Storing battery in a Canadian winter

The batteries in my hunting rig below stay in it year round which includes -60F in Fairbanks without a problem - the rig only gets used once a year. Make sure they're charged to start with and then disconnect the negative cables and they'll be fine. My last set of batteries lasted 8 years and the current set has four years on them.

Bill

A fully charged automotive battery freezes at minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit or -60 degrees C. outdoor shed may be a safe bet. Batteries should never be charged without proper ventilation making inside a home, a bad idea

If you can be sure they won't self-discharge they won't freeze. Therein lies the problem.

Remember machines and inanimate objects don't feel wind chill or "real feel" dramatic temperatures.

But does a tree falling in the forest make any noise if no one is around, Gordon? If it does, why should it?

Per Trojan...Can a battery freeze?
The only way that a battery can freeze is if it is left in a state of partial or complete discharged. As the state of charge in a battery decreases, the electrolyte becomes more like water and the freezing temperature increases. The freezing temperature of the electrolyte in a fully charged battery is -92.0oF. At a 40% state of charge, electrolyte will freeze if the temperature reaches approximately 16.0oF. See http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/FAQ/Maintenance.aspx

Having lost two sets of batteries in the winters in my last MH I understand your concerns.
I my case I have always left my MH plugged in beside my house. MY first two MHs had no problems. My 3rd MH was the issue.

I didn't realize it but there was a problem with BIRD and the batteries did not charge while plugged in, only when running or on the generator - that was the 1st winter.

Replaced the batteries in the spring and added an Ampl-charge (about the same as a trickle charger) and things worked fine and the chassis batteries always stayed charged. Three years later I had to have body work done late fall.

I had already winterized the MH including topping up the batteries etc. When I got the MH back it was bitter cold and I never checked them again. Found out later that the shop had disconnected the Ampl-Charge and I lost the batteries again (they denied doing this of course but someone had unscrewed the nut, removed the wire and then put the nut back on).

This will be my first winter with my current MH and I plan just to leave it plugged in and allow the converter/charger to do its job, but I will be checking them on a very regular basis!

Many people do charge and then disconnect their batteries and it works. Others maintain a trickle charge but due to the hydrogen gas it needs ventilation.

Bottom line, if it is fully charged it won't freeze. If you have any phantom draws (leaving it in your MH) you'll need to have some sort of trickle charger.

So in your case your shed sounds like the best option.

Chris

P.S. Regarding your sensors I would take them off and store them at home.

charge them and leave them in place disconnected.

A fully charged lead-acid battery in at least halfway decent shape with no load will not self-discharge too much over a winter. Self discharge rates are highly dependent on the ambient temperature; a couple of weeks of hot summer weather causes as much self-discharge as several months of sub-freezing winter weather.

If the batteries are stored indoors, it does need to be in a well-ventilated place and if it's warmish they should be on a trickle charger or occasionally given a charge with a normal charger. An unheated shed would be about the same disconnected as sitting out in the RV and should be okay without the trickle charger--but why bother with the effort of moving them in that case?

I don't see any reason why TPMS sensors would have trouble with cold weather. Many many cars and pickups have TPMS sensors and stay outside during the winter and no second thought is given to it, and there doesn't seem to be a big spate of them going bad. Of course, if one is worried about theft or something similar, that's a different matter.

If you can I'd put a battery minder on 'em.. With a FULL CHARGE they are safe to -30 to -40 I have taken care batteries that far down Temp wise a few times,no problems.

With a 50% State of charge.... I'd not try that.