Leisure battery in winter

stevie150365

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Hi, what do motorhomers do with their leisure battery in winter?, I had a new one fitted at the beginning of the year because the last one messed up over winter. Mine is park at a storage site, so I cannot plug it in. I do have a solar panel but I believe the cold is what does damage. really don't want that to happen again!

Any advice appreciated.
 
Solar wont do much in the last 2 mths of the year and about 2 weeks into the new year, best to disable the panel before the regulator and take the battery home and place on a smart charger 24/7,or timmer to boost once a week or so for 24 hrs letting the charger run a cycle or two.
Cold if only a few deg below wont do much damage to old type lead acids, but best to keep somewhere with a bit of heat, garage etc near a boiler.
 
If you can tour regularly throughout winter, even if just a weekend away, that'll help.
 
trevskoda said:
Solar wont do much in the last 2 mths of the year and about 2 weeks into the new year, best to disable the panel before the regulator and take the battery home and place on a smart charger 24/7,or timmer to boost once a week or so for 24 hrs letting the charger run a cycle or two.
Cold if only a few deg below wont do much damage to old type lead acids, but best to keep somewhere with a bit of heat, garage etc near a boiler.
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Plus One for this action 👍
 
stevie150365 said:
Hi, what do motorhomers do with their leisure battery in winter?, I had a new one fitted at the beginning of the year because the last one messed up over winter. Mine is park at a storage site, so I cannot plug it in. I do have a solar panel but I believe the cold is what does damage. really don't want that to happen again!

Any advice appreciated.
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I use my motorhome in winter. Doesn't yours have heating? Or is there some other reason not to?

If I was in your position, I'd take the LB out when I put the van into storage, and I'd keep it at home (warm and part charged) until I took the van out of storage.
 
Wow! I thought that was a reasonable price, then I realised it was ten times as much as I'd read.
 
Geek said:
I use my motorhome in winter. Doesn't yours have heating? Or is there some other reason not to?

If I was in your position, I'd take the LB out when I put the van into storage, and I'd keep it at home (warm and part charged) until I took the van out of storage.
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Part charging a l acid les battery will fook it big time, must be full and cycled.
 
Geek said:
I use my motorhome in winter. Doesn't yours have heating? Or is there some other reason not to?

If I was in your position, I'd take the LB out when I put the van into storage, and I'd keep it at home (warm and part charged) until I took the van out of storage.
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Hi, thanks for your reply. Our MH was left unused for around 6 weeks, it was a very cold spell.
I noticed the battery had discharged when I picked it up for a weekend trip. Maybe the battery was in bad shape when I bought the MH. It was 3 yrs old when I purchased it. So if i as you say remove the battery, is it a case of just disconnecting it then taking it home? Will it affect the vehicle battery?. Thanks again

 
trevskoda said:
Part charging a l acid les battery will fook it big time, must be full and cycled.
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That's not an opinion I share. Yes, it's officially what you're supposed to do, but I find that "charge and leave" works better.

Similarly, you're supposed to store hot water bottles empty, but they last longer if you store them full.
 
Geek said:
That's not an opinion I share. Yes, it's officially what you're supposed to do, but I find that "charge and leave" works better.

Similarly, you're supposed to store hot water bottles empty, but they last longer if you store them full.
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Dont try charging the h w bottles by mistake LOL
 
Over a period of almost 10 years, I have never used a mains charger and never removed leisure or vehicle battery over winter. Solar panels have maintained leisure battery charge (and do not need to do much if there is virtually no demand). The vehicle battery is topped up as required via the leisure batteries. Batteries were lead acid vehicle battery and AGM leisure batteries up to 13 years old (and new LiFePo4 last winter). The LiFePo4 did lose charge slightly during a very cold spell as the BMS would have prevented charging and they were still maintaining the vehicle battery (with slight drain from alarm system, radio, etc.).
 
I have a crap LB I bought the Ctek ms5.0 for over winter, I'm still on the same battery, so for now it'll do,I do a bit of winter wild camping every year and never felt the need to do more than do a good drain down, and clean all surfaces with antibac.
 
stevie150365 said:
Hi, what do motorhomers do with their leisure battery in winter?, I had a new one fitted at the beginning of the year because the last one messed up over winter. Mine is park at a storage site, so I cannot plug it in. I do have a solar panel but I believe the cold is what does damage. really don't want that to happen again!

Any advice appreciated.
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What capacity is your 12v ? leisure battery, lead acid ? is it liftable ? take it home and put it on charge every 2 months over the winter period, if you have a maintenance charger, could leave it on its maintainance setting, so long as the battery is fully charged it won't come to any harm outside, only if a lead acid is in a discharged state and the electrolyte has reverted from acid to water will it freeze. Give it a wipe down in spring and a spray over with WD 40 will look good as new.
 
Rob H said:
What capacity is your 12v ? leisure battery, lead acid ? is it liftable ? take it home and put it on charge every 2 months over the winter period, if you have a maintenance charger, could leave it on its maintainance setting, so long as the battery is fully charged it won't come to any harm outside, only if a lead acid is in a discharged state and the electrolyte has reverted from acid to water will it freeze. Give it a wipe down in spring and a spray over with WD 40 will look good as new.
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Moderen smart chargers can be and should be left on 24/7, old chargers from donkeys ears back if the have a maintaince switch, i have two of them out in the garage not used any longer, handy for a boost but thats it as they dont cycle and help clean the plates.
 
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