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To store an RV battery for the winter, remove the fully charged battery from your RV and place it in a warm location, check the water levels (if using a lead-acid battery), and hook up a battery tender to keep it charged while in storage.
That’s a high-level overview for storing RV batteries over winter. Now, let’s take a closer look at each step and highlight a few key details.
How to Store Your RV Battery for the Winter
Note: I know many RVers who simply leave their batteries in their RV for the winter without issue. That may be fine in certain setups and weather conditions and with certain types of batteries. In my opinion, it’s safer to remove it and store it in a warm location with a battery tender. This way, you have more control over the temperature, ensure nothing drains it, and that it’s always charged properly. That said, read the owner’s manual for specific care instructions for your battery.
1. Remove the RV Battery
As mentioned above, RV batteries should be removed in winter to increase their lifespan and minimize the chances of replacing them sooner rather than later (which can be very costly depending on your setup).
In fact, you should disconnect your RV battery and store it whenever you plan on storing your RV or camper trailer for more than a couple of months, even if you use a temperature-controlled indoor RV storage facility.
So, we first need to cut power to the fully charged batteries, perform a visual inspection, and then remove them.
- Switch off any appliances or devices drawing power from your house battery and switch off the RV battery disconnect switch. Then, if you don’t already know, consult the owner’s handbook to find out where your battery is.
- Once you’ve located the battery, look for any apparent damage, like leaking fluid or cracks in the casing. A battery that is leaking or damaged should be immediately replaced.
- If your batteries check out, remove the negative cable first, then the positive cable. Label the wires so you remember how to re-connect them when you de-winterize your camper in spring.
- Once disconnected, carefully remove the battery. Most batteries feature a handle you can use to easily lift or slide it out.
- Cover the cable ends with caps, making sure that they never touch one another.
2. Clean the Battery
If needed, now’s the time to perform a little RV battery maintenance.
First, remove any corrosion, dust, or dirt from the battery. Corrosion forms around the battery terminals and will have a greenish, blueish color to it.
Use a mixture of 1:1 baking soda and water to clean the battery terminals and casing. If your terminals have corrosion, use that solution and a wire brush to scrape it off.
3. Check the Batteries Electrolyte Levels
Continuing with our winter battery maintenance, we will want to check the battery’s water levels. This step only needs to be performed if you have a flooded lead-acid battery. You don’t need to check water levels in Lithium-ion and sealed lead-acid batteries, like gel or AGM batteries.
This quick video will show you exactly how to do that.
- First, if you haven’t already, put on your safety goggles and gloves. Remove the battery compartment covers with a flathead screwdriver. With the covers removed, you should be able to see into the cells to view the liquid inside.
- The liquid level should be at least a half-inch above the top of each plate. In other words, the fluid level should completely cover the plates but no higher than the bottom of the fill neck. If needed, top them off with distilled water.
- Once the battery is topped off, replace the caps and clean up any spills.
Tip: Be sure to only use distilled water as it contains fewer minerals that can wreak havoc on the lead plates in your battery.
4. Place the Battery in a Warm Location
If your RV is kept outside in the cold weather, I recommend storing the battery in a warmer location to ensure that it does not freeze – for example, a garage, basement, or any place that’s warm and dry.
5. Connect a Battery Tender
To keep an RV battery charged in storage, you can use a battery tender or maintainer. Connecting a battery tender is an essential step in maintaining deep cycle batteries over winter or anytime you plan to store your RV for more than a couple of months.
A battery tender or maintainer (not a trickle charger) senses when your stored battery levels discharge to a certain percentage and will automatically recharge it. They then automatically stop recharging when needed to prevent overcharging (one of the most common ways a battery is ruined). And it does all of this without you having to do anything!
Schumacher Fully Automatic Battery Charger and Maintainer 15 Amp/3 Amp
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Using a battery tender is highly recommended, but if you’d rather forgo the tender for whatever reason, then you can manually check and charge your battery yourself with a multimeter. You should check your battery levels to see how much they’ve discharged at least once a month.
To measure with a multimeter, connect the positive and negative leads to the battery and read the voltage display. Your battery is at less than 100% charge if the reading is lower than 12.6 volts.
Important: While lead-acid batteries should typically be kept above 80%, lithium and LifePO4 batteries should be kept between 40-80%. Check with your battery manufacturer for the recommended charge range for storage.
If that’s the case, you can use a battery charger, generator, or shore power to fully charge it again. Just be careful not to overcharge it.
AstroAI Multimeter 2000
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That’s a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to keep your RV battery over the winter. Be sure to check out our guides on preparing your RV for winter storage and how to winterize a camper for more important information on protecting your rig during the colder months.
This applies to lead-acid batteries; Lithium and LiFePO4 should be stored at 80% or less (avoid 100% and 0%):
https://news.umich.edu/tips-for-extending-the-lifetime-of-lithium-ion-batteries/
Do you disconnect your battery even if you have solar panels charging it? I have a 2022 Rpod 193 with built in solar that charges my battery. I live in Pennsylvania. Do I still take my battery out and put it in my basement connected to a tender?
I recommend reading the manual for specific winter care instructions if you have it, as your solar setup, type of battery, etc., matter, but that said, many people leave their batteries connected all winter long with no issues. I assume you’re storing your R-Pod outside. And you may just want to check the solar panels every so often to make sure they are free of snow. Also, might be worth checking the charge levels every so often to see how it goes your first winter to make sure the battery charge doesn’t drop too low.