Shore Power/Winterizing and Dry Trailer

CaptRon

Hi all.

Winter is on the horizon and we are winterizing the T@B .  We don't have any water issues to deal with since we haven't yet used the sink and plumbing system.  But, I have a question about extending battery life and LP gas alarm life.  The gas is turned off so there is no need to use the LP gas alarm.  I was looking at disconnecting the battery and just going to shore power.  I would use the shore power and the 110 outlet in the trailer to run an electrical heater intermittently to dry out the T@B (with the roof vent open to circulate any moisture laden air outside.  Does anyone see any issue with this?  Should I monthly connect the battery and let it recharge via shore power?  Any other suggestions on keeping the trailer relatively dry through the winter?  (We live in the Seattle area).  

Jimbo

CaptRon, Go on the Online Store and Moisture Management. They offer some products to address this issue.

TabyDD

CaptRon-I live in the Seattle area as well!  The 2015 T@b has a 'smart' charger.  So just plug in with your power cord and she will 'float' the battery around 13.15 volts.  I believe if you plug in a heater once in a while and it doesn't get below freezing for too many days, we may be able to manage the winter.  Still researching.  What sort of travel plans do you have for 2015?  Diana

CaptRon

Hey Diana

I live in Kent, west hill by I-5 / 272nd.  So yours is a new one.  Mine is a 2007 purchased in September from a couple in Portland. (See attached picture, I hope)   Did you buy your T@B from Apache RV in Tacoma in early September?  If you did, I saw that one just before is was picked up at the dealership.

I just bought a new LP gas alarm (Atwood Series 2001) that runs off the battery.  These alarms have a limited life and its operation requires that I reset the alarm once every week.  So, I didn't want to run the alarm through the winter if I wasn't going to use the trailer.  Thus the reason to disconnect the battery.  Maybe I'll just disconnect the alarm and keep the battery connected to shore power.

I haven't seen many T@B's here in the Northwest.  From internet research, they appear to be more prevalent in the East.  I did see one pass me on the freeway coming back from the coast between Aberdeen and Olympia.

Future travel plans are more spur-of-the-moment since we just retired.  It's nice not having to plan around work schedules.  Hope to get down to Utah next year.  Maybe over to Glacier National Park.  Definitely going to state parks in Washington and Oregon.  Maybe we should have a gathering of T@B owners at Ocean Shores or Fort Flagler by Port Townsend?

TabyDD

Captain,
Thank you so much for your response!  I just discovered your post this evening as I've had some computer issues earlier this week.  Yes, I'm gathering that there is a much larger contingency of T@bsters on the east coast and the Midwest.  Have you joined the Facebook T@b Trailer gr'oup?  It's nice to see what everyone is doing but again, most folks are camping in the east.  I understand about retirement, I think that's why it's hard to coordinate a 'rally' is it's hard to organize and make the commitment so far out.  I have reservations for 2015 at Fort Worden (for the Wooden Boat Festival) on Sept 11-13th #78 also at Deception Pass on April 24th - 26th, that one is actually for an RPod Rally.  I feel like the step mom, but I have a friend who owns an RPod and it's a lot of fun.  In between I'm hoping to make a trip in May or June down the Oregon coast to LA, then northeast up to Utah, Montana and then home on 90.  I have friends and family along the way.  That one is still in the planning stages!  My name is Diana Barker, if you wish to friend me on Facebook.  My T@by is next to my house, I did buy the cover and hope to figure out the winterizing.  So many conflicting stories.  I will drain and blow out all the water from the lines then keep it heated. Have you put yours away for the season? 
Look forward to meeting you and your partner on the trail one day!
Diana
 

Michigan_Mike

Hi Ron,

If it were me I would pull the fuse in the battery and eliminate draining it.  I like to charge up my batteries in the fall (on all my lawn equipment, boats, trailer, etc.) for the winter and that has worked well for me throughout the years.  I would not leave the trailer plugged into shore power as that is a remedy for problems down the road.  You are better off buying and using a good battery tender as although you "can" use the electric converter in the trailer to charge up and float the charge, long term plug-in of the converter probably isn't a good thing, nor does the factory recommend it.  I use a small digital DC volt meter with the cigarette style plug-in end to monitor the voltage in my trailer and it is a good indicator for me when I need to charge it up as I do have a few items that slowly drain the charge.  It's also normal for any battery to lose a charge over time too on its own, so don't be alarmed if you notice this.  Batteries are fickle and react differently in both hot and cold environments, so it's important to know what affects them and how to maintain them....  I would crack the vent a notch too, to keep it aired out and not trapping in moisture as this can create mold.  And as Jim noted, there are things available to capture moisture.   

Here is a link that has some good, helpful information  -  Battery Basics: A Layman's Guide to Batteries

Here is some information I found regarding RV maintenance and moisture: 

Moisture & Your RV - How to keep it out!

Your RV’s worst enemy is moisture. The good news as there is things to do to prevent moisture, mold and mildew from occurring in your unit while you have it winterized. Once a week open the windows and doors, let your unit breathe throughout. Open the cupboards, closets and the fridge , don’t let the air become stagnant. You can use moisture – preventing beads, just put them on your table and they will absorb all the moisture in the air. Contrary to popular belief, putting a tarp over the roof of your unit is the worst thing you can do. It only traps moisture against the surface of the roof, which can cause rot. A covered dry area is ideal to store your RV under.

MAXXAIR COVERS

A MAXXAIR COVER fits over a regular size vent cover and allows ventilation during the winter months without the worry of rain getting in. These covers are easy for the “Do - it -yourselfer “and no extra holes are required in the roof. If you have a power fan then there is a proper Maxxair cover to fit this to allow maximum operation of your fan.

DRY AIR CRYSTALS

Dry Air Crystals are an inexpensive way to remove moisture from the air inside the RV during winter months. The container has a strainer dish on the top and a container on the bottom to collect the moisture. The crystals sit in the dish in a crystal form and they draw moisture out of the air and drip into a liquid form. You will need to check these crystals about every month to see if they need to be refilled. You will need one container for every 12 ‘of unit approximately.

STOR DRY

Stor dry is an 110V container that removes moisture from your RV. It takes the cool damp air in through the bottom and blows the warm dry air out through the top. This system does not need to be checked every month but does require 110v power.
Please feel free to contact us with any more questions about moisture or winterizing your RV !

Jimbo

Mike thanks for mentioning the possible issue with leaving the trailer plugged in to shore power. I have been doing that and should buy another battery tender like I use on my bass boats starter battery. It works great. And also get one of the voltage monitor you and other have mentioned in other discussions. Thanks again! 

Michigan_Mike

No problem Jim.  I just charged up my battery and disconnected it for a few months as I plan to head down to Florida in early January.  I would have left it connected but my LED lights tend to draw it down gradually and I noticed it while monitoring the voltage.  I can still check the trailer from time to time just by plugging it in as the converter will provide 12 volts to the system and 110 volts as well.   I just purchased a 50 watt monocrystalline solar panel that I plan to permanently mount to the side of my garage for battery maintenance.  Plan is to pick up some super-strut material and some "L" brackets and built a mount that will allow me to change the panel angle for optimum coverage in the sunshine.   This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and will performing this work soon. 

TabyDD

Hi Mike-I'm slightly confused.  I called the manufacture aboutf our battery charger (I have the Maxx S 2015) and they said you can keep the T@b plugged into shore power throughout the winter as it is a 'smart charger' and will make the battery 'float' throughout the winter.  Wouldn't that make buying a battery tender a bit redundant?
DD

Michigan_Mike

That's up to you DD as it's a personal choice for sure....  I certainly don't build them, but choose to keep mine unplugged for longer durations as I use the converter to supplement my power needs while traveling. I have another means of supplying power and will eventually use a solar panel that I'll keep my trailer plugged into during idle times, or for the longer duration periods when not in use.

stanm

Another Seattlite, there are a number of us on this board and I've run into a few in different campgrounds in Washington...

Also, Look for an upcoming announcement about the 8th Annual PacNW Tabbers/Taddaer/Glampers Rally the weekend on May 29th. It will be in Washington this year, probably somewhere midway between Portland & Seattle. Great time with trailer tours (lots of ideas), potluck, talent show, craft beer & wine and more.

Torres2906tab

We have our 2013 for a few months, first winter (Michigan) and, unfortunately she will be sitting in the driveway under a T@b cover. I'm slightly confused about the pros and cons of keeping the trailer connected to shore power versus removing the battery and disconnecting the power. As of right now it is connected to shore power and the battery is still in it. We also don't have of the alarms that you all are talking about. I am hoping to run the furnace (we've never used it) a few times during the winter and, best case scenarios, we may take her South for a few weeks in January/February. Just not sure what's the best for winterizing. Any suggestions and experience appreciated.

Michigan_Mike

Regarding the battery Elaine, you can certainly keep the trailer connected to shore power if you prefer and I understand your desire "not" to unhook the battery, etc. However, I was told by Scott Hubble that it's probably not a good thing to keep the converter plugged in for longer duration periods "even though the manufacturer says you can do it" as the converter floats or maintains the charge of the battery.  

I'm here in Michigan too and rather than keep my trailer plugged in full time I disconnected the positive side of the battery to keep it fully charged (after charging it up) and to keep the battery from being slowly drained down by things like my rear galley light, etc.  If folks prefer not to disconnect the battery or know that their battery isn't being drawn down by a parasitic drain effect (via lights, etc.) and want to keep their units plugged in that is certainly your choice to do just that.  But I prefer to not plug my trailer in full time as I know that this isn't necessary, nor something I want to do.  There is no evidence or data to suggest this will damage your converter (e.g., Little Guy hasn't had any major issues with the new supplier of their converters, etc.) but I always err on the side of caution when it comes to electronics.  I DO however plug the trailer in for short duration periods when not in use in the summer months and am currently building a solar charge port in my garage that will maintain my battery on an external 50 watt solar panel mounted on the side of my garage.  

DurangoTaB

I've drained & blown out the lines, put oink stuff in the traps...but kept her plugged in and the Alde on really low now that we have sub freezing nights. Our T@B is in the driveway, and I keep eye on a remote thermometer...she's bee purring at about 48deg for a couple weeks now. We were planning on driving down to Santa Fe tomorrow, but high winds (40-60) and a snow storm coming through has delayed us at least a day. I like keeping the option of using the Alde. (gas or shore)...but if we don't get out soon, I'll have to pink her up for the winter. :-(

Torres2906tab

Mike...probably a silly question, but can you tell me what the "converter" is? Based upon it not being necessary to keep it plugged in, I think we will unplug it. We have had it plugged in all the whole it's been sitting in the driveway....about 6 months now. :-( I think my husband was thinking it would keep the battery charged or something. We are challenged when it comes to these things - newbies for sure. J.D. & Sue - I hope you make it to Santa Fe - sounds wonderful! So looking forward to escaping these Michigan winters...a couple more years of working full time yet for me,

judymac

We have decided that removing the battery fuse frequently might not be wise. We are going to remove one of the terminals to stop that low drain from TV, CO detector, etc. Do you recommend removing positive or negative? Does it matter? We will remove the battery and store in garage for longer duration.

Michigan_Mike

Judy - I just unhook the positive lead as the negative is the ground and won't hurt anything.  Just move the positive lead over to the side or slip a zip lock or plastic bag over it so it will stay off the terminal.  

Elaine -  When you plug your T@B into an electrical source the electric converters job is to reduce 120 volts AC down to 12 volt DC to supply power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in the trailer. If you weren't plugged into an electrical source your T@B battery would supply the power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in your trailer. The converter basically keeps the battery charged up and prevents it from draining when you’re plugged in.

The "converter" differs from an "inverter" and creates a lot of confusion with new trailer owners from time to time.  There is a misconception that the 110 volt AC outlets should work off the converter, but that's not the case.  That is what an "inverter" does when hooked up to a battery, by stepping up or increasing the voltage by converting 12 volt DC to 120 volts AC....  

DurangoTaB

Mike...I have one of those red cutoff switches on my battery, but hooked to the negative terminal. It still seems like I get parasitic drain; should I hook it up to the positive side?

judymac

Thanks, Mike! We are still home and not hooked up to our electric. Our battery had a good charge, or so test indicated. Mike (husband) left the battery connected last night..nothing was on other than those things that I have read can cause a slow drain. Of course the blue light on TV, sound system, carbon monoxide detector. We planned to do a little more work in her today, hoping to take her out for maiden voyage this weekend. The battery was "deader than 4 o'clock". Do those items produce a drain that quickly? If so, I would be scared to go anywhere in it. Of course our immediate plans are to be hooked to shore power. Thanks for your thoughts and expertise. We are charging the battery at this time.

Nomad

judymac - No, it shouldn't drain your battery dead. I traveled yesterday for 3 hrs so the T@B was hooked to the TV getting charged after sitting idle and unhooked for 12 hours. I arrived at my boondock location around 2:00pm, setup and disconnected from the TV. It was an ugly overcast, rainy day so didn't bother deploying my solar panels. When I unhooked, my battery monitor indicated 12.6. I ran the fridge (propane setting), turned the heat to propane (still uses electric to circulate), had two lights on, charged my iPhone and iPad overnight and this morning my battery monitor still indicated 12.2.

That's been my experience over 4 weeks of boondocking. The lowest my battery monitor has shown was 11.2 after two solid days of overcast/rain so no solar. 11.2 is too low to run the circulating pump on the Alde I discovered so hooked up to my TV and recharged from that.

I've actually been amazed at how well my T@B has performed battery-wise. It's now bright/sunny and the solar is hooked in and the battery monitor indicates 13.7 so I'll be fully charged and good again tonight.

judymac

Something is weird. The husband is the one who is very knowledgeable on the technical side of things. We did have many visitors yesterday, but we left nothing on. Maybe our battery tester is not working correctly. I was thinking, what's the purpose, if those little items drain the battery that quickly. We did run the Alde for about 15 min one day to see if we were able to get it going. We were not hooked up to shore power nor did we have any lights on. Time will tell. Thank you!

judymac

PXlated, good for you! Husband Mike would like to know the brand/model of your battery monitor? As always, thank you!

mickietucs

PXlated - I'm interested in knowing how you charged your iPad and iPhone while boondocking. Do you have an inverter that you plug one end into the 12v socket inside and your devices are plugged into the inverter on the other end?  Michele

judymac

Michele, our T@B has a cigarette plug, so to speak, for charging as we do in our vehicle. Plaxated, don't want to steal your thunder. Michele, we are new T@B owners and I stalked the forum for weeks. These experienced folks are second to none in answering questions. They are braver than my husband and me..probably younger, also.

mickietucs

Thanks Judy --- The cigarette plug is the plug for 12v items (yes?) and I've seen inverters with one end going into that and the other end is like a "regular" plug so a laptop would go into that end. I've read one has to be careful with tech items so an inverter is used. Oh, all of this is new to me. Back when I used to live full time (40 years ago!) we didn't have computers and all this techie stuff! Since I plan on balancing my life on the road between boondocking and hook ups I'm interested in how to charge a phone and laptop while boondocking. I look forward to all the knowledge on this forum - and hope I can "pay it forward" one day.

judymac

Michele, yes to 12v, but our tab only has 1 of such items to charge if boondocking. I don't want to get into technical things as I am NO expert. I think putting it in common language, the converter is back door or behind the scenes doing all this for you. If you can charge your device in your auto, you can charge there IF your battery is charged.

Nomad

judymac - There's actually not even a brand name on it - Looks like others I've seen posted here in the forums - Picked it up at a camper dealer. Attached pic shows it while I'm hooked to the TV (at idle).

Nomad

mickietucs - My DC outlet above the sink has two USB ports in addition to the lighter plug (2015-S model) so I just plug them in there. I also have a cheapy little lighter/USB plug - the kind you see in every gas station store - in the TV that I can use in the T@B as well. I do have an inverter but rarely use it.

judymac

Thanks Plaxated. Yes, I forgot,about the USB port. Still finding new things.

Nomad

judymac :-)

mawebb

In terms of whether to disconnect the positive terminal or the negative terminal, it does not really matter. Either one will effectively remove the battery from the T@B 12 volt system. I prefer the positive, as that is the standard practice for disconnecting electrical systems. You could use a small battery tender to maintain the battery over winter, such a a CTEK. But if you do, don't plug in to shore power at the same time. Or only use directly on the battery terminals with the T@B disconnected. The CTEK will assist with properly maintain your battery over prolonged periods and will extend the life of the battery. The power converter in the T@B will trickle charge the battery but not with the same level of sophistication as a unit like the CTEK.