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Topic: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored? (Read 1087 times) previous topic - next topic

Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Something that is tugging at my mind, is it good to leave the RV plugged in all winter when stored in colder climates? I also put an automatic 12 volt charger on the motor batteries and have a timer turn it on twice a day for 1 hour at a time. The RV is outside under a cover and the temps will get as low as -20 degrees F in the middle of winter. Not retired yet so have to stay in the colder climates during the winter. Pros/Cons?

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #1 –
If you have a smart charger or smart inverter charger AND it is properly programmed, indeed, leave it plugged in 24/7.

Brett

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #2 –
Thanks I checked and I have A Heart Freedom charger/inverter. Reading the manual it does look at the battery voltage and will go to a float charge once the batteries are fully charged. Should I connect the house and motor batteries together for the winter or just keep the separate smart charger running twice a day on the motor batteries?

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #3 –
Either will work just fine-- properly programmed inverter/charger may be a little smarter than a trickle charger, but either will do the job.

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #4 –
Jim  ----  You might also check to see if your charger has a de-sulphating capability.  There is alot of info available on this and is a good feature to have.  Have a great day  ----  Fritz

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #5 –
Do plan on exercising everything that has a gasket & fluid in it at least every 30 days (x-Water tubing you've winterized.) Run the coach for 30 miles with genset every 30 days. Running the dash AC during exercise will help to maintain a good cold system.

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #6 –
In Massena NY, I would definitely leave mine plugged in all winter provided that it had a proper converter (or inverter)/charger with a four stage smart charger.  I had to replace the old, original, converter/charger on mine because it's single stage charger was a battery killer and boat anchor!  The converter (inverter)/smart chargers of today are much smarter than the original units that were installed when our coaches were new, at least what was in mine.  And the way they charge keeps our batteries in better condition that we could ever think of doing.  Mine is plugged in and powered up when ever she is home here in the snow belt south of Buffalo!  Oh, I use a  Trik-L-Start to keep the chassis batteries charged from the coach batteries.

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #7 –
We live in a mild climate and keep our coach near our stick home. It remains plugged in all the time. It has the Freedom 25 charger that maintains the house batteries. For the chassis batteries I added a Power Tender Plus 5 amp smart charger. We use the coach for several trips each year. If it is more than four weeks between trips, I take the coach on a run of about 20 miles that include a warm up on secondary roads, and a drive of several miles at 65 mph. I exercise all the systems I can remember to check, including air horns, wipers, air conditioners, furnaces, generator, rear view camera, joystick, mirror adjusters, seat adjuster, dash heater, etc. We leave the refrigerator running all the time. We set the air conditioners for 84-86F in the summer. We set the furnaces for about 45F in the winter. We do not winterize. In freezing weather, we add some auxiliary heat in the basement.

Our coach was parked in an airplane hangar for about three years before we bought it. I don't know how often it was exercised. In the three years we have owned it and used it regularly, we have fixed a few things. Some may have failed because of lack of use. Some may have failed because of age. It has seemed that the more we use the coach, the better things work.

If you can, keep it plugged in when parked, move it regularly, use it, enjoy it. When you use and enjoy it no longer, pass it to someone who can enjoy it.

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #8 –
JD  ----  What do you do if you have a sustained power outage?  That is the one thing that keeps me from keeping ours in standby.  Thanks and have a great day  ----  Fritz

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: fkjohns6083 –
JD  ----  What do you do if you have a sustained power outage?  That is the one thing that keeps me from keeping ours in standby.  Thanks and have a great day  ----  Fritz
 
We've not had a sustained power outage in the seven years we've lived "in the country." If we did, we would move into the coach and live in it until the power was restored. I fill with fuel before we park it.

If your coach is unattended, do not leave the inverter turned on. That will drain your batteries quickly (24-48 hours +-) if shore power should fail. Our practice is based on having the coach within 100' of the house, having a 50A hookup, and living in a mild climate. Our practice would probably work in a cold climate if you can get to your coach frequently to verify that everything is working. If you are in a cold climate, you might want to winterize, stay plugged to keep the batteries up, and make sure to turn off anything you can that might draw power from the batteries.

If I were in a cold climate and the coach was unattended, I would probably winterize the coach. In any climate if the coach were unattended, I would also pull the negative leads from the batteries to disconnect all circuits to the coach. If shore power were available, I would add a Battery Tenders to each bank of batteries to keep the batteries at proper float voltage. That would provide a low risk status while maintaining the batteries. If power should fail, there is no drain on the batteries other than internal drains. When power resumes, the Battery Tender will do its best to charge, then float the batteries.

I have a couple of motorcycles that use AGM batteries. I keep small Battery Tenders on them. I seldom use that motorcycles, but they are always ready to start and go. The original battery in my Goldwing lasted over six years, which is remarkable for a motorcycle battery.

Re: Is it good to leave RV plugged in all winter when stored?

Reply #10 –
JD  ----  Sounds like you have a good grip on things for your climate.  We live in a cold climate and I just blow down the water sys., add anti freeze to the drains and remove anything that may freeze.  I installed a battery monitor that has an alarm that you can set for a particular voltage.  I set mine at 12 volts and normally plug in the coach when the voltage drops to around 12.2 volts.  It usually takes about 3 weeks for the voltage to drop.  I keep my eng. battery and coach batteries isolated and only cross connect when charging.  My 91 GV also has heat tapes on all water lines.  I have used them when on the road in the cold, but dont rely on them when stored.  I like to start and run everything about once a month and run the transmission thru the gears just to keep it well oiled.  That Cat diesel has to be primed before starting if it sits for more than about a month.  Not a big deal, just a nuisance.  The standby generator is a 6.5 onan and runs on propane.  That propane can get a little stubborn to start in the cold and may require a shot of ether.  I keep telling my wife that the best way to winterize that MH is to drive it South.  We wont be doing that this year but plan to next fall.  Take care and have a pleasant winter.  ----  Fritz