Winter storage

[RLTexas]

Lots of good suggestions on winter storage. We are storing our cart at a vacation house and during the winter it will get minimum usage. It may go 4-6 weeks without use. We are in central Texas so it rarely freezes hard or for more than a couple of nights. I recently replaced all batteries so they are in good condition. The cart has a tow switch. Would it be worth the investment to purchase a DCI (or similar) charger that switches to trickle mode and leave it plugged in through the winter? Or just tough it out and make the trip so the cart gets some drive time and a recharge at least once a month?

[gornoman]

I always use the once a month technique. It gives me an excuse to visit the campsite and check on roofs, gutters, windows, etc.

[JohnnieB]

The DPI (Diversified Power International) Accusense charger is a good investment for both winter storage and summer use.

However, it goes into a Float charge mode after the regular charge cycle rather than a Trickle charge mode. The difference between those two is that a Trickle charge is simply a low current charge without regard to voltage while a Float charge maintains a predetermined voltage that is below the gassing stage by adjusting the current flow to compensate for the self-discharge rate and any parasitic loads.

For maximum battery life expectancy, you want the maintain the highest possible average State of Charge, so when my cart isn't in use, the DPI charger is plugged into it.
Therefore, unless the cart is actually being driven, the battery pack voltage is 39.6V.

When my cart sits a lot during colder weather, I initiate a regular charge cycle every couple weeks and check electrolyte levels every month or so.

[RLTexas]

Thanks guys!