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Battery Advice re Storage and Charging

legolas
Explorer
Explorer
Need advice from those who store thier MH over the winter and what you do about the batteries. I will be storing my MH at a place near my home. I begin storing in October and start camping in May. Assuming that I cannot put a battery minder on the batteries while in storage what options if any do I have. I could of course pick up the MH and bring it home for a couple of days and put the battery minder on it. Are there any other viable options. What do you do.
11 REPLIES 11

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
DrewE wrote:

The rate of self-discharge varies a lot based on the temperature of the battery. In very hot weather, it will be well over 30% in six months. In subzero weather, it's a lot less than that amount.

October through May isn't going to be hot.

As Time2 suggested, 100W solar with controller would've solved the problem of self-discharge (in any weather).

red31
Explorer
Explorer
specific gravity of the battery liquid, as the battery discharges the sg goes down and as it recharges it goes up.

one can measure the sg of a wet battery to help determine how fully charged it may be, often adjusted for temperature to base temp.

legolas
Explorer
Explorer
Jim@HiTek wrote:
After they've been serviced...water, cleaning the posts, fully charged, etc., just disconnect the grounds. They'll hold the charge for months, losing only a few tens of a volt.

The over winter period isn't a concern for batteries that have a good SG reading, which means the acid is nice and strong. Won't freeze. If a battery does freeze, it was on it's way out anyway.

I never bothered to check SG when I over wintered the RV in Fairbanks, Alaska and never had a problem. I've also left the RV parked for months at a time in the desert in the summer without a problem.

And all I did was disconnect the grounds.


ot familiar with the term SG

legolas
Explorer
Explorer
IB853347201 wrote:
I'd go with what Jim@HiTek said! Good advice.


I am not familiar with the term SG.

DrewE
Explorer II
Explorer II
Almot wrote:

Old led acid battery - completely disconnected from all loads - can discharge 30% in 6 months, if left without maintenance charge. Should still survive.


The rate of self-discharge varies a lot based on the temperature of the battery. In very hot weather, it will be well over 30% in six months. In subzero weather, it's a lot less than that amount. The general rule of thumb (which is reasonably accurate) is that there's a doubling or halving of the rate of self-discharge for every 10 degree Celsius change in storage temperature.

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Fully 100% charge the battery and disconnect is fine.
100 watt solar panel and controller connected direct to the battery would not hurt either.

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
Not sure why you can't put a battery minder on it, but there are battery minders that don't need 110V. It comes with a small 2W-20W solar panel and cables with clips to connect to the battery. Not really a minder, just a low-power DC supply. Sold everywhere. I would get the smallest, 1.5-2.5W, since it has no controller and won't know when to stop - so in theory there is a risk of overcharging, but with 2W panel I've never heard about this happening.

Old led acid battery - completely disconnected from all loads - can discharge 30% in 6 months, if left without maintenance charge. Should still survive.

IB853347201
Nomad
Nomad
I'd go with what Jim@HiTek said! Good advice.
2010 Suncruiser

Jim
Explorer
Explorer
After they've been serviced...water, cleaning the posts, fully charged, etc., just disconnect the grounds. They'll hold the charge for months, losing only a few tens of a volt.

The over winter period isn't a concern for batteries that have a good SG reading, which means the acid is nice and strong. Won't freeze. If a battery does freeze, it was on it's way out anyway.

I never bothered to check SG when I over wintered the RV in Fairbanks, Alaska and never had a problem. I've also left the RV parked for months at a time in the desert in the summer without a problem.

And all I did was disconnect the grounds.
Jim@HiTek
Have shop, will travel!
Visit my travel & RV repair blog site. Subscribe for emailed updates.
Winnebago Journey, '02
Cat 330HP Diesel, 36.5', two slides.

RoyF
Explorer
Explorer
I like to start and run the generators (two Hondas) at least once a month. I let them run for about an hour, and that keeps the batteries at full charge.

wildtoad
Explorer II
Explorer II
If stored outside simple solution might be to make sure the battery disconnect switches are โ€œopenโ€ to prevent battery drain. Then since you should run the generator from time to time anyway, close the switches and run then gen under load for about an hour which should recharge the batteries. Since being disconnected any battery drain would be minimal.

I donโ€™t have this problem as I live in the south and park my mh less than 20 feet from my house under a carport....
Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
2016 Newmar Baystar Sport 3004
2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr HT