solar power battery maintenence
I'm in need of something to keep my batteries charged on my 5 th wheel. I have to keep it at a storage yard about 6 miles from my house. Keeping it at the house is not am option right now. At the ...
Forum Discussion
If you just want to maintain the batteries during storage, you don't need a full blown solar system. Of course, you might want solar for other reasons. But it gets expensive.
Just to maintain your batteries during storage, the most important thing you want to do is install a battery disconnect. The reason your battery is dead is because the little things like the propane detector and radio draw a parasitic level of current 24/7. But you're not there, so those things aren't needed. You want zero current draw during storage and the disconnect does that.
Secondly, you could pull the battery when you put the trailer into storage and take it home to your garage. Run one of the various maintainers on it in the garage. You will also avoid freezing temps on the battery that way.
If you don't want to remove the battery, install the disconnect and just get one of the small solar maintenance systems from Harbor Freight. They are inexpensive and if it gets stolen or damaged by weather you haven't lost much.
Either way, the disconnect is the most important piece of gear for storage. Oddly, I don't even have one, but then I am plugged in 24/7 at home.
Just to maintain your batteries during storage, the most important thing you want to do is install a battery disconnect. The reason your battery is dead is because the little things like the propane detector and radio draw a parasitic level of current 24/7. But you're not there, so those things aren't needed. You want zero current draw during storage and the disconnect does that.
Secondly, you could pull the battery when you put the trailer into storage and take it home to your garage. Run one of the various maintainers on it in the garage. You will also avoid freezing temps on the battery that way.
If you don't want to remove the battery, install the disconnect and just get one of the small solar maintenance systems from Harbor Freight. They are inexpensive and if it gets stolen or damaged by weather you haven't lost much.
Either way, the disconnect is the most important piece of gear for storage. Oddly, I don't even have one, but then I am plugged in 24/7 at home.
