Finally! Pulled the batteries for the season...

[frank_a]

We've had a blast of cold weather already this year, but this weekend, windchills are supposed to be in the minus 40 to minus 50 range. I figured maybe go out and pull the batteries in this balmy 12 degree temp, lol. I had the trailer plugged into house power, but just feel better with those batteries in my nice, warm house!

Happy New Year all! Camp on!

Frank

[Glenn Baglo]

I'd put them back in the trailer and make sure you have full propane bottles. When the power goes out, it's a lot easier to heat a small trailer than a whole house.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I'd put them back in the trailer and make sure you have full propane bottles. When the power goes out, it's a lot easier to heat a small trailer than a whole house.

Having seen long term loss of power from winter storms in Vermont and New Hampshire, I'd second this suggestion. Stay safe!

[rbryan]

It's nice to have a ready made 'little house' when the power goes out.

[Glenn Baglo]

Last storm, it took three hours for me to get the temp in the trailer up to 70F and then I ran out of propane in both tanks. I have a 20lb for the BBQ and spare 20 and 10lb tanks, but it was dark out, raining/snowing so I just hoped the power would come back on, which it did.
I am better prepared.

[frank_a]

Ha ha ha! I am much better prepared than any of you folks. Doesn't anybody have a portable or stationary generator for when the power goes out? We do, and 8800 W one that stays in my garage and gets wheeled out once in a while to run, then comes back in. When it's out, I have a wheeled wooden cover for it. It powers our well and water system, furnace, freezer and frig. We have candles and a wood stove, and have had to use the generator a few times since we bought it years ago. I would rather be in my house if the temps are going to be 40 to 50 below...

Frank

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Doesn't anybody have a portable or stationary generator for when the power goes out? Frank

Yup, you're not the Lone Ranger Frank, I've got 2 and they get used 5 or 6 times a year when the power goes out mostly from high wind.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Yup, you're not the Lone Ranger Frank, I've got 2 and they get used 5 or 6 times a year when the power goes out mostly from high wind.

Yep. It's not so much wind with us, but just living out in the boonies at the end of the power line. Heck, we're still on DSL, and at the very end of that line too!

Frank

[Gerry]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Yep. It's not so much wind with us, but just living out in the boonies at the end of the power line. Heck, we're still on DSL, and at the very end of that line too!

Frank

Hey Frank you and me are in the same boat.... Always have the generator full of gas and it take about 5 minutes to get it all up and running again. OK...Maybe 10 minutes from a dead sleep. I have a Storm Radio, set to Loud, that when it looses 120V power turns on by battery
This is preformed like a fire drill because I run a wood-fired boiler and without power to run the circulator it could over-heat and blow off the water, making a mess in the basement.
Keep telling the wife, next investment is going to be a whole house / automatic generator.
The Ice Storm of Maine 20 years ago left us without power for 21 days. Had to travel a bit to keep my supply of 20 gal. of gas cans filled but we survived.

We strip our camper of all bed fixin's so going out to the camper isn't an option....When winter camping our Boler1300 does heat up nicely and if I didn't have that wonderful generator I would stay, cook and live in it.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Gerry

Hey Frank you and me are in the same boat.... Always have the generator full of gas and it take about 5 minutes to get it all up and running again. OK...Maybe 10 minutes from a dead sleep. I have a Storm Radio, set to Loud, that when it looses 120V power turns on by battery
This is preformed like a fire drill because I run a wood-fired boiler and without power to run the circulator it could over-heat and blow off the water, making a mess in the basement.
Keep telling the wife, next investment is going to be a whole house / automatic generator.
The Ice Storm of Maine 20 years ago left us without power for 21 days. Had to travel a bit to keep my supply of 20 gal. of gas cans filled but we survived.

We strip our camper of all bed fixin's so going out to the camper isn't an option....When winter camping our Boler1300 does heat up nicely and if I didn't have that wonderful generator I would stay, cook and live in it.

We do the same thing with our camper. It is stripped after the last trip of the year, everything stored in our RV closet in the basement. I always keep at least one 5 gallon gas can full with Stabil added. I make sure and run the generator about every 2 or 3 months to keep it in decent shape. When I do that I turn the gas valve off and let it run out of gas so none stays in the carb. Starts with electricity every time, or not too difficult by hand if the power is out. It's a Generac.

Frank

[mary and bob]

Frank, do you use non-ethanol gas in your generator. I do in mine, and in all my older equipment, mowers, tractors, trucks. Looks like not all that much snow predicted for our area.

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by frank_a

We've had a blast of cold weather already this year, but this weekend, windchills are supposed to be in the minus 40 to minus 50 range. I figured maybe go out and pull the batteries in this balmy 12 degree temp, lol. I had the trailer plugged into house power, but just feel better with those batteries in my nice, warm house!

Happy New Year all! Camp on!

Frank

No need to pull them out. Just make sure they are fully charged, clean and dry.
Disconnect the Negative post, and let them stay out. They will not freeze.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

Frank, do you use non-ethanol gas in your generator. I do in mine, and in all my older equipment, mowers, tractors, trucks. Looks like not all that much snow predicted for our area.

No idea where to get it this side of the river.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

No need to pull them out. Just make sure they are fully charged, clean and dry.
Disconnect the Negative post, and let them stay out. They will not freeze.

That just isn't me. I always pull my RV batteries for winter, charge them on trickle chargers in the basement shop. Probably wrong, but I been doing it for decades with boat batteries, figured RV's can't be much different.

Did you get gel cell with yours or regular old fashioned ones? Mine started with gel cell in the back, but the water tank, then Parkliner moved them forward to the tongue and exchanged them for regular type batteries.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by frank_a

...I would rather be in my house if the temps are going to be 40 to 50 below...

Exactly!! Even if it's 10 above, how in the world are you going to keep the 12V system going to heat a poorly insulated travel trailer in winter storm conditions without sun or power? Not to mention being confined in such a small space during a weather event!

We spent three days without power (or heat) the first winter after we moved into our current house. By the next winter we had a wood stove. Liked it so much we retired the forced air furnace except when we are out of town. It heats the whole 1750 s.f. house comfortably by convection alone except for one occasional-use guest room at the back. Best thing is the instant temperature adjustment. If you're too cold, move closer. If you're warm, back off.

Now as a bug-out evacuation shelter during forest fire season, the trailer gets my vote.

[k0wtz]

I bought a nice non-vented gas heater it will heat the whole house for not much a day. we filled our propane tank a month ago I checked the tank after a month we have used 40gal with this extreme cold!

back surgeries have put me out of the wood burning business propane all the way out here and I live at the end of the power line!

by the way woodcutting aint cheap lets see 5k tractor, couple stihl saws, all the other stuff, gas and oil visits to the dr. after a cut afternoon of cutting!

bob

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by frank_a

No idea where to get it this side of the river.

Our local Stewarts convenience store has it

[Jennifer in Denver]

Newbie here! Do you keep the battery plugged in to the trickle charger all the time? Or only until it is fully charged.

Jennifer

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

Having seen long term loss of power from winter storms in Vermont and New Hampshire, I'd second this suggestion. Stay safe!

I take this back, you are better prepared and take a lower risk than many of us, especially with your 8kW generator.

[Glenn Baglo]

I see no need to apologize for offering advice that would assist those who don't own 8kw generators.
In any event, since you have power, you can leave the batteries in the trailer, because you can keep them charged.
Trojan says this:
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).