Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-11-2016, 06:08 PM   #1
Winnebago Camper
 
Kenvb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Whitecourt.Alberta
Posts: 24
Do you guys disconnect your batteries for the winter?

we have a October to May non use season here. thats 7 months. i just put all new batterys in the motorhome 2 for motorhome and 3 for the RV part.my neighbor has a big solar panel on side of his and leaves it on batterys all winter. i have one of those too .
__________________
Ken & Trudy Vanderburg
Whitecourt,Alberta
Kenvb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 06:24 PM   #2
Winnebago Camper
 
GreaTOne65's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 7
We drive our MH to AZ, and last year, our first year with it, I switched off the battery switches, thinking every thing was cool. It wasn't, the solar charges the batteries even if battery disconnects are off. My coach had relatively new chassis battery's in, but not knowing the solar was charging, cost me those 4 batteries. It boiled the water out of 3 of them, which ruined them.
__________________
'05 Monaco Beaver 400 Quad SLD 400hp C-9 Caterpillar
2014 Grand Cherokee, Limited, diesel
Katie-Doberman Pinscher, Tigger, yellow Tabbycat.
GreaTOne65 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 06:40 PM   #3
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Snowbird - Waterford Mi and Citrus Springs Fl.
Posts: 25
Yes. I make sure they are fully charged and confirm water levels. Then the whole coach is shut down for 5 months. A month prior to putting it back into service, it's plugged in and the batteries are turned back on. All systems are then gone through, the coach gets a good bath (including the roof), and we're ready to go for the next season.
__________________
1997 37' HR Endeavor, 275hp Cat, Freightliner
03 CR-V Blue Ox, Ready Brake
ahicks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 07:04 PM   #4
Winnebago Watcher
 
jarwiebe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 2
For several winters I remove the batteries and kept them in my garage which I keep at just above freeze. I normally placed them on a trickle charger once or twice during the winter. Last winter I made sure all batteries were fully charge and then disconnected the negative cables and left them in the coach parked outside in fridged Manitoba. This spring (after 7 months) I check with my VOM and all batteries were in the range of 12.2 - 12.5 volts, all was good. I will do the same this winter.
__________________
Jake
2005 DSDP 4024, Cummins ISL 370, Spartan MM Chassis / 2007 Jeep Liberty, Blue Ox Base Plate, Aventa LX Tow Bar, RVI 2 Brakes / 1996 Mariah Shabah Z210 - 5.7L Alpha 1 Gen 2
jarwiebe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 07:06 PM   #5
Winnebago Owner
 
530ktm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Northern Arizona
Posts: 121
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreaTOne65 View Post
We drive our MH to AZ, and last year, our first year with it, I switched off the battery switches, thinking every thing was cool. It wasn't, the solar charges the batteries even if battery disconnects are off. My coach had relatively new chassis battery's in, but not knowing the solar was charging, cost me those 4 batteries. It boiled the water out of 3 of them, which ruined them.
A good solar system should not boil your batteries dry. I leave mine on and connected all the time with no problems.
__________________
2014 Itasca Sunova 33C towing a Jeep TJ Wrangler
530ktm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 07:11 PM   #6
Winnebago Watcher
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1
Sounds like there isn't a controller, just the panels hooked directly to the batteries. Otherwise they shouldn't have damaged the batteries.

Whether the battery disconnect switch also disconnects the solar panels depends on how the solar is wired. In my opinion, it should be on the disconnected side of the disconnect switch, but not everyone does it that way.
__________________
Jim (NQ5L) & Chris
2007 Monaco Knight 40 PDQ
2011 Jeep Liberty
jrusselltx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 09:27 PM   #7
Winnebago Master
 
Ray,IN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 2,039
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarwiebe View Post
For several winters I remove the batteries and kept them in my garage which I keep at just above freeze. I normally placed them on a trickle charger once or twice during the winter. Last winter I made sure all batteries were fully charge and then disconnected the negative cables and left them in the coach parked outside in fridged Manitoba. This spring (after 7 months) I check with my VOM and all batteries were in the range of 12.2 - 12.5 volts, all was good. I will do the same this winter.
12.2 is really not good(40% discharged). A battery will sulfate at that level, it may not freeze but it will fail sooner.
From http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA 1SG, retired;PPA,Good Sam Life member,FMCA. "We the people are the rightful masters of both the Congress and the Courts - not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution." Abraham Lincoln
Ray,IN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2016, 04:46 AM   #8
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 123
I just winterized my coach today. I leave my batteries in the coach year round. The coach is plugged in to my house and the on board charger keeps the "house" batteries charged up. The coach has an onboard trickle charger which maintains the "engine" batteries. If I were to remove the batteries and bring them in the garage, I would have to hook some kind of trickle charger up to them throughout the winter, even though they are in a warm garage as they would be dead or very close to dead at the end of 6 months. So I figure why not let the coach do the work for me? I have owned it now for 4 years and haven't had a problem yet.

I would not remove them from your coach as long as you can plug your coach in throughout the winter. If not, then yes remove them.
__________________
2008 Newmar Dutchstar 4023, 425hp Cummins ISL
SOLD: 2005 Winnebago Journey 39K, 350HP C-7 Cat
Toad: Flat deck car trailer hauling a 1932 ford tudor sedan
Deucenut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2016, 05:18 AM   #9
Winnebago Watcher
 
Mnflyboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1
I leave mine in the bus.....plug in to power once a month for a couple of days to bring them up to full charge and just move the water around. Seems to work for me.

Jaye(Mn)
__________________
Jaye & Cindy Frets
Pine City, Mn.
2007 Georgetown 349TS XL, v10 w/5 Star Tune
Mnflyboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2016, 06:06 AM   #10
tcg
Winnebago Watcher
 
tcg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2
Been in the boating industry all my life.

Where I'm at the storage season is anywhere from 6 months to 8 months. I watch the storage of hundreds of boats each season, those boats are in heated or cold or outdoor storage. None of them get plugged in and almost everyone of them has the batteries left in. Some remove the cables some just turn off the switch.

In the spring almost every one gets launched without issue. On occasion there will be a dead battery.

I stored my own boat with the battery switch off and it always started in the spring.

Many many years ago a lot of the storage facilities would offer a service that would remove your batteries and charge them through the winter. I remember shelves of batteries hooked to large chargers that maintained the batteries through the winter. I haven't seen that in years. I wonder if it's because batteries are better at holding their charge.

One other thing, do rv storage facilities allow you to keep it plugged in? All the boat storage facilities I'm familiar with allow you to plug it in if you're there working on it but they have strict rules about leaving them plugged in unattended.

My rv will be stored with the batteries left in and the switch turned off.
tcg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 09:46 AM   #11
Winnie-Wise
 
Stevegd007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: San Diego County, CA
Posts: 303
Switch to AGM Lifeline batteries, I never been happier. No maintenance, no white stuff, no corrosion. They stay in the RV, master switch off, just prior to travel I switch them on, let them charge a bit & it's good to go.
Prior wet batteries would only go maybe 2 years, AGM going on a good 5 years now!
__________________
Steve & Leslie
Winnebago 2007 Adventurer 38T
Honda 2010 CR-V "Toad"
Stevegd007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 12:21 PM   #12
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mnflyboy View Post
I leave mine in the bus.....plug in to power once a month for a couple of days to bring them up to full charge and just move the water around. Seems to work for me.

Jaye(Mn)

Me too.

I also check the water level occasionally, and connect a charger to the starting battery when I connect the RV. I sometimes go a couple of months before charging, when I forget. :-))

Steve
dix39 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 09:46 PM   #13
Winnebago Camper
 
slapfoot's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mnflyboy View Post
I leave mine in the bus.....plug in to power once a month for a couple of days to bring them up to full charge and just move the water around. Seems to work for me.

Jaye(Mn)
Same here with me. In addition, in the spring I take the house batteries out, clean them and clean the tray they are in. If the tray has places where the paint is worn off and/or rust is appearing, I paint it. I've never taken the chassis batteries out, however, I have never has corrosion problems with the chassis batteries like I sometimes have with the house batteries.
slapfoot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 11:06 PM   #14
Winnebago Watcher
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreaTOne65 View Post
We drive our MH to AZ, and last year, our first year with it, I switched off the battery switches, thinking every thing was cool. It wasn't, the solar charges the batteries even if battery disconnects are off. My coach had relatively new chassis battery's in, but not knowing the solar was charging, cost me those 4 batteries. It boiled the water out of 3 of them, which ruined them.
I don't run my solar panels through the coach power station at all. I hook solar panels up totally independent. Panels outside wired to a charge controller. Then charge controller to battery.
Charge controller is nice because if battery needs charged it charges it. If the battery gets to 13.8 v it will not charge it unless the voltage drops. Then there's a diode that keeps the solar equipment from drawing power off the battery.

I have 2 coach marine batteries and 1 cab/vehicle start battery. The 2 coach batteries are charged if I'm plugged in to shore power but the vehicle start battery is charged by the alternator only.
The cables are absolutely disconnected when I charge them with solar. As the 2 coach batteries are wired together already I leave them that way. (Unless they need cleaned) hook leads from charge controller to one of them and they both get charged. I also place the charge controller in the battery compartment as it is not waterproof and there room for it in there. The compartment door weatherstrip forms itself right over the single small wire from the panels to the charge controller.
85WinChief31 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2016, 12:23 AM   #15
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Bonney Lake, WA
Posts: 28
2008 Ellipse DP. With batteries fully charged we turn off engine and coach battery switches. Solar is blocked by storage roof. Shore power provides power to outlets for electric Happy's Air Dryers.

If there as any doubt, leave fully charged batteries with cables disconnected.
Gary737 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2016, 02:27 PM   #16
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 57
I never disconnect my batteries. I have been leaving them on solar charging since I purchased my 2011 Vista in 2010. I currently have a 2016 Vista I purchased in 2015. It has all AGM batteries - 1 chassis and 4 coach. I currently have a dual controller that charges each bank independently. I did experience a failure of the chassis battery when I jumpered it to the coach battery on the 2011. I replaced the wet cell with an AGM battery and had no further problems.
hfbundy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2016, 09:17 AM   #17
Winnie-Wise
 
Ramzfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 352
I have never disconnected my coach or my chassis batteries. I just figure on replacing the coach batteries every 3 or 4 years and the chassis when they go bad. I have a friend who disconnects his every Winter and he ends up replacing them about the same as me. Seems like a lot of work for nothing.
__________________
06' Itasca Meridian 36g with CAT 350
2011 Jeep Wrangler 4-door
Ramzfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
batteries, winter


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Have You Added/Modified Your Batteries on a 32-36ft Journey Nomad Mike Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 31 06-21-2018 10:36 PM
2003 Adventureer 38G what do you guys think on price, something wrong with it??? CJ7365 Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 8 01-28-2016 09:43 PM
Winter camping in real winter conditions michealwhela Winnebago Lifestyle 21 11-03-2014 06:35 AM
You guys like the new Journey? FrontRangeRVer Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 31 09-02-2007 02:26 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:51 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.