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Northerngirl · 09-02-2016, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 68 Overlander

Depends on whether you have power where you are storing it. If you have power there, connect a maintainer. If you don't have power there, you will need to pull them to a place that does. Another option is a solar maintainer depending on where you live or store the Airstream.

Thanks. It will be stored away from my home indoors with a power supply.
I have solar and its is what I have been using when the trailer is stored at home.

Caffeinated · 09-02-2016, 10:07 PM

I have a 2015 27 ft FB FC. Your trailer but one year older. My interstate batteries failed completely one month out of warrenty. I believe their failure came from becoming overly discharged while sitting on the dealers lot and also while in my storage site due to parasitic battery drain. The "store" switch does not shut off all the current from the battery. I replaced the one year warrenty interstates with three year warrenty Trojan batteries. I also replaced the factory Parallax single stage converter with the Progressive Designs 4655. I now completely disconnect all the positive leads from my battery's when I store the trailer for a short time, insuring there is no parasitic discharge. When winter comes, I'll pull the batteries from the trailer, and store them in my garage where I will put them on a battery tender from time to time to insure they stay topped off. I've learned the hard way.

Mike

Trailbob · 09-03-2016, 08:24 AM

I recently upgraded to the PD4655 converter, but prior to that I kept a Battery Tender or Ctek battery maintainer connected to the batteries when the trailer was in storage. I rarely had to add water to the batteries.

My original Interstate batteries are over 3.5 years old, and still working well. But I will be upgrading in the near future to higher quality batteries, probably 6Vs, for more capacity.

centennialman · 09-19-2016, 09:22 AM

So......I guess I will pull the batteries from my 2016 FC20 (Interstates) and put them in the garage with a trickle charger on them for the winter. Or, if I am not moving the trailer at all....is it ok to leave them hooked up to the trailer with the charger on them? Which is best? I have been diligent in keeping them charged with either periodic shore power charges or a solar panel during this summer.

Time to get ready for winter

OTRA15 · 10-03-2016, 02:54 AM

Steve, if I lived in Colorado, I think I would be inclined to pull the batteries and store them in the garage with the trickle charger, as you will have better access to them, and more control over them not freezing during a winter power outage etc.. We are planning another short trip or two this Fall, but have started making plans for the winterization process as well.

Happy Trails.

Peter

Quote:

Originally Posted by centennialman

So......I guess I will pull the batteries from my 2016 FC20 (Interstates) and put them in the garage with a trickle charger on them for the winter. Or, if I am not moving the trailer at all....is it ok to leave them hooked up to the trailer with the charger on them? Which is best? I have been diligent in keeping them charged with either periodic shore power charges or a solar panel during this summer.

Time to get ready for winter

centennialman · 10-04-2016, 04:51 AM

Thanks Peter - it actually gets cold enough to freeze in the garage as well. I guess I could cart them down to the basement and hook them up there.

I was hoping the trickle charger would be enough to keep them from freezing if I left them hooked up to the Airstream.

OTRA15 · 10-04-2016, 05:20 AM

Not sure. If you are going to remove them, then the basement sounds better. I was thinking mainly of a situation with a multi-day power outage. Fully charged our batteries can withstand pretty low temps, as in a car.

I may remove ours later this Fall, depending on travel plans, as we usually don't get really hard frosts until closer to New Years, and the trailer is on (monitored) shore power in the drive.

What a quick summer!

Naper · 10-04-2016, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by centennialman

Thanks Peter - it actually gets cold enough to freeze in the garage as well. I guess I could cart them down to the basement and hook them up there.

I was hoping the trickle charger would be enough to keep them from freezing if I left them hooked up to the Airstream.

You can leave them in your Airstream with a quality battery maintainer hooked up. A charged battery will not freeze up.

centennialman · 10-04-2016, 05:25 AM

I may contact the battery manufacturer and ask their opinion. I would think if they are on a trickle charger, it would be ok to leave them out on the trailer. I will report back when I know more.

OTRA15 · 10-04-2016, 06:12 AM

Yes ok, as Naper just said. But if there is a long power outage . . .

centennialman · 10-05-2016, 05:32 AM

Thanks for all the input! I have a generator and solar panels if there is a power outage. As long as they won't freeze if hooked up to the trickle charger, I am going to leave them on the Airstream.

OTRA15 · 10-05-2016, 05:40 AM

You will need to check the water levels every so often. As a layman, I would look in two weeks, and if OK, then again every month.

Please take photos if you go anyplace in the aluminum tent!

Peter

centennialman · 10-05-2016, 06:26 AM

Thanks Peter! I definitely will take photos. I love camping in the Autumn and this will be the first winter that I give it a shot.

gator.bigfoot · 10-05-2016, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naper

You can leave them in your Airstream with a quality battery maintainer hooked up. A charged battery will not freeze up.

Last year I left the batteries in and just on solar, since I unplugged the converter altogether (I don't use it anymore). But when winter finally came the ice and snow on the roof prevented the solar charger from doing it's job and the voltage went down quickly on batteries. I replaced the batteries this year since the others weren't keeping charge after 9 years so I would like to "treat" these new batteries better. In previous years I have always taken them out and stored them in my basement on a trickle charger. But that is a hassle and it would easier to just leave them in.

So my question is, can I do both? Keep the batteries in the trailer on a trickle charger and hooked up to solar? Or do I just add in the trickle charger and disconnect the solar? Or do I risk damaging the trickle charger or solar charger with this approach?