Batteries during storage

[GoalstoDreams]

I am sure this question has been asked before but I did a search and couldn't find anything.

When storing your MH for a few months (winter months) what should be done with the chassis and house batteries? Right now all three batteries are connected, but the house batteries are turned off.

I start it and take it on a short (15 min) road trip every month or so, but I haven't turned on the house batteries during those trips, and now I have a dead chassis battery. Haven't even checked the house batteries. Sigh.

Some context....I'm not new to the RV world, but new to this stuff as my husband used to take care of this stuff and now I'm doing everything solo (so be kind in your responses)....;)

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Sue

[Bordercollie]

I checked the Battery Minder website for a two battery output model, none found. Simplest thing would be to buy two Battery Minder devices which may be more convenient for charging the chassis and house batteries seperately or for charging batteries in two different vehicles.

http://www.batteryminders.com/batteryminder-model-1500-12volt-1-5-amp-maintenance-charger-desulfator-on-sale-now/

[GoalstoDreams]

UPDATE: Thanks again for all these replies. I still have so much to learn and your experiences are extremely helpful. I am sorry part of my post was unclear...I have the RV stored in an storage facility without electricity. The house battery "cables" are currently connected but the disconnect switch on the RV is in the OFF position.

The chassis battery was still good (at least for now) so I had it charged and re-installed it leaving the negative cable off for now. I think I will invest in a good solar maintainer.

Still plan to take her for a little spin every month or so if nothing more than to lube her joints, exercise the generator, and change the position of the tires.

I'm leaning toward removing the house batteries during non-use and keeping them at my house with a smart charger...any recommendations for a charger (preferably one that can charge more than one battery, if such an animal exists)?

Thanks.

[Oldme]

We keep ours at home and plugged in.
This keeps the house batteries charged and I
add heat as needed.

I keep a small battery maintainer plugged
in inside and into a dash power outlet to
keep the chassis battery charged; due to
parasitic drains from various monitors that
the factory hooked to that battery.

This has worked well for 3+ years.

[WA7NDD]

Replaced my old single stage converter/charger with a three stage unit. Installed a Amp-L-Charger under the hood connected to the emergency start switch from the house batteries. Plugged the shore power in, I garage my MH, and forget it. The three stage converter will maintain the batteries and not boil them. The Amp-L-Charger will also regulate the charge to the chassis battery.

[Bordercollie]

All batteries self-discharge even if they are not operating lights,furnace, radios, etc. 12 volt-powered alarms and electronic control circuits of the fridge, microwave, etc. continue to draw small amounts of power adding to self-discharge action. The design and newness/condition of a battery affects how long a battery will hold a charge. If batteries are kept fully charged and not allowed to remain discharged, they will last longer, hold a charge longer and perform better. Generally, good quality batteries that have been maintained reasonably well may last some ten years. Modern converter/chargers that will keep batteries fully charged, without overcharging them, and depleting electrolyte levels, should keep house batteries in good condition. All chargers will eventually deplete electrolyte levels so RV owners must check levels periodically and add distilled water when needed to keep the plates covered. Many/most RV's do not have provisions for keeping the starting battery fully charged when parked and connected to shore power. Accordingly a Battery Minder needs to be used or a Trik-L-Start device needs to be installed and connected to the starting battery to keep it up when vehicle is not being driven for extended periods and RV is connected to shore power.

[AJR]

When was the last time the chassis battery was replaced? If original, it has died of old age, just replace it.

When you say “all batteries are connected” are you saying you have 110VAC power to the camper while stored? If you do then you do not have to disconnect the house batteries. You do have to make sure the device that charges the batteries from 110VAC is what they call a “three stage charger”. As mentioned in another response a three stage charger should not hurt the batteries when left on all the time. I check the house battery fluid level every three months or so.

[JNorton]

owenssailor wrote:
My solution is a lot simpler. Get all the batteries fully charged. Then disconnect each NEGATIVE battery terminal. When winter is over make sure the terminals are clean and reconnect.

We use our RV all winter to go South but that is how I store the batteries in our boat in Ontario Canada. They are the same type of batteries that are used in RV's.

X2

[owenssailor]

My solution is a lot simpler. Get all the batteries fully charged. Then disconnect each NEGATIVE battery terminal. When winter is over make sure the terminals are clean and reconnect.

We use our RV all winter to go South but that is how I store the batteries in our boat in Ontario Canada. They are the same type of batteries that are used in RV's.

[Jim_Shoe]

Here's the link to all the Batteries Plus stores in Arizona. In addition to every battery known to man, they also carry step down chargers that can keep a battery charged to full power and then automatically drop down to a 2 amp maintenance charge when not being used. They also carry every bulb that an RV needs.
I've walked into my local store with a burnt out bulb before. They walk over to a wall of small drawers and just want to know "how many?"

[tenbear]

I live in an area where winters are cold. I leave the batteries in place and set the battery disconnect switch to disconnect. I connect a Battery Minder to the house battery and a trickle charger to the chassis battery. So far, so good.

Once I park it for the winter, it stays there until spring. It is covered by snow and I couldn't move it without a lot of work shoveling snow, and I would need snow tires. I don't start the engine either.

[PSW]

Sue, I do things a little differently.

I winterize my rig in early November and put it in the storage facility. Monthly, I get it out and drive it for at least an hour at highway speeds. I turn the coach battery system on, start the generator to exercise it, put a load on the system by turning on the heat strips on the AC (you can just plug in a small electric room heater if you don't have strips) and then off I go. I usually run up the highway to a town about 25 miles away, go in and have a burger (leaving the generator running on the RV) and then drive back to the storage facility. I have done this for more years and more winters than I care to remember.

I live in an area that can be very cold for a few days (single digits) at times and then be picture perfect and warm for a week and that pattern can continue for several months. If you live where it is cold for months at a time, you need to have a more aggressive plan for the batteries.

[wildtoad]

If you are only talking a couple of months, make sure they are fully charged, disconnect them and go away. Key word was disconnect.

[GoalstoDreams]

Thanks for the replies everyone. This is all very helpful.

Sue

[time2roll]

AZ? 100w solar on the house and Trik-L-Start for the chassis.

Skip the 15 minutes driving.