Breakers Off

[jarata1]

Im done winterizing and getting set to cover and store my 16 ft travel trailer my question is should I shut off the breakers for the winter

[myredracer]

Genesun wrote:
Breakers are not switches. Each time you turn them on and off you reduce the load carrying capacity. Won't be much but if done frequently a breaker can lose 20% of it's capacity.
There are breaker/switches that can be used this way but probably hard to find for RV's

Sorry, but that is not correct. See what I just posted here. Breakers in an RV panel can be mechanically operated thousands of times up to their ratings except a breaker that has tripped on short circuit or has repeatedly tripped on overload will have it's life expectancy significantly reduced.

There is no reason to turn breakers off in the panel inside an RV. Personally I wouldn't ever again leave a WFCO on and maintaining a battery(s) over the off-season due to the one we had that failed and also damaged the battery. They have a bad reputation and we found out the hard way. We now have a PD converter/charger (and AGM battery) and have no worries about leaving it on year-round. If you have a WFCO, I'd disconnect the battery and use a battery tender. If no 120 VAC available, consider using a solar setup which are now rather inexpensive.

[Genesun]

Breakers are not switches. Each time you turn them on and off you reduce the load carrying capacity. Won't be much but if done frequently a breaker can lose 20% of it's capacity.
There are breaker/switches that can be used this way but probably hard to find for RV's

[wa8yxm]

Without a power cord the status of the breakers does not matter

IF storage provides "Shore power" even if it's just 15 amps then the question is a tad more complex... Assuming a modern RV with a good 3 stage Converter/Charger I'd leave the MAIN and that breaker (CONV) on. rest off.

With an older unit with say a Magnetek 6300 I'd not even plug in but instead pull the batteries to a bench (or disconnect in place) and hook up a battery Minder and plug IT in.

What I do now: Live in RV year round

What I did before I went full time>> Full power but even when it was parked in the back lot for the winter I still used it EVERY day (My Ham Shack don't you know).

[Boon_Docker]

Fully charge the battery/s to 100% then remove the positive or negative cable off the battery. Remove a cable even if there is a disconnect switch. A lot of the time the disconnect does not disconnect everything.

[jim1521]

I don't have to winterize down here, but whenever I am securing the trailer (getting ready to tow it to the campground or back to storage lot), I always systematically go through a startup/shutdown procedure that involves disconnecting each breaker. The only reason for this is to ensure that I don't inadvertently energize all circuits at once when turning on shore power.

Upon returning to storage I disconnect the main D.C. power switch to the battery to avoid any parasitic power draw.

[ScottG]

Like the others wrote, I like to just hook the batteries up to a tender. That way I can unplug the RV and not worry about lightning storms, etc. damaging it while it's in storage.

[Jim2007]

X2 with Dan comments. Jim2007

[trailerbikecamp]

When I winterize my fiver, I disconnect power cord, remove the battery. No power=no need to shut off breakers. Battery gets put in the garage on a battery tender(very low amperage trickle charger).

[jarata1]

thanks

[enblethen]

Do you have power connected to the rig?
Charge the batteries. You should shut off or disconnect batteries in the event there is some paracitic load.
No need to shut off breakers.