Batteries in Winter

[lfhoward]

Hello all,

Here in PA, we usually have a few good snows, and several months where nights go below freezing. What is the best thing to do with TD deep cycle batteries in the winter?

I have an unheated garage (that is too short for my trailer to fit inside) and a heated basement. If removing the batteries and storing them for the winter is called for, I imagine the heated basement is the place.

However, I read it's ok to keep a battery in freezing temps as long as it's always fully charged. The thread said that the electrolyte can only freeze in a discharged state. Is this true? If so, can I leave the trailer's trickle charger (or solar panel) on all winter and keep the batteries in place on the TD? I know attempting to charge a discharged and frozen battery can lead to problems (boom). But it would be nice to have the TD ready to go and available for winter camping too.

Thanks for answering my questions. I never had an RV or TD before, so this is my first winter taking care of batteries.

Cheers,
Lauren

[vincigj]

All you have stated is true. Bring it in. Leave it in. I used harbor freight battery keeper. One thing, if you bring it in do not leave it on a cement floor. It causes a faster discharge.

[MtnDon]

If you are certain the float charger is a good one with excellent voltage and current control, leave itconnectedall winter and leave the battery in the trailer.

A fully charged lead acid battery will not freeze until minus 90 something degrees F.

The battery on a concretefloor thing is no longer true. Battery cases were at one time hard rubber. That was/is porous enough to allow a little seepage. That could set up a conductive path and lead to discharge. Todays batteries have solid plastic cases, no seepage. If the battery is clean on the exterior surfaces a concrete floor is of no concern. A lead acid battery does self discharge internally but that is not influenced on the supporting surface.

FWIW, my batteries stay in the trailer all the time. I use a charger with excellent voltage control and leave it connected most ofthe winter. I pull the cord whenever it snows so I don't damage it withthesnow shovel.

When I get the PV panel installed I will leave the maintenance charge to the solar charge controller.

I like being all set to go at any time.

[GerryS]

I'm in Indiana...our winters are similar.

I put my camper in the garage which hovers at freezing or below, and plug in my battery tender and basically forget about it. I will check it every 2-3 weeks like I do the rest of the year as I am leaving or arriving from work.

Personally, I use a battery tender branded charger, I tend not to trust electronics from cheap Chinese stores, the totally unheard of brands of capacitors they use, and globs of solder will never compare to a good solder joint using a Nichion, Panasonic, or Samsung components. It's just not worth it using a cheap tender to zap a $100 battery or worst start a fire in a several thousand dollar trailer.

Ok....I've never torn down a tender brand, I admit, but their track record is not been a problem is the hundreds of units my local motorcycle shop has sold.

Your mileage may vary, caveat emptor.

[MtnDon]

A friend measured output of several HF brand cheapies and found they varied between samples as well as varying with temperature.

[Kaz]

I've just left my campers plugged in. Inside or out and have no issues with freezing or dead batteries.

[Redneck Teepee]

If you are certain the float charger is a good one with excellent voltage and current control, leave itconnectedall winter and leave the battery in the trailer.

A fully charged lead acid battery will not freeze until minus 90 something degrees F.

The battery on a concretefloor thing is no longer true. Battery cases were at one time hard rubber. That was/is porous enough to allow a little seepage. That could set up a conductive path and lead to discharge. Todays batteries have solid plastic cases, no seepage. If the battery is clean on the exterior surfaces a concrete floor is of no concern. A lead acid battery does self discharge internally but that is not influenced on the supporting surface.

FWIW, my batteries stay in the trailer all the time. I use a charger with excellent voltage control and leave it connected most ofthe winter. I pull the cord whenever it snows so I don't damage it withthesnow shovel.

When I get the PV panel installed I will leave the maintenance charge to the solar charge controller.

I like being all set to go at any time.

We have an old family cabin high up in the Ca. Sierra Nevada mountains that is run by generator for electrical power, I also have a small solar panel to charge a deep cycle battery with an inverter for small stuff that we use occasionally. I have a inside/outside thermometer with a memory function and it has gotten down to "Zero" degrees inside the cabin and has never harmed the battery or affected its charging/storage capacity.

The roads are closed and not cleared of snow for about 5-6 months out of the year (average), the battery relies solely upon the solar panel to keep it topped off during winter and works perfectly come spring.

[Talia62]

All you have stated is true. Bring it in. Leave it in. I used harbor freight battery keeper. One thing, if you bring it in do not leave it on a cement floor. It causes a faster discharge.

This is inaccurate, sorry.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/battery.asp

[tony.latham]

Just park it in the sun and sweep the snow off the panel...



T

[vincigj]

All you have stated is true. Bring it in. Leave it in. I used harbor freight battery keeper. One thing, if you bring it in do not leave it on a cement floor. It causes a faster discharge.

This is inaccurate, sorry.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/battery.asp

Not to be sorry. I "learned" it from my shade tree mechanic father. I'm never too old to learn something new. Thanks for the reference.

[lfhoward]

Thank you to everyone who responded! I learned a lot from your posts. This is a very knowledgeable forum and super responsive as well. Thanks again!

I have decided that my batteries will remain in/on the trailer through the winter, as long as I can get it skinned before the snow falls. If it's skinned in aluminum, I will have the battery vent hoses installed and working, so I will be able to have it either plugged in or maintained by its own solar panel. If the trailer isn't skinned it will still require a tarp, which would trap corrosive and explosive gasses from battery charging. In that case, I'd want to bring the batteries into my garage to maintain them. But hopefully I won't need to go with plan b, weather and life permitting!