Battery Tender Advice

DABWCA

I'm starting this discussion because some of us could use specific advice about winter storage of our batteries.

I've just put my T@B into storage for the winter and have pulled the battery, which will spend the winter in my Minnesota garage. It's the stock Group 24 deep cycle battery, though I may upgrade some time in the future.  Some of you have used a Deltran Battery Tender, but other options also should work. 

So answers to three questions would be appreciated:

1. If you use a battery maintainer or charger, what make and model do you use to maintain your battery when in storage?

2. What make and model is/are the batteries that you are charging?

3. How well has your maintainer or charger worked for you?

Thanks to all of you who respond from all of us who have been scratching our heads about winter battery health.

Verna

Last summer and the previous winter (when I wasn't camping) I used a Battery Tender Jr. on my 100 ah Interstate battery (I'm not sure, but I think this is the equivalent of a group 27 battery ). The battery was great, the Battery a Tender Jr kept a constant charge of around 13.0 volts when maintaining the battery. This was in a "heated" garage with an approximate temperature average of 55* in the winter and it could go as high as 80* in the summer between camping trips. 

RZRBUG

I also have the Interstate battery like Verna's, and I recommend the Battery Tender Jr.  I also suggest that you check the water level in each of the cells before putting it back in service next year.  Fill with distilled water only.  Fill to about 1/4 inch from the top.  I might add that the last time I checked mine, they appeared to be full, but each held one to two ounces of water.  They can be deceptive.

kybob

Etrailer has a neat contraption that makes filling the battery cells a breeze. I'll post a link later.

Michigan_Mike

Good suggestions above (this is a great subject that comes up every year) and some additional tips....

• If you are using a battery tender use the alligator clicks supplied and hook them directly to the battery, as opposed to plugging into the Zamp solar port on the front tub of the trailer.  This makes the process simple and the battery tender will work properly.
• If you DO use the Zamp solar point via a quick disconnect on the tender and plug the tender into it this changes the polarity and the tender will not work properly unless you either:

         (a.) flip the leads of the solar port connected to the battery
         (b.) cut the leads on the tender, flip them and re-splice them

The Zamp solar port was never designed to use a battery tender on it and each device is wired differently or basically in reverse of one another.  Unless the leads are reversed the battery tender will not work properly and will not charge and maintain the battery.  

• One additional consideration and for people who do not have power in the area where you plan to store your trailer over the winter months.  It is okay to leave the battery stored with the trailer, but I would make sure that the battery (plug into shore power and let the electric converter charge it up or charge it up with a battery charger in advance of storage) has a full charge prior to winter storage as this will actually help the battery survive the cold of winter.  Additionally you should remove the battery leads or at the very least, remove the fuse from the battery to eliminate any parasitic drain from things like TV/DVD, USB ports, etc.  

I have stored my batteries in my trailers, leave them stored on both pontoon boats and in my lawn tractor too.  But I do charge each of these batteries fully in the fall when I am winterizing things and have never had any issues in the spring other than replacement of a battery that has exceeded its expected life span.  You certainly can store batteries inside if you wish to and placing them on a piece of wood is not necessary as the case is plastic and that bit of info is an old myth that pertained to the old batteries of years gone by.  

JandJ92010

I use two group 24 deep cycle batteries hooked up in parallel and store them in my garage that way also, with constant voltage monitoring. On Oct.1st the voltage was 12.9volts, today, Nov. 12th. it is at 12.6 volts. When the voltage drops to12.0, I will just put a regular charger on them to charge them back up. BTW, we are in NE Ohio and I don't heat the garage but it is insulated and attached to the house.

DABWCA

Mike -

Your tips are helpful, especially for those wintering their T@Bs where they have access to power. I'm storing mine inside in a pole barn without power and have pulled my battery to keep in my garage, which isn't heated but has power.  Even if put away with a full charge, I think it will need to be connected to a tender if it is to survive Minnesota's winter in good health.

The advice about keeping the battery watered is spot on. Now I'm most interested in hearing from folks about the specific battery tender they've found works for them. Most seem to use Deltran tenders, Verna and Larry are using the Battery Tender Jr. model. I'm thinking maybe the BT Plus model for a bit more versatility as it's available from Amazon for a few dollars more.

What setup are other T@Bers using to keep their batteries in good shape?

JandJ92010

I put my van away for the winter as I do the T@B, for several years now I've used a 1.5 amp " Everstart on Board" battery charger/maintainer on it. (from Wal-Mart) In fact I put a timer on the charger so it only charges 4 hours a day if needed.I leave the battery in the van so I can run it up once in awhile during the winter. The trailer batteries will only get charged as needed, as posted above, by a Exide Centra 6/2 amp charger, again from Wal-Mart.

T@Balong

I pulled my battery and brought it into the house where it is stored in a cool place.   Once a week or so, I check the battery charge.    If it drops, which it hasn't in a month, I'll hook it up to a charger.   My dealer suggested this as a way of prolonging battery life.

sabel

I have several questions too. My battery has screw caps on top suggesting water level needs to be checked. But there's also a battery info sticker over most of the caps so you can't actually open any of them. Anyone else got that situation? 
I've stored our T@B for the winter and left the battery in it. Has anyone tried the Zamp Solar Battery Maintainer plugged into the stock plug? I'm considering the 10 watt panel with controler.

Michigan_Mike

sabel said:

I have several questions too. My battery has screw caps on top suggesting water level needs to be checked. But there's also a battery info sticker over most of the caps so you can't actually open any of them. Anyone else got that situation? 

How about using a box cutter to cut around the label and gain access to check the water inside the cells and fill as necessary?  

sabel said:

I've stored our T@B for the winter and left the battery in it. Has anyone tried the Zamp Solar Battery Maintainer plugged into the stock plug? I'm considering the 10 watt panel with controler.

I have a 50 watt Renogy panel mounted on my garage with a 30 amp controller and it works great.  If it were me and I was using the 10 watt panel I would install a battery shutoff switch near the battery to eliminate any parasitic draw from the T@B and use the 10 watt panel to supplement the charge while the trailer is sitting idle.  You could initially plug the trailer in to shore power, charge the battery up fully, unplug and then begin using the smaller panel to supplement a charge while sitting idle.  As a safety check you could periodically plug in a small LED volt-meter and check the charge to ensure the battery is up to snuff.  

jkjenn

Michigan_Mike said:

sabel said:

I have several questions too. My battery has screw caps on top suggesting water level needs to be checked. But there's also a battery info sticker over most of the caps so you can't actually open any of them. Anyone else got that situation? 

How about using a box cutter to cut around the label and gain access to check the water inside the cells and fill as necessary?  

sabel said:

I've stored our T@B for the winter and left the battery in it. Has anyone tried the Zamp Solar Battery Maintainer plugged into the stock plug? I'm considering the 10 watt panel with controler.

I have a 50 watt Renogy panel mounted on my garage with a 30 amp controller and it works great.  If it were me and I was using the 10 watt panel I would install a battery shutoff switch near the battery to eliminate any parasitic draw from the T@B and use the 10 watt panel to supplement the charge while the trailer is sitting idle.  You could initially plug the trailer in to shore power, charge the battery up fully, unplug and then begin using the smaller panel to supplement a charge while sitting idle.  As a safety check you could periodically plug in a small LED volt-meter and check the charge to ensure the battery is up to snuff.  

That's exactly what I did. I picked up a 50 watt panel for another purpose and now use it with a controller to keep the battery topped off

TerryV6

For those with battery tenders...  I've removed our battery and have it hooked up in the basement with a smart charger.  Can I just leave it like this, or would you unhook/hook periodically..?  

Cyclonic

Should be fine just like that.  The charger will stop when it is fully charged and just trickle charge it as needed.

ScottG

Personally I prefer to just charge my batteries as needed--a healthy battery should hold its charge pretty well for several weeks.

That's just me, though. In theory there's no reason why a good smart charger can't be left hooked up permanently to a healthy battery. (I have noticed they will "boil" an unhealthy battery--but if you're at that point there's not much reason to be charging anyway...)

rfuss928

I highly recommend a battery maintainer that has a de-sulphation pulse incorporated in its output.  This is a proven process to maintain battery capacity and extend useful life.  They are generally more expensive than simpler units (~$50) but are very effective.  Two well known and respected brands are BatteryMinder and CTek.
My T@Bs two Optima AGM batteries are six years old and still performing as new.  I put them on a BatteryMinder during winter storage.  I use another on my tractor battery which is even older!

LauraRey

If I'm using the trailer, even in cold weather, can I just leave it hooked up to "shore" power?  I assumed that would take care of the battery as well.

Cyclonic

LauraRey said:

If I'm using the trailer, even in cold weather, can I just leave it hooked up to "shore" power?  I assumed that would take care of the battery as well.

Yes, if you are on shore power the converter will automatically switch to a trickle charge mode.

wizard1880

Cyclonic said:

LauraRey said:

If I'm using the trailer, even in cold weather, can I just leave it hooked up to "shore" power?  I assumed that would take care of the battery as well.

Yes, if you are on shore power the converter will automatically switch to a trickle charge mode.

Not always.  Our WFCO converters are notorious.  Mine would switch to 13.2v after 2 days, but then a day later it should switch back to 13.7 and stay there permanently, boiling the battery.  But now, it's stuck at 13.2 and won't budge no matter what I do.  I even had it kick into boost mode without warning on me 2 weeks ago!

This is advice for any of you who leave your T@B plugged in all the time: Check the voltage regularly.  Ensure it stays at 13.2 after 2 days of no use, and re-check every week to verify!  This is especially important if you have AGM batteries (optima, lifeline, etc)

Cyclonic

Sounds like a bad converter.  The WFCO converters placed in all the PV T@B's are designed to go into a 13.2V float mode automatically.

Doesn't mean one shouldn't regularly check the voltage on their battery while in storage, always a good idea.

Cyclonic

rfuss928 said:

I highly recommend a battery maintainer that has a de-sulphation pulse incorporated in its output.  This is a proven process to maintain battery capacity and extend useful life.  They are generally more expensive than simpler units (~$50) but are very effective.  Two well known and respected brands are BatteryMinder and CTek.

The Genius G1100 that I think he is using there has an automatic de-sulphation pulse as well.  It is a very good battery charger/maintainer.

TerryV6

My dealer said it was a good one like the junior mentioned earlier, but what do I know.  At the end of the day, you listen to others and make a decision...

rfuss928

I am sure there are other brands, I am just familiar with the brands I mentioned.  Finding one with the de-sulpfation feature is the key.

irvingj

+1 for a tender with a de-sulphation option. There are some really cheap battery tenders out there that don't work well, IMHO. Had a couple of those, cooked a motorcycle battery (or two), then bought a BatteryMinder. I rotate it around to various batteries, leaving it on each for a few days at a time. rfuss: my tractor battery's 9 years old at this point, still going strong! I firmly believe that BatteryMinder is helping it.

LauraRey

wizard1880 said:

 Ensure it stays at 13.2 after 2 days of no use, and re-check every week to verify!  This is especially important if you have AGM batteries (optima, lifeline, etc) 

Just checked...it is at 13.3.  Thanks for the advice.

Geo

I understand high tech. approaches to keeping your battery's in top condition. However I do not think it is all that necessary !
I use a simple charger from 'Schumacher' model SSC-1000A purchased at an auto parts store, it has settings for standard flooded cell, Gel cell, and AGM batteries and settings for 2 Amp, 6 Amp, and 10 Amp charging.  During the off season I remove them and connect the charger to each battery once a month at the 2 Amp setting overnight (until the green light comes on) to top them off.  I have 2 Gel cell group 27 batteries that are over 10 years old that still perform satisfactory, and 2 AGM group 31 batteries 4 years old that perform perfectly for the T@B (also other batteries for mower, tractor, Gator, golf cart, etc.).
IMHO  the most important factor is not 'killing' the battery by draining the charge too low.  If your converter/charger is performing properly during the on season, and you care for them during the off season, they should last many years.
   

wizard1880

I had an optima red top last 14 years, and I traded it only since I needed it for core charge for another purchase.  It was still going strong, and I kept it on a battery tender between uses (a standby for a homemade generator using a car alternator). Indeed, batteries can last a lot longer with reasonable care.

That said, another reason for early battery death can be overcharge.  The WFCO converters in our T@Bs are notorious for killing batteries if you leave them plugged in all the time.  Especially during the hot summer months they can boil your battery dry and destroy them in a year or so.

I like battery tenders because they're fully automatic, use the advanced constant current charging method, and a true plugin and forget.  They're even temperature compensated.

ChanW

Re: the Tab's on-board converter...

We've left ours plugged in continuously since purchase, three years back, and it's been fine so far. Have only needed to top off the water semi-annually, and only a little was needed, at that.

I wonder if they've improved their design or something, after they'd gained that bad reputation. Or perhaps their quality control is just that bad, and only some of them work just fine.

wizard1880 said:

...
That said, another reason for early battery death can be overcharge.  The WFCO converters in our T@Bs are notorious for killing batteries if you leave them plugged in all the time.  Especially during the hot summer months they can boil your battery dry and destroy them in a year or so.
....

wizard1880

They're just flaky.  Mine worked for 6 months, but now its all confused.  It'll be at 13.2 or 13.7 when I plug it in, and it randomly jumps into boost mode even with a full charge, sometimes twice a day.

Do a quick search on WFCO on Google, and you'll see hundreds of queries and folks complaining that it won't ever go into boost or float mode.  They've had this problem for over a dozen years from what I can tell.

I wish OEMs could instead utilize the Progressive Dynamics models (American made) but they can't produce them quickly enough, or as cheaply as WFCO can in China.  Unless you swap out your own, you're stuck with them!

Geo

We still have the original 'American' brand charger/converter that came in our 2004 DM T@B.  Having had experience with other travel trailers and their converter/chargers, I always start a trip off with the batteries fully charged off of my other battery charger.  I try to not tax the one in the T@B too heavily for charging, thinking it is only suitable for trickle charging.

Along with proper maintenance of your batteries it is important to do some maintenance on your charger.  Once a year I pull the converter/charger out slightly from its hole (not disconnecting the wiring) and blow the dust out of it.  You will be surprised how much it collects.  Keeping the coils and fan clean of this dust greatly improves the cooling of the unit to prolong its life.

Another rule I follow is to only use one power source at a time, so as to not confuse the converter/charger.  I disconnect the Tow Vehicle power before plugging in to shore power.  Each source of power: shore (120V AC); TV (12V DC); solar (12V DC); generator (120V AC or 12V DC - depending on connection) is used alone.

Proper maintenance is key. . .

Vermonster

Hi Geo.  We have an '04 with the American converter as well and I like all your advice.  When we bought the camper in September the shoreline had been plugged in for an extended time and the battery was totally cooked

My gut tells me not to use the shoreline and converter as a battery charger/maintainer between trips although I see posts that some folks do that successfully.  My method between trips is to disconnect the battery, bring it to full charge over a couple of days with a separate charger.  For extended periods I'll reconnect the charger every so often to maintain it.  

One question geo-  the fan in my converter runs all the time when its plugged in.  Is that normal?  Though a low sound level, I feel that will be an irritant overnight if/when we ever camp on shore power