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Old 09-11-2013, 07:37 AM   #1
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Battery Storage and Battery Tender

I'm in the process of installing a second 12 v battery (parallel) in our TT. We will use the TT about 5 days per month and put it in off-site storage when not in use and from Nov - Apr. I was planning on bringing in the batteries into my basement during the winter months. A couple of questions:

1) I understand that one of the differences between Battery Tender Jr. and Battery Tender Plus is temperature compensation. Is this necessary if my batteries are in a heated basement?

2) Can I connect the batteries in parallel when on the tender or should I connect each one separately (alternating every couple of weeks or so)?

Looking forward to your feedback.
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Old 09-11-2013, 07:47 AM   #2
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I have the regular battery tender and 2 12V batteries in the coach. I attach across the 2 batteries and charge both. Love it!

Use on the car left behind when we head to FL each winter.

Bill
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Old 09-11-2013, 08:17 AM   #3
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You can hook them together as long as you hook the neg lead to one and the pos lead to the other.


I just bring them in, and unhook them, check voltage and charge once a month to keep them close to full. I don't personally think you need to keep the batteries on charge all the time, just periodically to make sure they are staying topped up.

IMO
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Old 09-11-2013, 08:19 AM   #4
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This is how I set up my electrical system and the batteries stay hooked up to the converter all winter. The camper is plugged in to the house.

Fully charged, they will not freeze.
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Old 09-11-2013, 08:41 AM   #5
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I have done as you plan for the past 2 years. I bring both coach & motorhome battery into garage which is heated to 55F. I have a Tender Jr and alternate about every week or so. I don't make a big deal with number of days. When I see the green light I know that battery is "full" and I simply switch to the other one.
I have heard you should not place battery directly on concrete floor so I have them on a 2x4. I make sure water level is full in the Fall and it only goes down a little bit over the Winter since the Jr doesn't hit the batteries with high amps.
my 2008 coach battery currently reads 12.50 to 12.58 and today is in the coach with a 1.5amp HF solar charger. All seems good.
Will be adding a 2nd solar charger for the chassis battery next week just to be sure it keeps up.
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:12 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Tireman9 View Post
I have heard you should not place battery directly on concrete floor so I have them on a 2x4.
This has not been required since the early 1940's and just will not die.

Old Wives Tale...

Tech Tips: Battery Storage Wives

Modern battery cases do not "seep acid" from their wooden cases any more.
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:17 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
This has not been required since the early 1940's and just will not die.

Old Wives Tale...

Tech Tips: Battery Storage Wives

Modern battery cases do not "seep acid" from their wooden cases any more.

Thanks I will be sure to NOT pass that gem along.
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:22 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
This is how I set up my electrical system and the batteries stay hooked up to the converter all winter. The camper is plugged in to the house.

Fully charged, they will not freeze.
Herk, do you know if your batteries will go into float mode being that the propane detector and the radio are wired direct to the panel without a switch? Will the WFCO recognize those as a load? I know WFCO say's no load can be detected for 48 hrs, for the charger to go into float. If it detects a load it will stay in absorption @ 13.6v I leave my unit plugged in all year round at my home.
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:29 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by gljurczyk View Post
Herk, do you know if your batteries will go into float mode being that the propane detector and the radio are wired direct to the panel without a switch? Will the WFCO recognize those as a load? I know WFCO say's no load can be detected for 48 hrs, for the charger to go into float. If it detects a load it will stay in absorption @ 13.6v I leave my unit plugged in all year round at my home.
Good question.
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Old 09-12-2013, 04:35 AM   #10
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Thx for the feedback, guys. Looks like I just need a Jr. model for the basement.
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Old 09-12-2013, 04:45 AM   #11
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I have used the plus on my motorcycle battery for years. It is left on when ever the bike is not being used. By leaving the tender on I get approx. twice the battery life. Would never be without one. I also use it to do both of my boat batteries at the same time. Just hook them together.
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Old 09-12-2013, 06:57 AM   #12
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Agree completely with Mikegjax. Motorcycle, commercial mower, tractor, and boat batteries are on their Tender's whenever the units are not in use. TV is on Tender during winter storage, as is the TT'ers, and no batteries are brought indoors. I got 8 years of service from my mower battery, five (so far) from the boat trolling battery, and five on the tractor, and counting. All my Tenders have paid for themselves several times over through extended battery life, and I wouldn't be without them.

The commercial mower was purchased new in 2005, and a Tender was used on its battery from day one. It gave out this summer, and lasted 8 years to the month. While I'm certain this one is an exception, I have no doubt the Tender provided several extra years of service. I have no affiliation with that company, just a very satisfied user.
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Old 09-12-2013, 03:28 PM   #13
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Here's another suggestion, I do this for my boat battery in winter while I'm south doing the snowbird thing. Say do I need to send a royalty to Anne Murry for mentioning snowbird? I use a seven day manual timer have it turn on for 2-3 hours every third day feeding my battery charger. Works great! The batteries are always charged, no sulfate is forming and very little water loss occurs. If water loss occurs it means that the battery life is nearing it's end as the transfer of electrons from the positive plate to the negative plate is not being retained on the negative plate.
The manual timer will be unaffected by load, power failure etc. and will resume normal operation after any power interruption. Hope this helps
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Old 09-12-2013, 05:57 PM   #14
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I use Battery Tenders on both my lawn tractor and trailer battery. A firm believer. Only caution is to check the electrolyte level periodically; I failed to do this on my mower battery and battery failed after 5 years by going dry. You should check the level periodically with or without it being hooked to a charger.
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Old 09-12-2013, 06:58 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gljurczyk View Post
Herk, do you know if your batteries will go into float mode being that the propane detector and the radio are wired direct to the panel without a switch? Will the WFCO recognize those as a load? I know WFCO say's no load can be detected for 48 hrs, for the charger to go into float. If it detects a load it will stay in absorption @ 13.6v I leave my unit plugged in all year round at my home.
13.6 IS Float. 14.4 is abs mode.
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Old 09-12-2013, 07:01 PM   #16
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I use Battery Tenders on both my lawn tractor and trailer battery. A firm believer. Only caution is to check the electrolyte level periodically; I failed to do this on my mower battery and battery failed after 5 years by going dry. You should check the level periodically with or without it being hooked to a charger.
If the battery tender is evaporating the liquid from your battery over time, then it is overcharging them by definition.
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Old 09-12-2013, 10:00 PM   #17
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Respectfully disagree. Overcharging a lead acid battery will accelerate electrolyte loss. The lawn tractor battery was not a sealed lead acid battery; it was my negligence that resulted in the failed battery (I let it run low on electrolyte). I believe the battery would have lasted years longer if I had monitored electrolyte level.
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Old 09-12-2013, 10:08 PM   #18
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http://www.trojanbattery.com/tech-su...intenance.aspx
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Old 09-15-2013, 07:53 PM   #19
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I'll be bringing both of my gel cell batteries in for the winter after we are done camping and hooking them up to the tender, in parallel.. Been doing it on my quad and argo and haven't had an issue in years...
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Old 09-16-2013, 03:04 AM   #20
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13.6 IS Float. 14.4 is abs mode.
The WFCO #8955 per my manual and the web site states 3 mode charger. Float 13.2, absorption 13.6 charging 14.4. I have now disconnected both the propane detector and the radio, the only things that I can find that could cause a load to be recognized by the unit. At 10:30 AM it will be 48 hours. There statement is that it takes 48 hrs. of no loads being detected at all to go into float 13.2. I will see later today, if not my dealer will be replacing that convertor. I have not ever had a reading before of 13.2 mine stays in absorption at 13.6...
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