Community Forums

macbob · 11-23-2014, 10:49 AM

I winterize the motorhome, and have a 50 amp service that I can hook-up to--Is it worth keeping the 50 amp eclectic on during winter storage, all the time or turn it on for a week or two per month, or is it just a waste of electric???
Bob or just a waste of electricity

palehorse89 · 11-23-2014, 11:02 AM

The only electric you will be using is the electric to keep the batteries maintained, other than if something is left on.........Mine is plugged in 24/7 - 365.......other than traveling of course.......

BFlinn181 · 11-23-2014, 11:42 AM

As long as your Converter(Inverter)/Charger can maintain batteries without boiling dry, leave it plugged in. I would also hope you have a Progressive EMS or equivalent to protect electronics in case of a surge.

Mike Canter · 11-23-2014, 12:19 PM

I leave my Sig plugged in up here in Maine. I also leave the battery disconnects on. My batteries are always charged. Remember a dead battery will freeze and be ruined. I also put mousetraps in the basement and interior just in case. I seal the hole that the power cable comes through tightly so no mouse can climb up the cord into the mh.

wa8yxm · 11-23-2014, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

As long as your Converter(Inverter)/Charger can maintain batteries without boiling dry, leave it plugged in. I would also hope you have a Progressive EMS or equivalent to protect electronics in case of a surge.

My recommendation as well

If you have a good 3-stage converter and a surge guard GO FOR IT. DO NOT disconnect the house batteries.

IF your Motor home does not charge chassis batteries (Assuming it is a motor home that is) off the house add a Trick-L-Start to provide that function.

IF you have a bottom end single stage, converter: UPGRADE!!! then see above.

I have a Progressive Dynamics Intellapower Wizard controlled unit (9180 with optional wizard) and that is how I handled it when I wintered. No problems at all. (No better converters either).

Papa_Jim · 11-23-2014, 03:09 PM

That's what we do up here in Canada. -30F or C, coach winterized, plugged into 50amp service to keep the batteries warm, check it once in a while.

Jim

Tom-NC · 11-23-2014, 03:19 PM

Hi,

I leave my motor home plugged in 24/7 365 days a year unless I'm driving it.

One thing I do though is every month when I exercise the generator I check battery levels and make sure they are OK. I also clean and inspect the battery terminals.

If I would be home during the Winter I would naturally winterize everything and give it a good coat of Protect-All and cover the tires.

Enjoy!

Bumps · 11-23-2014, 03:33 PM

What is most important is that you keep the batteries topped-off. Managing the parasitic loads is difficult (at least for me), so some kind of charge is necessary. Dead batteries are frozen batteries! If you don't have solar and a 3-4 stage charge controller, plugging in to shore power is the next best thing. Heed the great advice that wa8yxm offers in Post #5, tho! \ken

ShapeShifter · 12-05-2014, 03:21 PM

I leave mine plugged into 50 amp all winter long. As mentioned, it doesn't draw a significant amount of power, unless you leave something on by mistake. (Like when I found out this spring that I left the engine block heater on all winter, no wonder the electric bills where a bit higher than usual!

)

oldguy70 · 12-07-2014, 02:50 PM

I leave mine plugged into a 30 amp service 24/7 and when it is freezing I have a heater in the water compartment and another in the galley turned down so they keep the water from freezing.

palehorse89 · 12-07-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldguy70

I leave mine plugged into a 30 amp service 24/7 and when it is freezing I have a heater in the water compartment and another in the galley turned down so they keep the water from freezing.

Hello there, Just a question, .......you do not winterize your Coach for the winter in British Columbia?

Just keep the heat on?

wa8yxm · 12-08-2014, 06:21 AM

I will add, once the batteries are charged (and in some cases even before) it does not matter if it is plugged into 15, 20, 30 or 50 amp,
Power consumption will bet the same for all modes.

HOWEVER I recommend 50 for two reasons.
1: Come spring you may wish to de-winterize and get ready to travel, you may want to use additional electrical during this time. And if you are plugged into 50 you are good to use.

2: So your rig is 30 amps (not the O/P's why 50 then? Because electricians you may hire to install a 30 amp outlet often do it wrong and let all the magic smoke out of your epensive electronics, and as we all know when you do that they stop working. But they almost never mess up a 50 amp box.

Side not: My rig and some others have a plug in converter charger, That is to say the converter has a cord and plug just like a toaster (ok so it's a 20 amp plug) plugs into a matching outlet (Toasters are 15 amp plugs)

I can pull that plug, and using a 20-15 adapter plug into 15 or 20 amps, and slightly reduce power consumption due to some laws of physics and electroincs (less wire means less consumption) might save a hanful of watts (NOT Kilowatts, but Watts) over the winter that way.. never did it though. Used the TT-30 I put in (Myself so it was done right).

oldguy70 · 12-08-2014, 09:46 AM

I have added a lot of insulation under the coach so it doesn't take much
heat to keep the water from freezing. The reason I use a 30 amps is that
is the type of plug I have from my old class C and I had a 10 gage wire so I made up an extension cord to work

camato5 · 12-08-2014, 10:12 AM

I have my DP parked on concrete in a barn with only 30 amp service. I winterized the MH then poured some RV anti-freeze down the drains, I have two very small personal sized heaters, one in the main bath pointed towards the open cabinet and the other in my bay with all the pluming hook ups, I keep an electric space heater in the living room/kitchen and leave it on 40°. I leave my refrigerator turned on. That all seems to go well. Don't need the 50 amp service, not running any high amperage equipment.