Winter Storage & Battery Shutoff Switches

[Metalman]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

There's no doubt that it's best to let them stretch their legs a bit during the off-season.

But how do you deal with it; when that's just not an option?

I have been winterizing motorcycles for over fifty years and have been using fuel stabilizer for as long as I can remember. I change oil and filter. Disconnect the battery and bring it inside and put it on a maintainer. Other than a few batteries dying over the winter while on a maintainer, I've never had a problem getting the bikes started. And most of those years of storage were with bikes with carburetors.

I understand the need to use a generator on a regular basis, particularly to prevent the field magnets from loosing their magnetism. I've owned generators for over twenty years and have never started one in the winter for the sake of exercising it. I have never had one loose its magnetism. However, I have a friend who stored his Honda generator for several years and had to have the magnets re magnetized.

[mountainsam]

In 1973 I lived in Baggs WY and one week the high was 42 below. Our vehicles were never turned off and we also added four 60 watt light bulbs under the hood. A local mechanic told me there would be more damage to the engine trying to start it than leaving it run all night. I will tell you those tires where flat on one side for the first 40 miles.

[Metalman]

Originally Posted by mountainsam

In 1973 I lived in Baggs WY and one week the high was 42 below. Our vehicles were never turned off and we also added four 60 watt light bulbs under the hood. A local mechanic told me there would be more damage to the engine trying to start it than leaving it run all night. I will tell you those tires where flat on one side for the first 40 miles.

Back in the 50s and 60s I lived in Berlin, New Hampshire where they had long and very cold winters. The train engines would idle all night in the mill yard, in fact I don't know that they shut them down all winter.

[bedbug123]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

I top off the fuel tanks, load them and the fuel system with fuel stabilizer...
Then I tackle the batteries!
The coach batteries are disconnected, the Use/Store switch is set to the "Store" position.
I leave the chassis battery alone. So far: so good!
About once a Month: I plug into the garage, hook the batteries back up, and let them take a drink of juice for about 4 days...
While I'm at it: I'll start the V-10, and let it run for about 20 minutes. The same thing goes for the generator as well.

when you say disconnect batteries, do you pull positive and negative or just one of them?

[Whirnot]

I have had a couple storage issues with all batteries, even when the house was in the store mode. I finally bought two maintainers on Amazon, one for chassis and one for house. The lead wires are permanently mounted directly to the batteries. They only charge if needed. I just plug into the mounted leads when storing, and walk away.

I do use stabil, store with a full tank, and run the Genny once a month or six weeks just to see keep the gas in the Genny carb fresh during the 5 month winter nap.

This is in a minimally heated garage in the refrigerator of Oregon. Temps in garage are often hovering about 30.