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11-13-2005, 03:31 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Bay City, Mi
Posts: 66
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Now that winter is approaching here in the north. Is it ok to leave the batteries in the RV for the winter. I have a DC disconnect and cut the power to the batteries. I have done this in the past and seem to suffer no ill effects. I just plug in in the spring and the batteries charge and good to go. I have checked them in the spring and I have only lost 1 charge light through the winter.
Do others do this?
__________________
2000 35' Carri Lite fifth wheel with triple slideouts. Rear living room with a 20' awning.
99.5 Ford PSD crewcab Dually, with a Western Diesel tow chip. Set of 3 gauges, Pyro, boost, and tranny temp. Banks brake with smartlock and a Banks Monster ex
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11-13-2005, 03:31 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Bay City, Mi
Posts: 66
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Now that winter is approaching here in the north. Is it ok to leave the batteries in the RV for the winter. I have a DC disconnect and cut the power to the batteries. I have done this in the past and seem to suffer no ill effects. I just plug in in the spring and the batteries charge and good to go. I have checked them in the spring and I have only lost 1 charge light through the winter.
Do others do this?
__________________
2000 35' Carri Lite fifth wheel with triple slideouts. Rear living room with a 20' awning.
99.5 Ford PSD crewcab Dually, with a Western Diesel tow chip. Set of 3 gauges, Pyro, boost, and tranny temp. Banks brake with smartlock and a Banks Monster ex
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11-13-2005, 04:42 AM
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#3
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Community Administrator
Appalachian Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Buladean, NC
Posts: 8,153
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I leave mine in and disconnected but I'll plug the rig in about once a month so they stay as close to 100% charged as possible. A battery left in a discharged state for a few weeks won't last very long after being charged back up, they get sulfated which diminishes their life and storage capacity.
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'11 GMC Acadia SLT AWD
'11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab
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11-13-2005, 04:44 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 390
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If you cannot keep the battery charged all winter, then the battery will freeze and fail. I'd remove it.
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2008 Tiffin Allegro 32BA FRED Class A Motor Home
2008 Honda CRV EX-L Toad
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11-13-2005, 04:44 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
Posts: 112
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I've always left them in. Before the disconnect, I would disconnect the battery but leave it in the trailer. Now with the coach, I just disconnect and check occasionally during the winter for charge level. I'm still running the original chassis batteries.
Bill
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2007 Dodge 2500 QCSB 6.7 Cummins, auto, exhaust brake
2010 Hitchhiker LS 295
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11-13-2005, 06:53 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Boerne, TX
Posts: 522
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I leave both batteries in and connected all winter. I do keep them charged with solar so I have never had a problem. Before I installed the solar panels I left them in but made sure to keep them charged so they would not freeze.
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2005 F-250 XLT 4X4 V-10
2006 Wildcat 31QBH
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11-13-2005, 08:23 AM
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#7
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Community Moderator
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club Florida Cooters Club
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Silver Springs, FL. USA
Posts: 9,011
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Leave them in and charge them once in awhile - plugging the Rv in for 24 hours once a month is good. Or hook up an automotive type battery charger for a day once a month. If you don't have a way to power a charger, take the batteries out and store in an above freezing place (but its still a wise idea to charge them periodically).
Another alternative is to buy a trickle charger and leave that hooked up all the time, either in the RV or in storage.
They will last a lot longer following this regimen.
__________________
Gary Brinck
2004 American Tradition; 2007 GMC Acadia
Homebase in the Ocala Nat'l Forest near Ocala, FL
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11-13-2005, 10:00 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Bay City, Mi
Posts: 66
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Thanks to all the replies...
__________________
2000 35' Carri Lite fifth wheel with triple slideouts. Rear living room with a 20' awning.
99.5 Ford PSD crewcab Dually, with a Western Diesel tow chip. Set of 3 gauges, Pyro, boost, and tranny temp. Banks brake with smartlock and a Banks Monster ex
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11-14-2005, 03:30 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Worcester, MA
Posts: 341
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I leave in and plugrd in to shore power and have never had a problem. Scotty.
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2005 FourWinds 24T motorhome, 23' Stratos walk around, 1991 FXRS + 1994 XL 1200, 3 Springer spaniels and wife.
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11-14-2005, 04:43 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Medford, near Boston, Ma.
Posts: 470
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kerfcutter;
hello, and welcome to irv2
currently on our 7th rv, a newmar diesel pusher, but now to your question re; battery removal. the past 3 motorhomes i have had solar panels, this one has 3 120 watt panels with 21.3 amps of charging capacity. living north of boston ma., it can get mighty frigid in winter. i do not have any hook-ups where i store the rig , so the panels keep the 8 6 volt house batteries fully charged and ready to go at any time. the engine batteries are kept charged by a 10 amp panel,
yea, solar costs money, but you save removal, the risk of damage to batteries,where to store removed batteries and keeping them charged for 4 to 5 months while stored. much safer with solar, and a lot less labor.if we get more than a foot of snow, i use a heavy push broom from a ladder, i don't get on the roof.
the big asset is being able to go whenever you want without a lot of fuss.
hope this info is of help---- ajbjrvers
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