Battery
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12344
Printed Date: 10 May 2025 at 8:13pm
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Topic: Battery
Posted By: Rod
Subject: Battery
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 4:39pm
| Do I need to pull battery and store in garage during winter |
Replies:
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 4:51pm
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If you're not going to leave it on a trickle charger, yes. It would be a good idea to put it on a trickle charger in the garage anyway. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 5:27pm
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+1. OIr, if you have ac power to the pod over the winter the pod charger can do the job for you. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 5:31pm
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At a minimum, I would not store Pod with battery connected and no charge capability. You have several options, trickle charge battery, disconnect battery, or remove battery and trickle charge elsewhere. Not charging battery will negatively effect the battery life. So unless you want to buy battery yearly it is best to care for it. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 5:41pm
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One additional option if you have no ac power but its sunny where you store your pod is to disconnect the battery from the pod and get a small solar module to put on the pod roof to trickle charge the battery. A small 5 or 10 watt module if OK without a charge controller if you have flooded type batteries. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 5:41pm
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+1, we bring ours in for the winter and put it on a trickle charger. Had one in my snow machine freeze and crack once, makes a heck of a mess! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2018 at 9:19pm
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Our batteries (12 v deep cycle group 24) are nearly 8 years old and going strong. We pull them out and place on a concrete floor in an unheated garage. First thing is to check water level in cells and fill accordingly if necessary. Next is a 2 amp trickle charge that takes about 24 hours to bring to full charge. This was done just last week. Now they will sit with nothing done to them until next April when I will repeat the above process. Has worked well for us.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 4:07am
Jato, its gotta be c-c-c-cold in your garage jato and Leo B are both right. Contrary to urban legend, cold storage is good for lead acid batteries because it slows down chemical reactions so it reduces battery self discharge and corrosion rates. Cold storage is bad if the battery is or becomes discharged because that consumes the sulfuric acid leaving water which is of course subject to freezing. jato's initial trickle charge takes care of that. A fully charged battery won't freeze until -70F or so. But if jato moved to say Phoenix or Miami and tried the same approach he would probably have dead batteries from self discharge by spring. So bottom line is, if you don't live in a cold place and/or are unsure, leave the charger on or run it every few weeks and check the water level occasionally. Leaving it on won't hurt anything. The main reason ppl think cold is bad for batteries is because their internal resistance goes up when its cold (same deal with slower chemical reactions), so they can't put out as much current as they do when they're warm. A tired battery that was holding its own in summer will tend to fail at the first cold weather. Cold is bad for battery performance, but good for battery longevity. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: crw8sr
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 2:21pm
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Ours is in the garage for the winter on a trickle charger. ------------- Chuck & Lyn Izzy, Morkie. RIP Zoe Joy & Gracie, Yorkie 2018 R Pod 190 2019 Traverse In moments of adversity;when life's a total wreck, I think of those worse off than me and really feel like heck. |