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tommym1 · 11-18-2017, 04:43 PM

Sorry if this thread has already been explored, but I cannot find it. Should I continue to trickle charge from the converter the batteries in the air stream or shouldn't they be removed and stored? If they should be removed and stored is it safe to bring them inside and how to keep them charged? Thanks to all for your expertise.

billrector · 11-18-2017, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommym1

Sorry if this thread has already been explored, but I cannot find it. Should I continue to trickle charge from the converter the batteries in the air stream or shouldn't they be removed and stored? If they should be removed and stored is it safe to bring them inside and how to keep them charged? Thanks to all for your expertise.

If you have replaced the battery killing converter with a multi-stage converter, the best bet is to leave it plugged in. I don't have this option in storage.

You can remove the batteries and charge them once a month or so with a trickle charger like Battery Tender.

DewTheDew · 11-20-2017, 04:54 AM

Do you have the glasmat batteries and a solar panel? If so they should be okay (from what I can tell) being left in and trickle charging from the solar panels. If you don't have that available I would suggest removing them and hooking up to a trickle charger ("battery tender") in your garage.

crispyboy · 11-20-2017, 07:50 AM

I keep the batteries in the trailer and plug the trailer in for a few days at least once per month. As long as they are charged they won't freeze. Some years I have taken them into the garage and charged them once per month with a standard battery charger.
Our trailer batteries (lead acid) just went bad after 6 years. I will wait until next April for some new ones.

Mollysdad · 11-20-2017, 09:03 AM

If you're not using the trailer, then bring them home to the garage and keep them on a trickle charger with float.
I used to love Battery Tenders, but lately, their reliability is not good. I went to a NoCo Genius.

tommym1 · 11-20-2017, 09:21 AM

Thanks. After much deliberation I brought them into the basement after taking a pic and labeling connections. They sit on a sturdy wooden shelf and are parallel conected and are on a 3A charge for the next day or so. After that I'll monitor them to keep a full charge. There were a few posts discouraging leaving them connected and using the AS converter. AS, in fact, does not recommend it. Thanks to all. This forum rocks.

ROBERT CROSS · 11-20-2017, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommym1

Thanks. After much deliberation I brought them into the basement after taking a pic and labeling connections. They sit on a sturdy wooden shelf and are parallel conected and are on a 3A charge for the next day or so. After that I'll monitor them to keep a full charge. There were a few posts discouraging leaving them connected and using the AS converter. AS, in fact, does not recommend it. Thanks to all. This forum rocks.

Good choice.....BSTS.

I use a battery tender on both the 6V Ford & the Burb, neither gets driven much in Winter, both on timers, 6hrs/day for the 6v and 3 for the Burb. Un-heated garage.

The AS & boat batt's in the basement.

Bob

Mountains · 02-23-2021, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommym1

Sorry if this thread has already been explored, but I cannot find it. Should I continue to trickle charge from the converter the batteries in the air stream or shouldn't they be removed and stored? If they should be removed and stored is it safe to bring them inside and how to keep them charged? Thanks to all for your expertise.

Pnn

Mountains · 02-23-2021, 06:37 PM

I am a new owner of a 27 foot flying cloud 2020 airstream and I took the batteries out for the winter and put them in my house on trickle chargers . now I need help to put them back in and to get the right order of putting on all the cables I did take pictures before I took off the cables and labeled them in order as I took them off but I am not sure which order to put them on and I do not want to make a mistake. Any help would be appreciated as I am not very good at electrical things.

jeffmc306 · 02-23-2021, 07:36 PM

Mountains, no worries we can help!

Good thing you labeled and took photos - that will help. One of the first things I learned as an auto mechanic back in the ‘70’s was the negative cable gets connected last. The reason was if your wrench touched the frame when connecting the positive cable, you wouldn’t cause a short circuit. *It should also be the first cable disconnected.

It gets a little tricker with two batteries in series but the logic is the same. Connect the positive cables including the jumper between both positives. If possible, protect the positive battery posts while connecting the negative cables (to avoid a short). You can connect the negative jumper then the others.

Always, always remove any jewelry when working on electrical. Our auto teacher (retired mechanic) told us about a guy who got his hand stuck between the frame and the positive cable on a starter. The ring immediately glowed red...

Be careful not to leave anything metal fall into the battery box while working on it. I hold tight to wrenches when tightening connections so it doesn’t drop across the battery posts.

Take your time and you’ll be fine!
-Jeff

Daquenzer · 02-24-2021, 07:46 PM

I leave mine in the AS on a NoCo Genius. I’ve done this for 4 winters. No problem.

If you can’t keep them plugged in while in AS then you have to take them out.

NevadaGeo · 02-24-2021, 10:54 PM

Generally, the battery posts have different sizes to make it hard to put the wrong cable on the wrong post. It's a good idea to connect the black cable last( the one that grounds the whole system to the frame of the trailer) . The black cable generally goes to the post labeled with a minus sign --. The red ones go to the + sign. There, that's a lot of the connections. If you connect the black ones last, that makes less sparks and smoke when you touch wires to the wrong things in progress.

NevadaGeo · 02-24-2021, 11:02 PM

It's a good idea to keep batteries charged up if it gets below zero much. A discharged battery can freeze and bust when it gets below zero. (The battery acid gets to be more like water when it's discharged.) Busted batteries don't work very well. That's for old fashioned lead-acid batteries. The new fangled lithium can go bang if you try to charge them when it's below zero. or something like that.
Charging batteries give off hydrogen, which goes bang if you get a spark near it. Sounds like a .38 going off, and flying battery acid isn't good for your clothes.
Acid on skin should be neutralized soon, with baking soda or soap for a long time. Makes holes in your skin like it makes holes in your clothes.

21Airstream · 02-25-2021, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mountains

I am a new owner of a 27 foot flying cloud 2020 airstream and I took the batteries out for the winter and put them in my house on trickle chargers . Now I need help to put them back in and to get the right order of putting on all the cables I did take pictures before I took off the cables...

That’s what I do too (in fact, my batteries live in the laundry room when, hooked up to battery tenders when not in the trailer).