Protocol for storage TT with Solar panels

[GZGOT]

Good morning everyone. I drove to Indianapolis 5 days ago to pick up my Airstream Bambi 22ft, 2018. The dealership did an outstanding job walking through and delivering the unit to me and I am very happy with it. I have to drop it in storage this afternoon and it will probably sit a few weeks before I take it out on it's first trip.
I just realized that the Z solar panel books that came with it do not tell me what to do for storage with solar panels. I want to cover the unit with a tarp while it sits in storage and I will sometime store up to 3 months at a time.
Can anyone tell me what the protocol is for the solar panels while in storage?
Thanks

[jeffb831]

Originally Posted by GZGOT

I want to cover the unit with a tarp while it sits in storage and I will sometime store up to 3 months at a time.

It is not recommended to use a cover, especially a tarp, on an AS. Between the dirt/dust on the trailer and tarp, you will scratch and wear the clearcoat. There are a few custom covers that some people swear by but even those could potentially damage the AS if it's not real clean before covering.

As to storage, there is nothing special to do for the solar panels. The bigger issue is what to do with the batteries and how to protect them from being discharged to a destructive level. The best solution is to plug in the trailer so the batteries can stay charged. The second best solution is to disconnect the batteries for long term storage because there are parasitic draws that will drain your batteries, and if AGM, ruin them

[Rich Jenkins]

I wouldn’t use a tarp, for the reasons outlined above.

As to the batteries, options are to remove them entirely, keep the unit plugged in to AC power, or set out the solar panels (I assume on a 2018 Bambi you have a suitcase solar panel you plug in to the trailer?) to keep them charged.

For three months, I’d remove them and keep them at home on a trickle charger.

[McStreamy_]

I would not put any cover, especially a tarp, on your Airstream.

[Hermes]

As others have said, no tarp or you will damage the finish of the trailer skin! (been there and done that years ago, but it was an SOB, not the AS).

As for the batteries, we have rooftop solar panels, and their job is to maintain the batteries full charge at all times, even when in storage in the dead of winter. Some like to take their batteries inside but I've never had to do that. The MPPT solar controller does a great job with my 4 batteries and it doesn't overcharge them (as the converters have (had?) a tendency to do).

[Atwebs]

We have solar and a 2019 GT we got in 2018, it has been stored outside naked since we got it. The solar keeps the batteries charged (We have AGM batteries) and it is always a joy to grab the trailer and NOT have it dead.

Our last trailer ate batteries, eventually we had to disconnect and yank the batteries when we stored it and keep them on a battery minder here at home. We also had an RV cover for it and it was more trouble than it was worth, It flipped in the breeze, caused damage to places we'd clipped it on (with the supplied clips and cinches). In less than a year it completely fell into shards -which we then had to local and dispose of (it was under warranty, they sent us a new one which we sold UNUSED to the folks who took that trailer 5 years later).

We also got tire covers and those did keep the tires from sun damage where it was stored. Those I would recommend, most of our tire issues with RVs over the last 45 years were sun or side wall damage.