Battery disconnect Switch

Nrgtic4

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Messages
237
Location
Schaumburg
Have a quick question…

We recently down-sized to a smaller home and have our 2017 escape 21 in a nearby outside storage facility. (It used to spend its Chicago winters on our old driveway plugged into a 30 amp.)

We have 160 rooftop solar, 2 six volt Trojan T105 lead acid batteries and a Victron Smart Shunt battery monitor.

Should I turn the battery disconnect to OFF for the winter since we do not plan on going to the facility to shovel off snow from the solar panels? Or would it, in all likelihood, be just fine if we left it on?
 
If your solar panel does not receive sun for an extended period of time, “phantom draws” could cause dead batteries. Your C0 detector would be an example of a draw. And though it’s not much over time might make a difference. If your batteries are fully charged you could take the positive cable off the battery and let them through the winter. I do this with my z turn mower battery after I mulch leaves in the early winter and it’s good till spring. I do this because I’ve done stuff like leaving the starter switch on or the lights on. For a few days a couple times.
Iowa Dave
T
 
I think you'll be fine just to leave the battery switch on. If you get a huge extended amount of snow on the roof, since you're close by, you can go and check how its doing. See what the voltage is during the day when there's snow on the roof.

I've been surprised to see that even with my trailer cover on there's enough sunlight coming through to create more than just the resting voltage.

Ron
 
We have a 2017 E19 that we ordered prewired for solar. I installed my own panels and Victron controller using Escape’s wiring setup. We store our unit in a storage yard as well and I use the battery disconnect switch to disconnect the batteries when I store it. The batteries, though not working for lights, etc, are still connected to the solar panels and do charge, so my advice is to try disconnecting your batteries and see what happens with your solar system. My guess is that you’ll still charge and you’ll eliminate any “parasite” draws.
 
I leave our lead-acid batteries in the trailer over winter.
I turn off the battery disconnect to eliminate any phantom draw.
We cover our trailer but the solar panels still receive some light and the batteries have always been topped right up when I occasionally check them, even if some snow has also accumulated up there.
 
I leave our lead-acid batteries in the trailer over winter.
I turn off the battery disconnect to eliminate any phantom draw.
We cover our trailer but the solar panels still receive some light and the batteries have always been topped right up when I occasionally check them, even if some snow has also accumulated up there.
I swapped out the 2x6v golf batteries for one of my old 12v trailer batteries not in use.

I winterized last week, air, antifreeze, air. Wire meshed a few areas. I'll wire mesh the roof vents next weekend and cover.

I was actually planning on leaving shore power so I can run a Caframo air circulator for humidity. I don't know what the humidity level is in a trailer over winter, this is the first one I've monitored.

If the air circulator isn't needed, I'll kill the shore power and throw the switch to OFF.
 
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I swapped out the 2x6v golf batteries for one of my old 12v trailer batteries not in use.

I winterized last week, air, antifreeze, air. Wire meshed a few areas. I'll wire mesh the roof vents next weekend and cover.

I was actually planning on leaving shore power so I can run a Caframo air circulator for humidity. I don't know what the humidity level is in a trailer over winter, this is the first one I've monitored.

If the air circulator isn't needed, I'll kill the shore power and throw the switch to OFF.

We're both in Winnipeg.
I haven't found a need for an air circulator.
I leave all the cupboard doors and the fridge doors open but leave the dinette seats (where the batteries and electronics are) closed.
We have mostly used a cover but there were a couple winters when we didn't.
I have found no indication of humidity either during the winter or in the spring. No moist or musty smells, ever.
 
We're both in Winnipeg.
I haven't found a need for an air circulator.
I leave all the cupboard doors and the fridge doors open but leave the dinette seats (where the batteries and electronics are) closed.
We have mostly used a cover but there were a couple winters when we didn't.
I have found no indication of humidity either during the winter or in the spring. No moist or musty smells, ever.
That's good to know. It was much easier when I didn't care about the trailer and just winterized and threw some Bounce sheets in and took my chances in the fall. Long term, that didn't work out well for us. But ended up with an Escape, so happy ending anyways.

Thanks much.
 

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