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Old 11-15-2016, 02:50 PM   #1
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What to do with Battery when winterizing??

Just curious. I have a 2013 Freedom Express Liberty Edition 310bhds. I know you should take the battery out to winterize and put it on a trickle charge, my question is can I keep my RV hooked up to Power without battery? There maybe times in the winter I go out to "piddle" and make some mods, and want to be able to plug in and turn on lights and heat...but don't want to ruin if I don't have battery in?

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Old 11-15-2016, 03:33 PM   #2
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If you have power at the trailer I'd connect a battery tender and leave the
battery in the trailer.
If you're worried about theft then take it out....

I have a battery tender connected to mine when it's parked at home and
have been doing that for many years. My batteries last as long as you could
hope for-- typically 5 + years. I NEVER take them out but do check water
annually. Only top up with distilled water.
I don't even shut off the battery switch usually... that way if we pop in there
to do something we have lights.

I'm not fond of lifting those suckers and only do so when absolutely necessary!
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Old 11-15-2016, 08:20 PM   #3
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I keep mine plugged in to shore power.
Won't the inverter/converter (whatever) in the camper keep the battery up?
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Old 11-15-2016, 08:24 PM   #4
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If you're plugged into shore power, the converter will take care of the batteries. No need to remove them.
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Old 11-16-2016, 03:22 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkyB View Post
I keep mine plugged in to shore power.
Won't the inverter/converter (whatever) in the camper keep the battery up?
If you leave shore power on your batteries all winter, make sure you check the battery fluid level.. some converters will boil the fluid which is not good..
IMO, the best way to check the condition/charge of the battery is to use a battery hydrometer.. about $20 at any auto part store.. (check it when you think the battery should be fully charged..it will give the condition of each cell )
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Old 11-16-2016, 04:00 PM   #6
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Fully charged batteries freeze at MINUS 90 degrees. They lose up to 10% of their charge per month in cool weather...less in freezing conditions and will remain "freeze proof" for at least 4-6 months IN the camper IF you simply remove the negative wire. When you wish to work in the camper or recharge the battery...simply put the cable on and hook up to shore power to bring her back to full. Simple and BETTER for battery life to put a real charge on when needed rather than keep it on float or a tender since bulk charging "stirs up" the water and sulfuric acid to prevent sulphation on the plates better.
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Old 11-16-2016, 04:57 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by camaraderie View Post
Fully charged batteries freeze at MINUS 90 degrees. They lose up to 10% of their charge per month in cool weather...less in freezing conditions and will remain "freeze proof" for at least 4-6 months IN the camper IF you simply remove the negative wire. When you wish to work in the camper or recharge the battery...simply put the cable on and hook up to shore power to bring her back to full. Simple and BETTER for battery life to put a real charge on when needed rather than keep it on float or a tender since bulk charging "stirs up" the water and sulfuric acid to prevent sulphation on the plates better.
That depends on the converter.

The really good ones, e.g. the Progressive Dynamics Inteli-Power 4600 Series, have an equalization mode, charging at 14.4 Volts every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes to prevent battery stratification and sulfation (4600 Series Upgrade or Replacement Power Converters).

Educate yourself on batteries; they do require proper care and there's a lot of misinformation floating around. Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University is a good starting point.
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Old 11-16-2016, 06:25 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnbryanpeters View Post
That depends on the converter.

The really good ones, e.g. the Progressive Dynamics Inteli-Power 4600 Series, have an equalization mode, charging at 14.4 Volts every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes to prevent battery stratification and sulfation (4600 Series Upgrade or Replacement Power Converters).

Educate yourself on batteries; they do require proper care and there's a lot of misinformation floating around. Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University is a good starting point.
Yes...I'm quite familiar with the built in EQ functions AND Iota also makes chargers with a similar EQ function. BatteryU is full of errors even though they do a good job overall to help people with limited knowledge. I detailed all the errors on their deep cycle first page some time ago here.
As to the use of converters all winter long on float and then cycling to an EQ program once a week or so... Why leave anything plugged in anywhere using electricty, costing $ and always at risk for a failure when unattended or shortened operational life. It provides no benefit over the simple act of taking the negative cable off a fully charged battery and only charging when the batteries self discharge below 60% where they are STILL protected to MINUS 15 degrees. Need more than that and you can go for a 12.3V or 12.4 volt static reading before charging instead of 12.2. Good in North Dakota. And it will take MORE months to reach that point in ND due to lower average temps.
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