winter battery storage

[Rapidly]

I've never taken out the battery before storing our popup before, and of course it was always dead when I got it out of storage and I'd have to charge it up. This year i have learned better and will be removing the battery and keeping it in the basement (garage not heated). Question, do I need to keep it connected to a trickle charger through the winter?

[314BHDS]

Personally I would never keep something like that in my basement hooked up to a charger but that's just me.I know it's only a trickle charger and the chances of it failing are slim but being a fire fighter for almost 20 years now I am very particular about a lot of things to keep us safe in the house.I leave my battery in my trailer but it's plugged in year round.Leaving it in your garage on a piece of wood and not the concrete hooked up to a charger should be fine.

[rjackson]

setting a battery on concrete in your garage will not harm it in any way

[Rapidly]

Thanks, I'm inclined to heed that good advice; but living in Minnesota, if I keep it in the garage, do I need to worry about the battery freezing?

[Jagiven]

I'm in Minnesota too. I bring mine into the basement, and evert few months I put it on the trickle charger.

[Owen Stubbs]

I keep the battery from my camper, plus two from my boat in my basement on the concrete floor. I've done this for years without any ill effect. I only connect them to a charger for a few days before using them for the first time in the spring. The camper battery is on a smart charger all summer.

My basement floor is under no risk of flooding... if it were, I would probably store the batteries on a shelf, and not on the floor.

[Subaru297]

I am in Calgary Alberta and I never remove my battery from the trailer. I just disconnect it and leave it for the winter. As long as it is charged it will not freeze and the self discharge is slow enough that it will still be relatively full after a few months. Ours sat for 7 months last year and was fine come spring.
Probably not ideal for maximum battery life but it is easy!

[rabalin]

Minnesota here too, I leave my batteries in the garage I use Battery Tender on them all winter. As long as they are on a charger they won't freeze either.

[eng45ine]

I bring my battery into my basement.

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by Rapidly

Thanks, I'm inclined to heed that good advice; but living in Minnesota, if I keep it in the garage, do I need to worry about the battery freezing?

NOT if you keep it on a trickle charger... a charged battery will not freeze and a trickle charger will not cause gassing.

[Flapper]

A fully charged battery will not freeze until it gets below -70F!
But, what will kill your battery: 1) low acid level, especially for a long period or 2) having it discharge over the winter or 3) Improper charging over the winter. Good batteries do slowly self-discharge, but that rate goes way down the colder it gets. A healthy battery should never come near full discharge over a northern winter.
Check the water levels, charge it fully, disconnect all connections on one terminal, and don't think about it until next spring!
Unloading/loading or improper over-winter charging will cause more problems (to your back, or your battery) than just leaving it alone ever will. If it's dead next year, it was going bad before you put it into storage!

[DJL1967]

I live in the North where the ground can freeze up to 7'. I remove my battery and charge it up in the garage then top up the cells with distilled water then charge again till it has a full charge. I will put the charger on periodically through the winter to top up the charge. By spring it is ready to go back in the TT. Never left a battery in the basement and will never charge one in the house either.

[bankr63]

Our pup battery gave up the ghost this past summer after 7 years of good service. I removed it every year, mostly storing it on the concrete garage floor until I read a pretty convincing article that it could shorten the battery life. I started taking the case off the frame with the battery and storing it on a shelf, but still in the unheated garage. We are in Eastern Ontario, so outside temps often go down as far -40F/C, but our garage shares 3 walls with heated space and has an insulated door, so it doesn't get too far into the freezing temps.


I place the battery on a trickle charger come spring, and it may take a few days to hit full charge. Now, is 7 years sufficient life for a battery? I wasn't disappointed...