# Care And Feeding Of The Trailer Batteries



## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

I have read a couple of battery-related posts lately and thought I would share my battery strategies. I would be interested in your thoughts and experiences.

First of all, we live in a temperate, semi-tropic environment, so batteries normally do not experience deep-freeze conditions. Not typically, but occasionally we will have some pretty cold, zero degree overnights, but they are far and few between.

Battery Posts: I keep these squeaky clean. I check them for corrosion every trip and clean them with chemical spray, water rinse as needed. In addition to this I also keep them sprayed with corrosion inhibitor. I make sure the connections are firm but not so tight they are in danger of stripping the bolts.

Battery Acid: Twice a year I check the water level and if necessary, I add "Demineralized Water", cheap and available at just about any auto parts store. I do not overfill the batteries. My schedule is first check when I dewinterize the battery, before first full charge and the second check about July 4th.

Battery Disconnect: I used to physically disconnect the negative terminal after every trip. I have now wired a battery selector in and simply disconnect the battery using that.

I am on my original battery, installed in 2002. Using these steps (except the disconnection) I managed to get over eight years out of the factory battery in my Tundra, before I sold the truck. However, we only got four years out of my wife's factory battery in her Acura so it isn't a perfect method.

Thoughts?

Reverie


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

For those in winter wonder lands. - Bring the batteries into the basement or garage where the batteries will not see the really extreme lows. Winter storage of fully charged batter is best for long term life.


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

I don't know if it has any basis in fact but a battery engineer once told me to never store a car battery on concrete, always on wood. I have no idea why.

Reverie


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## WIOutbacker (Feb 12, 2006)

Reverie said:


> I don't know if it has any basis in fact but a battery engineer once told me to never store a car battery on concrete, always on wood. I have no idea why.
> 
> Reverie


I was told the same thing.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

WIOutbacker said:


> I don't know if it has any basis in fact but a battery engineer once told me to never store a car battery on concrete, always on wood. I have no idea why.
> 
> Reverie


I was told the same thing.
[/quote]

It is a historical thing. Back in the day when batteries were tar sealed wooden boxes or the first hard rubber cases they could conduct through the case and the concrete was conductive enough to drain the battery. So batteries had to be isolated

With modern case construction it is an non issue.


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## Katrina (Dec 16, 2004)

Rev,
I'd say you should probably check the water level more like 4 times per year just because you have one of the old style converters that likes to cook batteries. Even though you may have been fine with twice a year in the past, as the batteries age, they will begin to sulfate and can be more likely to boil off water.

I've been checking the level in my 6 volt Deka's at least quarterly and I have one of the newer 3 stage chargers.
It's been prolly every other time I check them that I need to add just a little.
I did overfill them once and it boiled the excess right out, so be careful not to overfill.
3 years and they're still going like new ones though.


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

I noticed you use demineralized water in your battery care operations.

I have always been told to use distilled water only, because Distilled water is is more pure than demineralized. 
Aa reverse osmosis process is generally used to create demineralized water. This process only removes *some* but not all solids from the water. 
Distilled water employs evaporation in the distillation process for collection, then condensing back to liquid form. 
This process removes *all* the solids from the water.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> I don't know if it has any basis in fact but a battery engineer once told me to never store a car battery on concrete, always on wood. I have no idea why.
> 
> Reverie


I was told the same thing.
[/quote]

It is a historical thing. Back in the day when batteries were tar sealed wooden boxes or the first hard rubber cases they could conduct through the case and the concrete was conductive enough to drain the battery. So batteries had to be isolated

With modern case construction it is an non issue.
[/quote]
I've actually conducted this experiment in my basement this winter. I have now collected a group 24 batt (came free with the new trailer), a group 27 batt (from my pop up), a group 31 batt (from my dad's old trailer) and 2 6V batts (for my trailer). Well, now I don't have enough shelf space to hold them all in my shop.








The result was putting 1 on the concrete floor (the group 24). I check the charge and top up ever 1-2 months during the winter, and the batteries are all losing charge at the same rate. They will be within 0.1V of each other after a 2 month sit, so it confirms that concrete is not really an issue.

I've also been using distilled water. This is ok right?

Finally, if you have an old converter, check water levels quite frequently. I boiled over the 6V's with my converter last fall. Hopefully I didn't hurt them (they still seem ok). The new 3 stage converter is now on order.


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## Txcamper (Apr 3, 2006)

I agree with Scooter, I have always used distilled water for batteries and also to mix with anti-freeze coolant.


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

That sounds convincing to me. I will use distilled water in the future.

How much of a load does a camper put on the trailer while the trailer is in storage? I know the gas alarm is running at all times the battery power is present. If nothing else drains the battery, the alarm does.

Reverie


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