Disconnecting coach battery during storage?

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Absolutely, running the battery dead too many times ends up shortening the useful life of the battery.

wing_zealot wrote:
Absolutely, running the battery dead too many times ends up shortening the useful life of the battery.

Which cable, negative or positive or both?

You can disconnect either but an easier option would be to install a battery cutoff switch which most new trailers nowadays come pre-installed.

I'd prefer the negative. That said, my current RV disconnects the positive.

N-Trouble wrote:
You can disconnect either but an easier option would be to install a battery cutoff switch which most new trailers nowadays come pre-installed.

Agree with the switch. Buy always disconnect the negative cable first. If you should short the negative to ground with the wrench which is easy to do then no problem. Remove the positive first and cause a short to ground and it could be a very big problem.

precioustime wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
Absolutely, running the battery dead too many times ends up shortening the useful life of the battery.

Which cable, negative or positive or both?

I would disconnect the positive because it is possible (albeit extremely unlikely) that you could get a ground to earth and still discharge the battery. But 99.999% of the time either would work.

For safety sake disconnect the negative.

wing_zealot wrote:
I would disconnect the positive because it is possible (albeit extremely unlikely) that you could get a ground to earth and still discharge the battery. But 99.999% of the time either would work.

With battery cables you always disconnect the negative first and attach it last.

Disconnecting the positive while the negative is still connected is a good way to see sparks fly and weld your wrench to a battery post or surrounding metal.

For preventing discharge you only need to disconnect the negative.

Keep the top of the battery clean and dry. Cell to cell leakage through acid and dirt can cause unequal cell electrolyte and kill a battery. A really dirty and wet lid can impose a 1/10th-amp leak even though both cables are disconnected.

Electricity can not leak from any battery polarity to earth ground except maybe if it is resting on the bottom of a swimming pool.

Reminds me of the fanatical hippie in the sixties who insisted his MGB would not start unless he connected a chain from his chassis and let it dangle to the earth. Sausalito, CA. I almost choked. He reached under the car grabbed the chain and laid the end on the seat. He jumped in and cranked the engine and shor huff the engine would not fire off.

He exited gave me a smug look, got back in and........

I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak. His last words were "Hey so far-out man. Do you believe in Karma?"