Is DW right? Was it bad to leave the battery in the trailer over winter?

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 02:17 PM

Ok, I'm hoping somebody can set my nerves straight. Last fall, when I parked the trailer back in storage I just hit the disconnect like I always do and never bothered pulling the battery.

I knew it'll still drain to air some, but figured come this spring I could get my truck close enough to plug in and provide enough power to raise the tongue jack, then backup the couple more inches it takes to lower the jack. Once I got the unit home, I could leave it plugged in for maybe up to 3-4 days before a neighbour calls the township on me, which should hopefully charge me up enough before I have to run it back to the storage yard.

DW's under the impression we'll need to buy a new battery because I didn't pull the battery and bring in the house and hook it up to a charger, yada yada yada....

I can't check on it now, since the trailers under a 6' snow drift. So, can anybody tell me, should I be watching for battery sales?

PS, the battery should be fairly new, we just got the trailer last April and dealer claimed they provided a new battery, not the one that was in the rig at the trailer show. Never did check though....

TURBS · 02-25-2014, 02:24 PM

If the battery was fully charged and un hooked it will most likely be ok.
Trickle charge it when you get it home.

TURBS

Think spring!
The last man standing also has a sharpie

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 02:26 PM

So I shouldn't just plug the trailer in and let the converter do it's thing? If I need to put it on a trickle charger, I might was well go there, dig it out and bring it home this weekend.

KMP44 · 02-25-2014, 02:26 PM

Batteries should be fine if they had a full charge when you stored them. I checked mine this weekend after they had sat since early Nov. Still had 12.5 volts. I put the trickle charger on them, but they wouldn't have been completely dead in the spring if I hadn't.

If your storage location gets some sun, it might be worth investing in a small solar charge "maintainer" to keep them fully charged. Then you don't have to worry about it. And you don't have to worry about DW worrying about it either

**bikendan** · 02-25-2014, 02:27 PM

for us in California, it's not an issue especially if you used the battery disconnect switch.
i have one on my two batteries and i stored the trailer for 4 months and the batteries barely lost any charge over that time.

but we never get super low temps. but there's no reason to expect to have to replace the battery, as long as it was fully charged when you parked it.

Phil57 · 02-25-2014, 02:42 PM

If the batteries froze the side will be bulged out. A battery with a charge can't freeze but will freeze very fast when the charge gets low. Im sure thats not the most scientific method of determining if the battery has frozen but it works. Just feel the sides bulge find a battery sale.

**Herk7769** · 02-25-2014, 02:48 PM

There are a few variables that can impact the battery in your situation.

Was the battery at 100% when you pulled the disconnect?

Are there Parasite Draws that are not removed when you pull the disconnect in YOUR installation? (Propane Detector comes to mind)

Batteries do not "discharge to air" but they seem to. There is internal resistance in each battery cell the will cause a self discharge over time. Depending on your battery's manufacturer this can be a significant factor in battery life when totally disconnected.

Even under perfect conditions, some batteries can "self discharge" dead in as little as 45 days, so checking in monthly is recommended.

force · 02-25-2014, 03:28 PM

Whether DW is right or wrong is irrelevant. It's what you tell her that matters.

"I read it on the Internet so it must be true" works really well

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 03:34 PM

I prefer:

"Ok, Hun. I've done a bunch of research and the battery should be fine, but I'll double check it when the glaciers recede and we can get to the trailer."

Thanks everyone for their replies.

RPAspey · 02-25-2014, 03:38 PM

I don't know about your wife, but mine can't tell one battery from another

If it's bad just quietly swap it out!!?

2000 Cherokee 31BH, "flipped axles and raised",LEDs, solar, inverter, etc..aka "boondock ready". '07 Tundra 5.7L DC-LB, modded as well.

RussellReyn89 · 02-25-2014, 03:39 PM

force I like your comment! I subscribe to "What she doesn't know will never harm me"! I have had mine in storage since early November and disconnected battery is 3/4 charged currently. kaadk I think you will be good to go.

WrongWayRandall · 02-25-2014, 03:41 PM

I always stick a Battery Tender or Battery Tender Jr. on batteries that sit for more than 30 days without being used, but if it was stored fully charged, as stated in a previous post, I'd say your fine - just give it a solid charge before use. One thing to keep in mind is that the better you keep the battery up the longer it will last and the better it will perform as it ages. Batteries that are left discharged for long periods of time will 'die' sooner and perform worse than those that are kept fully charged and conditioned their entire lives.

- Randy

SaskCampers · 02-25-2014, 03:42 PM

If as Herk mentioned it was fully disconnected, It will be fine. However if there was anything still connected and you get real deep cold like we do here (-30s) the battery will have discharged and frozen which means a replacement.

**ependydad** · 02-25-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by force

Whether DW is right or wrong is irrelevant. It's what you tell her that matters.

"I read it on the Internet so it must be true" works really well

I told her once, "Don't speak; it makes you unattractive."

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 04:12 PM

Well, according to the records at the local weather station (http://climate.weather.gc.ca) the lowest we've been this winter is -25.2 C. It was 100% charged when I dropped it off, but I can't answer for any parasitic loads not killed by the FR installed battery disconnect (next to the WFCO, under the fridge). I know the tongue jack works on the disconnect, since it's wired separately, and the slide works, since I need to put it out to reach the battery disconnect. But I can't answer about things like the LP detector. If I recall, the light on the LP detector goes out when I hit the plunger but I'm still not 100% sure if there's actually no loads elsewhere.

I guess I just won't know until I pull it out in the spring, however many months away that still is.

So, let's say it is dead, but didn't feeze (or at least didn't crack the case since I won't know if it froze or not once everything thaws), can I trust the WFCO to charge it, or do I need to pick up a separate trickle charger?

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

I told her once, "Don't speak; it makes you unattractive."

Yikes! I've only been married a few years and even I know to avoid that one.

**ependydad** · 02-25-2014, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaadk

Yikes! I've only been married a few years and even I know to avoid that one.

It *still* makes me laugh- likely because I didn't die from it.

I've gotten a few coworkers to try it out. None have come back badly deformed...

camaraderie · 02-25-2014, 06:23 PM

It is unclear whether the battery has been totally disconnected OR if there are still parasitic loads on it. If the latter it is toast.
If it has been totally disconnected AND was left in a 100% state of charge...it should be OK...here's the table:
State of Charge/Freezing Temperature100/-92.0 °
92/-71.3 °F
85/-62.0 °F
62/-16.0 °F
40/+ 5.0 °F
20/+19.0 °F

Figure a MAXIMUM loss in wet cells of 10% per month and then count the months...as you can see...not much chance of damage if they started full and 3 months later were at 70%. If they were at half full...chances are you need to break out the wallet!

Kaadk · 02-25-2014, 06:35 PM

Thanks. I was thinking about this more this afternoon and I'm feeling better about there being no parasitic loads when using the factory disconnect. After all, it sat from when we bought it in April until the end of June when we took our first trip and the convenience centre still showed the battery having a full charge.

My only concern now is Herk's information about internal resistance. I'm going to assume it's the cheapest battery the dealer had so probably not the best quality.

Only time will tell. Thanks again all.

**Herk7769** · 02-25-2014, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaadk

Well, according to the records at the local weather station (Climate) the lowest we've been this winter is -25.2 C. It was 100% charged when I dropped it off, but I can't answer for any parasitic loads not killed by the FR installed battery disconnect (next to the WFCO, under the fridge). I know the tongue jack works on the disconnect, since it's wired separately, and the slide works, since I need to put it out to reach the battery disconnect. But I can't answer about things like the LP detector. If I recall, the light on the LP detector goes out when I hit the plunger but I'm still not 100% sure if there's actually no loads elsewhere.

I guess I just won't know until I pull it out in the spring, however many months away that still is.

So, let's say it is dead, but didn't feeze (or at least didn't crack the case since I won't know if it froze or not once everything thaws), can I trust the WFCO to charge it, or do I need to pick up a separate trickle charger?

NO (IMO). Remove it and have it load tested before you try to charge it in your coach.

If the battery DID freeze and crack an internal plate (causing an internal short), THIS could happen when you put power to it.

We never DID find the caps and there was acid EVERYWHERE.
OBTW, there was no obvious case bulge.

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