Winter Battery Maintenance: Do Anything Differently Next Year?

[Utah Man]

To any battery experts (incl. those with lots of years of winter RV battery maintenance): see photo for configuration used the last couple of winters. What might you suggest doing differently next year, if anything, with the battery maintenance set-up or practice?

I pull both the 2 RV and 1 TV battery in late fall and stored them in the house garage. The 2 RV batteries are kept wired together in parallel all winter. Once a month I hooked up the Duralast 2 amp battery maintainer and topped them off (unit shows green light when done.)

All winter long the Optima TV battery would illuminate the “Bad Battery” light once complete (it’s 3 years old) but I kept charging it monthly anyway. Last night, I took it down to the local tire/battery shop, they tested it and indicated it tested fine. They kept it overnight to fully charge it.

Presumably, when I reinstall all the batteries next week (unit is kept elsewhere in Southern Utah), all will go well without problems.

It’s a bit of a head scratcher to me, and I wonder what I’m missing on possible root cause / deficiency.

What would you do differently with the battery maintenance set-up or practice of monthly charging? It’s cold in the garage but mostly stays above freezing due to heat transfer from the house.

Thanks in advance for your insights and comments.

Regards - Ron

(p.s. I’m not asking for advice to dump the Interstates and upgrade batteries etc. as I’ve read many of those threads - just not looking to sink a lot of $$ at this time into a unit I may replace soon.)

[Utah Man]

Presumably, when I reinstall all the batteries next week (unit is kept elsewhere in Southern Utah), all will go well without problems.

Okay... now comes the “acid test”... let’s hook it up and see if all is good.

[CRH]

Perhaps you have a faulty maintainer.

I leave the batteries in my trailer and just plug it in to the garage every month or so to top them off. They are only 3 years old, but still good, though.

[Utah Man]

All went well... no problems with batteries. Successfully hauled up to Salt Lake City for other TLC (trailer and TV.). There are pros/cons of not keeping the trailer up here with us in the City.

Regards - Ron

[carl2591]

one thing you can do, if you have flooded type batteries, is to check the specific gravity of each cell when you first take them out, and every month or so to see how they are doing.. you can not really depend on the charger for accurate info. voltage and SQ are the heart and blood of flooded batteries.

You ever read stuff on batteries at handy bob solar?? highly recommend

https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/...andybob-solar/

Originally Posted by Utah Man

To any battery experts (incl. those with lots of years of winter RV battery maintenance): see photo for configuration used the last couple of winters. What might you suggest doing differently next year, if anything, with the battery maintenance set-up or practice?

I pull both the 2 RV and 1 TV battery in late fall and stored them in the house garage. The 2 RV batteries are kept wired together in parallel all winter. Once a month I hooked up the Duralast 2 amp battery maintainer and topped them off (unit shows green light when done.)

All winter long the Optima TV battery would illuminate the “Bad Battery” light once complete (it’s 3 years old) but I kept charging it monthly anyway. Last night, I took it down to the local tire/battery shop, they tested it and indicated it tested fine. They kept it overnight to fully charge it.

Presumably, when I reinstall all the batteries next week (unit is kept elsewhere in Southern Utah), all will go well without problems.

It’s a bit of a head scratcher to me, and I wonder what I’m missing on possible root cause / deficiency.

What would you do differently with the battery maintenance set-up or practice of monthly charging? It’s cold in the garage but mostly stays above freezing due to heat transfer from the house.

Thanks in advance for your insights and comments.

Regards - Ron

(p.s. I’m not asking for advice to dump the Interstates and upgrade batteries etc. as I’ve read many of those threads - just not looking to sink a lot of $$ at this time into a unit I may replace soon.)
Attachment 309196

[Utah Man]

Thanks, Carl - appreciate the info. and referral. Looks like a great blog (haven’t seen before.)

Regards - Ron

[Bill M.]

I use flooded cell batteries in the trailer. When the trailer is stored or just sitting I put the trailer on a timer and power it 1 hour per day. Keeps them charged enough not to freeze and break.

[carl2591]

during summer when we are using the unit I just make sure to unhook the LP detector to keep batteries up.. During winter I take them out and put in garage with a harbor fright trickle charger. Put it one for a week or so and then off for a month.

Originally Posted by Bill M.

I use flooded cell batteries in the trailer. When the trailer is stored or just sitting I put the trailer on a timer and power it 1 hour per day. Keeps them charged enough not to freeze and break.

[majorairhead]

I pull the batteries in winter and put them in the garage on a Battery Tender. Once spring arrives I make sure the cells are full and then put them on a NAPA charger I have. Then if the SG is good in all the cells I put 'em in the airstream.

Between summer trips I don't plug in unless I'm going to run the fridge, I just put that Battery Tender on them until the next trip.