Written By Michael Howard

Many of the toys that we use batteries in are seasonal.  Motorcycles, RV’s, and boats are often tucked away over winter and forgotten about until the first warm days of spring.  However, if you wish to prevent finding a dead battery when the time comes to take your toys out of storage, then you’ll need to continue to maintain the battery through the winter months.

It is important to remember that batteries self-discharge over time when they are not in use.  Additionally, your vehicle may have some electronic devices that even while turned off are requiring a small but constant amount of energy from your battery.  It doesn’t take too long for a battery to drain down and go completely dead.  This is why devices such as a battery disconnect or battery maintainers are good investments.  A battery disconnect will cut the power to your battery with just a flip of a switch, and are a very convenient option for people who commonly have their battery in storage.  Battery maintainers run power to your battery from a wall outlet, and this small but constant charge combats battery drain without causing the water in your battery to excessively evaporate.

Batteries that are not fully charged are capable of freezing in cold temperatures, so if you live in a cold climate you will want to consider keeping your batteries in a warmer area, such as a garage or basement.  If you don’t have an indoor parking area for your RV or boat, you might want to fully disconnect the batteries and bring them indoors.  Of course, keeping your battery charged through the winter will also help prevent freezing, so if you aren’t using a battery disconnect or maintainer then it is essential to discharge and recharge your battery to prevent both a fully drained battery in the spring as well as lead sulfation.  Another option for many battery users is to remove the battery from the engine and place it on a charger that is capable of maintaining a float charge.  These 3-step chargers will not boil your battery dry through overcharging, but instead will monitor the level of discharge in your battery and maintain an appropriate low charge.  Keeping your battery charged will also prevent lead sulfation, which occurs naturally during discharge.  The longer a battery sits in a discharged state, the harder it is to reverse the effects of sulfation through charging.  Lead sulfation is a common cause of dead batteries that have been sitting in storage.

Check your batteries often, at least monthly, while they are in storage.  It is essential that you don’t allow your batteries to lose too much water, so completing a quick check every few weeks is a good idea and doesn’t take up too much time.  Keep them at a comfortable temperature – not too cold and not too hot – and in a dry place.  Usually indoors in a garage or basement is your best option.

It is easy to forget about your battery when your toys are in winter storage.  But keep in mind that doing so will result in a dead battery in the spring – and who wants to spend that first, beautiful spring day dealing with buying and replacing a battery?  Looking after your battery over the winter will put you miles ahead in enjoying your toys when the nice weather finally arrives.

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