Winter battery removal

[OldSup]

Have had our 2108TB out at the dealer to have a couple items taken care of, and finally got it back today. I had left the battery in it, but now I want to remove it for the last half of the winter months. What do I need to do as far as the solar panel and the Go Power controller ?

[Thindirtline]

Greetings,
I have a 2108 TB as well and upgraded to a lithium battery. If you have lead acid or lithium I recommend just disconnecting the positive terminal from the battery. If done the solar system and battery will be fine.

[Morich]

Assuming you are wanting to take the battery inside for extrea cold?
That also lets you check it or put a trickle charger on once in a while if you see it going low.
For the solar, the panel and controller are tokeep the battery from over charging, so if no battery, no problem!
But I would also want to wrap or insulate the wiring at any place disconnected, just to make sure there is not voltage from the panel going places you don't want it? An old leather glove can be handy for 12Volt stuff.

Loose wires have a nasty habit of moving around like they have a mind of their own, so tie 'em down!
It's those nasty gremlins that do things like that.

[creativepart]

As others have said… you don’t need to do much. It’s a good idea to remove the battery from a travel trailer for storage during the winter. Putting a low powered battery maintainer on it too is a great option.

As for the solar, disconnecting the cables from the battery is about all that’s needed. And be sure those wires are protected from touching anything. If you can easily remove the PV (PV=photovoltaic/solar panels) output wires from the input side of the solar charge controller that would be a good option.

If you are where it snows a great deal and lasts all winter the snow will cover your panels stopping all power output anyway.

[SactoSteve]

If its a FLX this thread might be helpful.
https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...ml#post3928822

[Marine359]

If it’s a lithium battery, no need to worry. Just leave it alone, and warm it up above freezing to charge it. If it’s a lead acid, depending on how cold it gets the battery can freeze if not connected to a battery charger/maintainer, or charger. If you don’t want to connect to anything, bring the battery indoors.

[OldSup]

Thanks guys, I wanted to keep the battery inside for the rest of the winter on a trickle. I had left it hooked up after our last adventure in September until I took it out to the dealer for a couple warranty issues and it was fully charged. Our worst winter weather is ahead and want to get it inside.

Tim

[Wyatt]

I don’t have all the answers on with lithium batteries, but from what I understand they won’t charge if they are too cold (and unheated) correct? But I also do not know if they need to be removed and stored indoors if it’s below freezing? I thought the battery management system just doesn’t charge them if it below their temperature threshold. I’m not sure if lithium actually have to be moved indoors or not does anyone know that answer? Signed, curious…

[Marine359]

There is no need to trickle charge LiFePo4. Actually, trickle charging is not good for them. It’s best to store them at 50-60% SOC. As for freezing: do not try to charge them below 32F. And, do not try to discharge them below 0F. Storing in sub zero ambients has never been a problem for us, but we rarely have prolonged periods of sub-zero ambients. If you live in Minnesota, I’d recommend bringing them inside. Fortunately, they are lightweight. For more temperate climates, like ours, we leave them in the camper all year, and just heat the battery with a heating mat before charging. Of course, if ambients are below zero, then you can’t use the battery to power the heating mat. You’ll have to use use some other source of heat. Best to always check manufacturer’s spec sheet.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Marine359

There is no need to trickle charge LiFePo4. Actually, trickle charging is not good for them. It’s best to store them at 50-60% SOC. As for freezing: do not try to charge them below 32F. And, do not try to discharge them below 0F. Storing in sub zero ambients has never been a problem for us, but we rarely have prolonged periods of sub-zero ambients. If you live in Minnesota, I’d recommend bringing them inside. Fortunately, they are lightweight. For more temperate climates, like ours, we leave them in the camper all year, and just heat the battery with a heating mat before charging. Of course, if ambients are below zero, then you can’t use the battery to power the heating mat. You’ll have to use use some other source of heat. Best to always check manufacturer’s spec sheet.

I know I posted this before, but when I spoke to BattleBorn technicians they told me that their batteries prefer to be stored at 100% capacity all the time.

Probably not true for all manufacturers I’d imagine. Like you suggested, best to read your manual specific to your batteries.

[OldSup]

So how has that been working out for you ? We have decided to go with a couple small dual fuel generators to cover any needs we may need if boon docking. Most of the time figure only one will be needed, but have a second if needed. Going small so I can lift them in and out of the truck easily. Im old and really don't want to be hoisting 70 lbs or more.

[Marine359]

OldSup,
I’m old too. The single dual fuel 2,500w generator works great for us. It weighs only 39#, about the same as a full 20# propane tank. Because it’s light, I carry it in the pass thru. Will run the A/C if you have an easy/soft start. It puts out 15 amps when running on propane. We haven’t found a reason to get a second generator. Photo on my pics album.

[OldSup]

Im not sure if your pass through is the same size as mine. We don't have much height on that opening so I was just figuring on storing them in the bed of the truck and fasten them in.