winter storage for RV

[SkiMore]

We are thinking of buying a class C. We don't expect to use it for a 3 to 6 months of the year. What should we do to keep it running well? Should we take it on short drives every so often? How often? How long should the drives be? What about the generator?

[ron_dittmer]

Sam Spade wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing.

Even a half discharged battery won't freeze down to about -40F.
But at half discharged, the sulfation rate will be really bad.
The important part is to keep them charged up, however you can do that.

-20f...-40f...it's minus something serious and "hope for the best" if you are not going to maintain the batteries in cold storage during a very cold winter.

[ron_dittmer]

DrewE wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
As far as cold indoor storage without electricity is concerned, I would remove all batteries and take them home to your apartment. If that is not feasible, then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing. They won't freeze until discharged of which I can't say how long it takes for that to happen when the batteries are disconnected. I suppose you could take a chance and make sure the fluid levels are good, charge the batteries until full, immediately disconnect the negative battery terminals, and hope for the best.

If it's below freezing (or close to that) and the batteries are disconnected from all loads, they will not self-discharge enough to freeze over the winter. The rate of self-discharge is quite dependent on temperature; the rule of thumb I recall is that it doubles or halves for a 10 degree C change in temperature. (This means that a couple weeks during the summer entails about the same self discharge as the entire winter, assuming it's below freezing where you are.) They'd actually be happier out in the cold than in the warmth of one's apartment without a battery tender, to mention nothing of the questionable advisability of having a (non-agm) lead acid battery sitting in one's living space.

This isn't just "hoping for the best." Many people in northern climates leave many lead-acid batteries untouched over the winter without trouble: farmers, homeowners with riding lawn mowers, motorcycle riders, etc.

I agree that cool and reasonably cold temps are easier on batteries than room temp. But I had in-mind the concern of partially drained batteries sitting in temperatures of -20f (52 degrees below freezing) as can happen where we live in a low lying area near Chicago. When temps are that low around here, vehicles with marginal batteries can't get going, and the battery is not reliable after the temps rise again. Hence I suggested proper fluid level in all battery cells, fully charged & disconnected to eliminate any potential of an electrical drain, and "hope for the best".

Our first motor home, the house and chassis batteries were replaced twice in 24 years, and the 3rd ones were working well when I sold the rig. Doing the math, they averaged over 8 years per battery. The battery that came with the 1983 Toyota RV chassis when new lasted 11 years. Placing a 7, 8, 9 year old battery in less than perfect health, in -20f for 48 hours could critically damage it.

Brand new batteries get delivered throughout the world in trucks that have no heat in the trailer, some driven in sub-zero temps to their destinations and the batteries are sold thereafter. Healthy batteries have minimal concern. My comment is most applicable to batteries in the last 3rd of their life cycle.

[Sam_Spade]

ron.dittmer wrote:
then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing.

Even a half discharged battery won't freeze down to about -40F.
But at half discharged, the sulfation rate will be really bad.
The important part is to keep them charged up, however you can do that.

[Sam_Spade]

SkiMore wrote:
but I probably should exercise the generator.

The generator is just another engine.

IF you get the fuel properly stabilized, you don't NEED to run it either......unless that's the only way you can keep the batteries charged.

The truck battery needs to be kept charged too.

[PSW]

I usually winterize in mid November and get ready for trips in mid March...four months later. I store in an indoor facility about three miles from our home and it is a half mile from an interstate. Once a month during storage, I find an acceptable weather day and take it out of storage. Then, I drive to a town up the interstate about 25 miles, leave the engine running and have a burger for lunch.

All this time in transit and while enjoying the burger the generator is running with a load on it. My rig has heat strips in the AC unit and they are turned on so the gen is under load. This whole process takes about an hour and a half. Generators need to be run in my opinion every now and then, not just for moving the gas through the carb but also to spin the generator itself to prevent oxidization from forming. Read Onan's manual. I think mine says at least two hours a month.

Now, if you are storing in a heated space not that much is obviously required but most of us are not that lucky.

These things cost a lot of money and I figure 90 minutes of my time to take care of it and eat a good hamburger is not a bad way to spend part of a day.

Also, I use a battery disconnector on the coach batteries to avoid any parasitic draws while in storage. AND, importantly, I keep the fuel tank filled to the brim to avoid condensation during the winter months. I refill it every month after this little journey to make sure to avoid that problem.

Everyone will have their own little technique for maintenance and I have been doing this on different rigs over the decades. I don't want to scrimp on my routine and have troubles out in the wilds somewhere.

[DrewE]

ron.dittmer wrote:

As far as cold indoor storage without electricity is concerned, I would remove all batteries and take them home to your apartment. If that is not feasible, then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing. They won't freeze until discharged of which I can't say how long it takes for that to happen when the batteries are disconnected. I suppose you could take a chance and make sure the fluid levels are good, charge the batteries until full, immediately disconnect the negative battery terminals, and hope for the best.

If it's below freezing (or close to that) and the batteries are disconnected from all loads, they will not self-discharge enough to freeze over the winter. The rate of self-discharge is quite dependent on temperature; the rule of thumb I recall is that it doubles or halves for a 10 degree C change in temperature. (This means that a couple weeks during the summer entails about the same self discharge as the entire winter, assuming it's below freezing where you are.) They'd actually be happier out in the cold than in the warmth of one's apartment without a battery tender, to mention nothing of the questionable advisability of having a (non-agm) lead acid battery sitting in one's living space.

This isn't just "hoping for the best." Many people in northern climates leave many lead-acid batteries untouched over the winter without trouble: farmers, homeowners with riding lawn mowers, motorcycle riders, etc.

[ron_dittmer]

SkiMore wrote:
Thanks for all the advice.

I live in a cold place and can not store the RV in my apartment complex. I will need to pay for storage. It sounds like I should spring for indoor storage. I assume it won't be heated, but you never know. I will winterize the plumbing. I don't know if there will be a way to charge the batteries in the storage building.

It sounds like I don't need to worry that much about running the engine during the down time, but I probably should exercise the generator.

Most people will tell you to run the generator at various intervals when the rig is in storage. But I have never done so for 9 years now and all is just fine. Again I am talking about "Indoor Heated Storage".

As far as cold indoor storage without electricity is concerned, I would remove all batteries and take them home to your apartment. If that is not feasible, then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing. They won't freeze until discharged of which I can't say how long it takes for that to happen when the batteries are disconnected. I suppose you could take a chance and make sure the fluid levels are good, charge the batteries until full, immediately disconnect the negative battery terminals, and hope for the best.

[SkiMore]

Thanks for all the advice.

I live in a cold place and can not store the RV in my apartment complex. I will need to pay for storage. It sounds like I should spring for indoor storage. I assume it won't be heated, but you never know. I will winterize the plumbing. I don't know if there will be a way to charge the batteries in the storage building.

It sounds like I don't need to worry that much about running the engine during the down time, but I probably should exercise the generator.

[ron_dittmer]

Of coarse the best storage is indoors, heated in winter. That eliminates the need to do anything with the rig during the storage period.

We have heated indoor storage located at home. I disconnect the chassis battery during storage but keep the two house batteries connected because I occasionally go inside so the lighting is nice to have working.

Regardless of how long, during heated indoor storage at home.

I DON'T.....
- winterize the rig
- run the Ford V10 engine during the storage period
- run the generator during the storage period
- start the storage period with partially drained batteries

I DO....
- drain the water in all tanks, water heater and plumbing
- charge the batteries every month or two using a secondary charger on a low setting

If our rig was stored in heated storage located off-site, I would disconnect every battery and forget about the rig.

I think paying for indoor storage is worth consideration given how well preserved a motor home is when stored indoors. Our rig is over 9 years old with 30,000 miles now. I displayed it at a recent Father's Day event/auto show. Many people thought the motor home was brand new. It has the original everything including tires and brakes and it all works perfect too. Strange, but the rig even smells new inside. I do all my own work which has been just fluid and filter changes.

Shop around for a local indoor storage facility. Do the math. You may find it not much different in cost compared to paying for all the aftermath repairs related to outdoor storage and weathering of the rig, and degradation of everything rubber and caulk related. Then there is the protection against water getting inside if there was a breach.

[Sam_Spade]

SkiMore wrote:
What should we do to keep it running well?

Like a lot of subjects on here, this one has been discussed a million times already. And there are about a million different opinions too.

Living where you do, it's important to drain as much water out as possible and put RV anti-freeze in those points that can't be fully drained. See your owners manual or a dealer for information about that.

Then put stabilizer in the gas for the truck and gen.
It is not strictly necessary to run either but most folks like to once a month.....long enough to get them hot.

Doing that more or less keeps the batteries charged too, which is important.

Please do a search for more; a lot more.

[Dusty_R]

I put a switch in the power line to the fuel pump that feeds the generator. When I know that I'm not going to use the generator for a while, with the generator running I turn the fuel pump off and let it run out of gas. Did that for many years, never a problem.

[tenbear]

I have my Class C connected to power when being stored all winter. I do not start the engine or move the RV until spring, and the skiing is over. Where it's stored, it is blocked in by snow most of the winter, most winters.

I have a Battery Minder on the house battery and a trickle charger on the chassis battery. I don't use the converter during storage. I start the generator every couple of months during a warm spell.

Of course I winterize the RV in the fall before it freezes and de-winterize in the spring.

[tjfogelberg]

We store (Class C) indoors with no trouble. I don't touch my RV for 4-5 months. Previous post has good info, I have a bypass on my water heater and use RV antifreeze instead of blowout method. I remove ALL foodstuffs and clean everything prior to putting in storage.

[DrewE]

I don't use my motorhome during the winter, mainly because I don't want to get road salt on the exposed framework underneath. A short drive (during which it doesn't get fully up to temperature) is much harder on the engine than sitting for the winter.

My winterizing procedures are fairly simple. I winterize the plumbing system by blowing out the lines with compressed air and pouring a cupful of RV antifreeze into each of the drain traps. I put in an appropriate amount of Sta-bil and fill up the gas tank (if the tank is full of fuel, with no room for air, there can't be any water that condenses out of the air to cause trouble) and park it outside for the winter. It's better to change the oil before storage rather than afterwards if it's time to do so.

Batteries in cold conditions won't self-discharge much, so one effective way to deal with them is to make sure they're fully charged and just disconnect them. Alternately, if there's shore power available, you can use some sort of a charger to keep them up to snuff, such as the RV's converter (preferably a multistage one that won't overcharge the battery continuously). Most often the converter will not charge the chassis battery, so disconnecting it or finding some other way to keep it charged is needed.

The generator should be run every month or so for a decent length of time under load to keep the gas in the carb fresh, the brushes and slip rings clean, and the coils dry. A portable electric space heater works nicely as a load in the wintertime.

Having a vent cover or two is a good idea, as it allows a vent to be left cracked open and any moisture to dissipate. There's generally no need to do anything at all for the television or other appliances over the winter.