battery storage/ maint

Would anybody like to share any words of wisdom concerning battery  storage over the winter season.  My rv is in a heated garage and a  I'm a little concerned leaving them in the compartment and periodically charging them via plugging in the Rv.  Comments or tips  are appreciated.
thanks in advance.

I also store my 2010 2551 in a heated garage and I use this instead of the on-board charger if stored for an extended period:

http://www.batteryminders.com/batterycharger/catalog/BatteryMINDer-Plus-12-Volt-133-Amp-Charger-Maintainer-Conditio-p-16134.html

I like the idea of de-sulfating and re-conditioning the batteries, so far the batteries have performed great after extended time on the batteryminder.  I know the on-board charger is also a three stage charger that should not over charge and boil off water, but I like the idea of the de-sulfating function that you get with the batteryminder.

Hopefully this is not all hype,
Bob A

I too store my PC in a heated garage.  I leave everything hooked up, but kill the power to the interior using the power switch by the entry door.  I place a low 4 amp charger every 6 to 8 weeks.  The same for the engine battery.  The cycle time is measured in hours not days.....maybe 4 to 8 hours on the coach.  About an hour on the engine.

Ron:
When you state you leave everything hooked up and apply a small 4 watt charger -. your working off the combined leads off the positive and negative terminals. Is this correct?
Thank for you help.
Bob

I set my charger to the low 4-amp setting and simply do in my garage as shown here when we were camping.  The black/ground terminal is hidden in this picture.  The picture was used in another post to show what I do when I need a quick charge from the generator while boondocking.  But then the orange Black & Decker charger is set to 40 amps, not 4 amps.

How about words of wisdom for those of us who don't have a heated garage for storage?  We will be storing ours in a shed that has three sides enclosed and no electricity available.  And Nebraska winters can get a tad on the cold side.   

Any tips would be greatly appreciated (as usual).

George

I advise to remove all 3 batteries, bring them home and store them inside where temps are controlled.  I would not worry about starting up the rig in the winter either.  People do that, but I really question the benefits.  Others will chime in with opposing views to mine so you will have to decide for yourself.

When placing the motor home in storage....
- top off the main fuel tank
- completely drain the black and gray tanks, and also the sanicon by using the 3" poop drain cap
- completely drain, then put in the pink anti-freeze in the freash water system
- put 80psi in all tires to minimize ground contact
- cover all windows with sunshade material because using your regular shades just degrades them from the sun
- open all cabinet doors, fridge and freezer to circulate air better
- turn your dash board to max a/c to deter rodents from getting into the interior through that air iinlet
- place mouse/rat poison on the floor, just in-case
- don't leave any windows or roof vents open
- a full RV cover or tarp is not required, but never hurts

If you inspect it on rare occasion, bring the chassis battery with you.  You might need to start the engine to heat up and dry out the interior of any dampness.  But if it's well sealed and fairly dry, don't.

If you do run the engine, make sure the dangling RV battery cables are insulated.
Also run the generator.

In addition to Ron's list, I would add: don't forget to run antifreze through the kitchen sink spray head as well as the hot/cold faucets.  I didn't the first 2 years, and each year experienced freeze break water leaks in the spray head after winter (you'd think I would have wised up after the first year, but...--3rd time's the charm).  Also, don't forget the outside shower head.

Geojude:

I see you have an 06 Cruiser.  I would bet it does not have an antifreeze pickup line that makes it easier to get the pink antifreeze into the system.  I did not have that on my first Cruiser and just found it easier to blow out the lines with air than running the pink stuff through.  Our winters here in PA get a tad cold too.

I bring in my two house batteries and place them on a piece of wood and attach a trickle charger to them.  I also use them once and a while to run the fan on my pellet stove just to give them use. I leave the chasis battery on and run the rig often and the generator too.  I keep the chasis ready to run so that I can use the generator if I lose power in my home during the winter. It makes it nice to have that as a standby generator.

Good luck

DJM

I'll 2nd that recommendation.
I remove the drain plug and drain the hot water tank then replace it before I charge the water system with 40 PSI of air to blow all the water out of the lines and fittings. Then I loosen the hot water tank drain to allow any stray water out (but I've never seen any). I also disconnect the water pump to allow water to drain. Lastly, I put approx. 2 cups of pink anti-freeze into each water trap (don't forget the shower).

I leave the "House" batteries in place but connect a trickle charger to charge them for 4 to 8 hours every week (I also check water levels monthly).

When the roads are clear I'll take the Phoenix on the road for an hour or so to get everything to operating temperature.

I've been doing things this way for nigh onto 20 years and have not yet experienced a problem when it's time to recommission the MH for the new season (which consists of tightening the hot water tank drain valve, putting water into the tank and testing all appliances.

As for the "House", I do what Dittmer says (open all doors, refrigerator, putting the dash heat/AC to recirculate, etc.)

Love that.. "I do what Dittmer says."  lol

I followed Ron's advice re: winterizing the rig, and  I decided to remove the house battery.  The plan was to go down and start it once a month and run the generator for an hour or so (read somewhere that needed to be done).  Went yesteday and it started right up (of course, the weather has been really nice for this time of year, so I expected it to).  But when I went to start the generator - nothing.  No cranking, no lights, nothing.  Did I miss something, and the generator starts off the house battery?  Do I need to lug it down and connect it back up each time?  That doesn't seem right to me.

Any help, as always, is greatly appreciated.

George

After winterizing, I put STABIL in my gas tank.  Drive around the block to mix it well in the gas tank and to get it into the gas lines and carb.  When I get home, I run the generator for a half hour to get the gas/STABIL mixture through the gen too.  I also use the BATTERYMINDER for house and engine batteries.  This seems to do the trick in New York State's freezing winter.

Check the breaker on the generator.  It has tripped on me before.

"I followed Ron's advice re: winterizing the rig, and  I decided to remove the house battery."

Does the generator start off the rig or house. I don't really know?