Battery Storage

[nscaler2]

We store our Bighorn 3055RL 1300 miles from where we live. We retired to Florida, but have family in Missouri and a great underground place (Inner Space Storage) to store the BH in Missouri. We will not have access to the BH for 6 months at a time. We go to Missouri in the spring and take it out of storage. We put it in storage in the fall. My question is how long can one expect a battery to hold enough of a charge to raise and lower the landing gear so that it can be hooked up to the truck. When left in the fall, I would completely disconnect the battery so that any parasitic loads could not drain it.

 

[pegmikef]

I know in circumstances like yours some folks take the battery out and maintain it separately off site (the storage site that is).

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

If you disconnect them completely I think they should be fine. But I think if I were in that situation I would maybe pull them out and take them home with me so charge and test them before I headed back to pick it up. "Just piece of mind". That will make that 1300 miles trip a little more relaxing and you'll know you have all the power you need when you get there.

 

[Lynn1130]

I am sure that the battery experts will jump in here at some point and I certainly am not one of those but I believe that someplace and sometime I read that a stored battery drops by about 3% a month. just doing the math without temperature thrown in that means about 2.25 volts on a battery that started out at 12.5 Volts. So about 10.25 at 6 months which will be questionable for much of any heavy electrical activity. Leaving it with a trickle charger is an idea if possible but then you have the lost water issues. Best bet, to me at least as is mentioned, would be pulling it and maintaining it at your home location.

 

[porthole]

A standard discharge rate of 3% would equate to almost .4 volts, but it is cumulative. So if you were going strictly by voltage a charged 12 volt battery would be dead in 2-3 months.
If you use the amp hour rating and the 3% number you might get a better idea of sitting shelf life.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Any chance you can get 110v power to the RV and attach a battery tender? Then you won't have to disconnect them or worry about their condition.

 

[mlpeloquin]

When you hook up your fifth wheel to your truck, the trucks 12V will power the jacks. A 12V deep cycle cell fully charged will be 13.2 to 13.5V. After 24 hours the voltage, without a load will settle to 12.5V
Month 1 12.5V - 3% = 12.125V
Month 2 12.125V - 3% = 11.76V
Month 3 11.76V - 3% = 11.407V
Month 4 11.407V - 3% = 11.065V
Month 5 11.065V - 3% = 10.733V
Month 6 10.733V - 3% = 10.411V

All this provided that the batteries are new enough and in good condition.

So for 6 months a good set of batteries should be able to be recharged by your truck and will continue to charge when you plug it in later. The jacks will work hooked up to your truck. I don't level my fifth wheel in storage so I can hitch it up without having to raze it. I have done this ever since I forgot to turn the battery disconnect switch off one time. Not fun! There are no parasitic loads when the battery disconnect switch in in the off position. The batteries internally have parasitic leakage and discharge over time. It does not hurt anything to not level a parked fifth wheel. The fridge is off and so is everything else. The other choice is to pull them out and bring them home. Purchase a battery maintainer and two battery cables to connect the batteries together. The battery maintainer will not over charge the batteries and will keep them fully charged. Just remember to take them with you when you go to get it! Bring them home would allow you to purchase a load tester at Harbor Freight. They don't cost much and will allow you to test the batteries prior to bringing them back to pick up your fifth wheel.

 

[nscaler2]

When you hook up your fifth wheel to your truck, the trucks 12V will power the jacks. A 12V deep cycle cell fully charged will be 13.2 to 13.5V. After 24 hours the voltage, without a load will settle to 12.5V
Month 1 12.5V - 3% = 12.125V
Month 2 12.125V - 3% = 11.76V
Month 3 11.76V - 3% = 11.407V
Month 4 11.407V - 3% = 11.065V
Month 5 11.065V - 3% = 10.733V
Month 6 10.733V - 3% = 10.411V

All this provided that the batteries are new enough and in good condition.

So for 6 months a good set of batteries should be able to be recharged by your truck and will continue to charge when you plug it in later. The jacks will work hooked up to your truck. I don't level my fifth wheel in storage so I can hitch it up without having to raze it. I have done this ever since I forgot to turn the battery disconnect switch off one time. Not fun! There are no parasitic loads when the battery disconnect switch in in the off position. The batteries internally have parasitic leakage and discharge over time. It does not hurt anything to not level a parked fifth wheel. The fridge is off and so is everything else. The other choice is to pull them out and bring them home. Purchase a battery maintainer and two battery cables to connect the batteries together. The battery maintainer will not over charge the batteries and will keep them fully charged. Just remember to take them with you when you go to get it! Bring them home would allow you to purchase a load tester at Harbor Freight. They don't cost much and will allow you to test the batteries prior to bringing them back to pick up your fifth wheel.

Marc & Carol,
Thanks for the reply. I think, in the long run, it will be better to remove the batteries and bring them home. From what I can read, leaving a battery dormant for that period of time can lead to a premature failure due to ( sulfication ?).

 

[Lynn1130]

From experience I found that if the battery(ies) are dead or nearly so the 12-14 volts coming from your vehicle will not power the jacks. This situation is pretty much like trying to jump another vehicle that has a very dead battery. It does not work well. With some time hooked up you may get the jacks to work but it can be a problem.