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10-07-2015, 11:31 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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Solar keeps batteries from freezing?
I know having the batteries fully charged means that that helps keep them from freezing. Does it mean that they will not freeze in a northern climate if the solar panel is constantly charging them?
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Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-07-2015, 11:39 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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That would depend on solar source and many other factors. Trojan battery site is excellent source of information:
Can a battery freeze?
The only way that a battery can freeze is if it is left in a state of partial or complete discharged. As the state of charge in a battery decreases, the electrolyte becomes more like water and the freezing temperature increases. The freezing temperature of the electrolyte in a fully charged battery is -92.0oF. At a 40% state of charge, electrolyte will freeze if the temperature reaches approximately 16.0oF.
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What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-07-2015, 11:52 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
That would depend on solar source and many other factors. Trojan battery site is excellent source of information:
Can a battery freeze?
The only way that a battery can freeze is if it is left in a state of partial or complete discharged. As the state of charge in a battery decreases, the electrolyte becomes more like water and the freezing temperature increases. The freezing temperature of the electrolyte in a fully charged battery is -92.0oF. At a 40% state of charge, electrolyte will freeze if the temperature reaches approximately 16.0oF.
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The panel will not be covered except when it snows and then I don't know what we are clearing it with because our metal snow rake is not going to work! Maybe the washing brush.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-08-2015, 12:20 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19
Posts: 555
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I think I would remove them and store them inside. Battery manufactures usally recommend storing above freezing. Also the orientation video mentioned that the propane detector was a drain that had no fuses or disconnects and would drain a battery in short order in storage unless disconected. I would store them in a place where it was relatively warm and put a charger on them every month or so. I do that to my boat through the winter and have had excellent results. I usually put a 1&1/2 amp charger on my boat batteries for a day or two halfway through winter. If you can't bring them inside at least remove the negative cable and charge them every month or two.
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10-08-2015, 01:29 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,543
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I have never removed batteries from a trailer during the winter, just ensured that they were fully charged, maybe checking a couple times during the winter. Never had a problem.
With the solar to keep it topped up, there definitely would be no issue.
Look at it this way, if we were to remove all lead acid batteries during the winter, how would we start our vehicles?
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2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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10-08-2015, 01:57 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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Glad to hear it! That's what I was hoping. We don't want to pick up those heavy things!
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-08-2015, 09:32 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013, 17B 'Mini Pearl' and a 2010 Highlander
Posts: 400
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I just wanted to reprint what Gbaglo answered but with Celcius temperature.
Still from the Trogan website;
9. Can a flooded battery freeze?
The only way that a battery can freeze is if it is left in a state of partial or complete discharge. As the state of charge in a battery decreases, the electrolyte becomes more like water and the freezing temperature increases. The freezing temperature of the electrolyte in a fully charged battery is -92º F (-69º C). At a 40% state of charge, electrolyte will freeze if the temperature reaches approximately 16º F (-9º C).
Trojan has alot of information on their website
Frequently Asked Questions | Trojan Battery Company
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John
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10-08-2015, 10:19 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19
Posts: 555
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To clarify I didn't mean you had to remove the batteries just make sure all parasitic loads are removed and as everyone else says keep them charged.
A dead battery is filled with plain water and a fully charged battery is filled with sulfuric acid with a specific gravity of approx. 1.250. Freezing will usually reduce the life of a battery, but letting it go completely dead can sulfate the plates and reduce it's life as well even if it does not freeze.
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10-08-2015, 12:16 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AKCamper
To clarify I didn't mean you had to remove the batteries just make sure all parasitic loads are removed and as everyone else says keep them charged.
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I measured the parasitic load (the load that could not be turned off with any switch) at 140 milliamps in our '21. That is an amount easily replaced by a few minutes of direct sunshine on the solar panel. But - a few weeks of clouds and snow on the panel might leave them vulnerable. Also, keep the age of the batteries in mind. There is no hard rule but the older they get, the better chance that the specific gravity ("strength") of the electrolyte is going to decrease. The gold standard is a hydrometer measurement, to eliminate all doubt.
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Alan
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10-08-2015, 12:37 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Why is there any parasitic drain, if you turn the master switch off??
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Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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10-08-2015, 12:45 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,254
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Jim
As I understand it, the CO and smoke detectors are wired direct off the battery, around the switch so they do not inadvertently get turned off. So they drain the battery a little at a time. I think that's the way I understand it.
Dave
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10-08-2015, 01:07 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,233
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In my 2010 the disconnect switch completely disconnects everything from the batteries. Is that no longer the case?
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Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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10-08-2015, 01:49 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
In my 2010 the disconnect switch completely disconnects everything from the batteries. Is that no longer the case?
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It is likely, and likely intentional as a safety measure.
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Alan
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10-08-2015, 02:08 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2012 Escape 5.0
Posts: 57
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We've never removed the batteries for winter. The solar keeps them topped up. Where we park the trailer it is quite windy and the panels are usually clear of snow.
We turn off the master switch, which I believe disconnects everything except the solar.
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10-08-2015, 03:24 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Dave,
I believe that the switch eliminates all connection with the trailer, except for the solar.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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10-08-2015, 03:37 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2014 19'
Posts: 534
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Anyone have a wiring diagram?
I asked ETI when I got the trailer and they said there wasn't one available. Maybe now?
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10-08-2015, 03:49 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Trailer: 2015 19 foot
Posts: 439
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As someone else recently posted, there are so many options and customizations that a wiring diagram would need to be custom for each trailer.
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10-08-2015, 03:58 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,254
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OK well then I don't know where phantom draws would come from then. We used to have to hard wire fire exit signs in the Rec centers., plus they had a gel cell backup battery so they could not get accidentally turned off or disconnected. My brother is the electrician in the family. I take my flashlight to the hardware store so the nice man can change the batteries
Dave
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10-08-2015, 04:25 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Trailer: 2014 17b/ 2012 Chevy Colorado
Posts: 736
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shrncnddck
We've never removed the batteries for winter. The solar keeps them topped up. Where we park the trailer it is quite windy and the panels are usually clear of snow.
We turn off the master switch, which I believe disconnects everything except the solar.
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We don't even bother to turn off the master switch and batteries are at 100%. We have the 160w panel
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10-08-2015, 05:43 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2014 19'
Posts: 534
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bdornbush
As someone else recently posted, there are so many options and customizations that a wiring diagram would need to be custom for each trailer.
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There should be a 'standard model' drawing.
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