solar options?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by CRPT1955

Thanks, I did not think about adding solar. Where is the best place to investigate solar options?

AMAZON has a wide selection of solar battery tenders/chargers.

[RogerR]

Make sure your solar battery trickle charger has a good system to maintain the battery and not over charge it. Some cheapos just run whatever the solar cells make directly into the battery with no over charge protection.
I don't have one but Renogy has a $50 unit that has a battery maintainer system. You might look at that as a benchmark of what you want.

It is a small solar panel put somewhere appropriate and some cables to a controller box that you connect to the battery. The important thing is to not overcharge the battery and damaging it.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by RogerR

Make sure your solar battery trickle charger has a good system to maintain the battery and not over charge it. Some cheapos just run whatever the solar cells make directly into the battery with no over charge protection.
I don't have one but Renogy has a $50 unit that has a battery maintainer system. You might look at that as a benchmark of what you want.

It is a small solar panel put somewhere appropriate and some cables to a controller box that you connect to the battery. The important thing is to not overcharge the battery and damaging it.

The $50 Renogy doesn't have a lot of power, so I'm not sure how well it would work.

We have the Renogy 100 watt RV setup. In Summer it keeps our battery 100% charged all the time. In Winter, it provides more power than the $50 unit, as long as the snow load on the panel is an inch or less.

We are set up on a mountaintop in the woods. Even at best we only get full sunshine on the panel only a couple hours a day. What has amazed me is that even on cloudy days the panel is still trickle charging the battery.

Since its a professional system the Controller keeps the battery in check without over-charging. I only add water twice a year.

This is our 5th year with the system, and to say we are pleased would be an understatement. The battery is always at 100%.

We paid about $450, but with the solar rebate on our taxes, it was only $150 total.

[CAG]

I have kept mine charged, in the vehicle or trailer, with solar for years. They do fine even the multi-battery banks.

[Alante31V]

Here are a couple of decent ones;


SUNER POWER Waterproof 12V Solar Battery Charger & Maintainer Pro - Built-in Intelligent MPPT Charge Controller - 20W Solar Panel Trickle Charging Kit for Car, Marine, Motorcycle, RV, etc

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y5TKMZ4...3GP7P014RN796N

20W 12V Solar Battery Charger Pro, Portable Solar Panel Car Trickle Charger & Maintainer Built-in MPPT Charge Controller + 3-Stages Charging for Boat Marine RV Car Trailer Snowmobile Automotive

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C2DMBS3...JN6YZYC3PGS2NF

[Alante31V]

Another option w/ bracket;

SUNER POWER 12V Waterproof Solar Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer - 50 Watts Solar Panel Built-in Intelligent MPPT Solar Charge Controller + Adjustable Mount Bracket + SAE Connection Cable Kits

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LDM59Y9...ing=UTF8&psc=1

[HAL9001]

Before I knew better, I burnt out several batteries keeping them on battery tenders all winter, and excellent, well-rated ones, not the cheap units.

In my opinion, the proper way to store a typical 12V lead-acid battery for the winter is to first ensure the electrolyte level is full and it's fully charged. Then, remove it from the RV and keep it inside a garage off the cold floor. If you can safely store it in a warm area, even better, but don't store it inside a house or other enclosed areas, they can give off dangerous hydrogen gas when charging.

Once a month during the winter, check the charge. You'll find that a battery in good condition will lose very little charge when fully disconnected. Check the electrolyte level and then put it on a trickle charger or battery tender for just a few days and then remove the charger. Or simply use a normal charger until it's fully charged and then remove it. This will ensure it survives the winter in great shape.

The problem with battery tenders or smart chargers used all winter long is that they can eventually boil off some of the electrolyte, even the good ones. If you don't carefully monitor the electrolyte level when on a battery tender, this could eventually ruin the battery. If the battery is not connected, there is no need for a battery tender to be attached all winter.

If you wish to use a battery tender constantly all winter, then at least check the electrolyte level twice a month.

[RVhiker]

I've stored our trailer over winter for about 20 seasons now. My experience is that without a trickle charger charged batteries which are in good condition will retain a good charge and still be in good condition for several months of storage if:

1) The batteries when stored are fully charged
2) The batteries are in good health (charges normally and retains normally that charge)
3) All electrical drains are removed either by disconnecting battery cables or using a disconnect switch (if it really disconnects all electrical drains).

Where I live, it will be a 20 degrees F or less several times during a winter and usually at 30 or 40 F, so we are not in a very cold winter area.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by HAL9001

Before I knew better, I burnt out several batteries keeping them on battery tenders all winter, and excellent, well-rated ones, not the cheap units.

In my opinion, the proper way to store a typical 12V lead-acid battery for the winter is to first ensure the electrolyte level is full and it's fully charged. Then, remove it from the RV and keep it inside a garage off the cold floor. If you can safely store it in a warm area, even better, but don't store it inside a house or other enclosed areas, they can give off dangerous hydrogen gas when charging.

Once a month during the winter, check the charge. You'll find that a battery in good condition will lose very little charge when fully disconnected. Check the electrolyte level and then put it on a trickle charger or battery tender for just a few days and then remove the charger. Or simply use a normal charger until it's fully charged and then remove it. This will ensure it survives the winter in great shape.

The problem with battery tenders or smart chargers used all winter long is that they can eventually boil off some of the electrolyte, even the good ones. If you don't carefully monitor the electrolyte level when on a battery tender, this could eventually ruin the battery. If the battery is not connected, there is no need for a battery tender to be attached all winter.

If you wish to use a battery tender constantly all winter, then at least check the electrolyte level twice a month.

Read the above. That's the right answer.

I have 3 tractor batteries, 3 boat batteries and a classic car battery. I get unusually long service life out of all of them.

To add to the discussion, what I do is check the voltage the first of every month. Then I do the smart charger thing. I usually lose no more than 15-20% of charge in a month. If any battery goes down to 70% or below, I know its time to be replaced.