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genopower · 10-31-2014, 08:18 PM

2002 Monaco 39 foot diesel RV. I'm putting it away for the winter and can't take all the batteries out. Is it best to plug it in to 110V all winter or put two trickle chargers on the batteries directly? Worried that plugging it in might be bad for RV that long.

Thx

Chuck

palehorse89 · 10-31-2014, 08:23 PM

Hello Chuck and welcome! you should be able to just plug it in and the converters if working properly , will keep them in tip top shape at a full charge. Mine is plugged 24/7 365, batteries at 13.5 vdc all the time........batteries love it and last. If wet cells, check the levels every couple of months.

SKP Kirk · 11-02-2014, 09:08 AM

While plugging it in will prevent the batteries from going flat and freezing, a good quality float charging device will keep them better.

Forest Grump · 11-02-2014, 10:42 AM

Trickle chargers often supply a small charge 24/7, real good way to destroy a battery. Follow the advice given either answer would work.

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"007" · 11-02-2014, 11:29 AM

Welcome to irv2.
You might find some information here that might help you.

RobtShetland · 11-09-2014, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genopower

2002 Monaco 39 foot diesel RV. I'm putting it away for the winter and can't take all the batteries out. Is it best to plug it in to 110V all winter or put two trickle chargers on the batteries directly? Worried that plugging it in might be bad for RV that long. Thx Chuck

In storage, with all the coach loads disconnected, all you're trying to do is compensate for the small internal leakage current present in all batteries. Most charging converters provide MORE voltage than necessary for this task and, if it's too high, it could shorten the life of the battery. A small, low current trickle charger could be enough for your batteries' needs, without overcharging the batteries and needing a water top-up. Measure the voltage from time-to-time, and if it's in the 12.7-12.8V range it's good enough. A little more is not necessarily bad, just more than is really needed to preserve the batteries over a few months. I've been using the less-than-$10 Harbor Freight automatic float charger for some years for exactly these reasons. It's only a half-Amp, but adequate for this task.

SkiSmuggs · 11-09-2014, 03:37 PM

I will use the battery disconnect and a Battery Minder over the winter.

Textronics · 11-09-2014, 06:53 PM

Our house batteries failed under load testing. Since it is so close to winter, we opted to not replace them until spring. They're already dead, so a little deader shouldn't matter.