Long term storage options & experience

[BS20]

Hi, I sold my MH during covid with no regrets due to the price.

 

Now I am looking for a replacement, but I have a bit of a dilemma.

 

I can store a 6m on my drive as I did before, or a 6.5m + in storage.

When on my drive I kept it maintained and battery trickle charged regularly.

 

Having never used storage how to you keep the battery charged?

Do you take the battery home or use jump leads to start the MH after a long period of storage.

Is it possible that you may lose software programming if the battery goes flat in situ.

Any other problems like rodents etc.

 

Storage is available undercover but no electrical supply nearby.

 

Just wondered about your experiences and pitfalls of remote storage.

[Keithl]

Deliberately letting the battery go flat is very bad practice as every time it is recharged it has suffered damage and its capacity reduced, that is if it will even accept a charge. Many totally flat batteries are unable to be recharged and deemed scrap!

 

 

[steve hill]

The question is how long is it stored for. Disconnected batteries will start your van after months I know from experience not theory, the one you buy from a shop may have sat there for ages. So if its only 4 months of winter it will be ok if it was ok to start with, assuming your van is running ok. Remember though a battery slowly degrades, take 10% per year as an idea, they may seem ok but a real load test will show they do not hold the original charge, so the first year or 2 the disconnection idea will work. Use a solar trickle charge if you can but many modern vans use quite a bit if left connected to the van system, so disconnect the van except for the charger, yes it is known to cause problems on some vans and radios etc but dont panic you can check this out before a storage season at your leisure. Humping heavy batterries home is a pain.

I have had sucess after leaving batteries 6-9 months but know they are getting damaged.

[Keithl]

You will have to check your insurance policy very carefully as if you have an alarm or tracker fitted the insurance may well demand they are functional at all times. Disconnecting the battery will turn them off so a no go.

 

Fitting a solar panel wired to both batteries would be the only option here, but even then in the depths of winter this may not be enough, especially if there is heavy snow fall. It would also rule out indoor parking!

[pepe63xnotuse]

Is there any reason why you "need" a van larger than the 6mtr van you had, and could fit on your 'drive, previously?

 

I have never had to use storage, as we have always been lucky enough to have more than enough room for MHs and several cars, but for me the "niggle" of wondering if the likes batteries are going to be okay when I needed it (and what ever additional issues "flat" batteries may throw up on a modern van?) or whether or not other components were rusting/seizing?...mice?....and general Sleepy van syndrome ("it worked last time we used it!?"), would make me want to keep it on the drive, where it could easily be used on a more frequent basis and just opened up,aired out and generally kept an eye on and "fettled" with every now and then. That would be my choice.

 

Obviously, if was a choice between a large van in storage or no van at all, then I would have to look at storage...?

[Brock]

We two cope with a 6m van on the drive. It's an A-class; a van which has drop-down beds gives you extra space. However, drop down beds are not liked by some people and I can understand why. Panel Vans are popular either 6m or 6.4m and slightly over 2m wide.

 

In the past, I had our van on a farm and we visited the van once a week or so and regularly went out in it for the day or weekend. In those days, the electric draw was almost nil and we relied on a wheel clamp, steering wheel lock etc. No alarm because nobody would hear it on a farm. You won't get away with that now.

 

Solar panels seem an option nowadays.