RV Battery Disconnect Switch: On Or Off In Storage?

We’ve posted on the battery disconnect switch before. We’ve even addressed the question “Should I disconnect my RV battery when plugged in?” (meaning plugged into shore power). But we’ve never discussed whether or not to keep the RV battery disconnect switch on or off while the rig is in storage… until now. So, should you keep your RV battery disconnect switch on or off when your rig is stored? Let’s find out.

Table of Contents hide

1) What Is a Battery Disconnect Switch?
2) Should My RV Battery Disconnect Be On or Off When My Rig Is In Storage?
3) Do I Need to Use My RV Battery Disconnect Switch If My Storage Space Has Shore Power?

What Is a Battery Disconnect Switch?

A battery disconnect switch allows you to temporarily turn off the flow of 12-volt electric power without having to manually disconnect your RV’s battery bank. In an RV, a battery disconnect switch quickly and easily cuts the house batteries off from the main circuits in the RV.

A battery disconnect switch is generally placed between the negative battery terminal and the negative cabling. When an RV battery is disconnected using the switch, it stops the flow of power from reaching any other components in the rig, which prevents the battery from draining. It also protects you and your RV’s equipment from shock or damage while working on the electrical system.

You can install an RV battery disconnect switch in your battery compartment if you don’t already have one. A battery disconnect switch installation can be done as a DIY project, provided you’re able to safely, confidently, and competently work with electrical components. There are several types of battery disconnect switches. You can read more about the options in our complete post on RV battery disconnect switches, but here are some examples:

Sale

Blue Sea Systems 6006200 m-Series Battery Switch ON/OFF with Knob, Black

Blue Sea Systems Battery Switch m-Series ON/OFF with Knob, Black, part number 6006200, is a Single Circuit ON-OFF switch. Switches a single battery to...
IP66 waterproof, ISO 8846 and meets ABYC requirements. Ignition protected—safe for installation aboard gasoline powered boats

Ampper Top Post Battery Disconnect Switch 12V 24V, Knife Blade Battery Switch Disconnect Power Cut Shut Off for Car Boat RV ATV (Negative, Vertical)

Compatible: used for top post terminal, 15-17 mm cone / tapering battery NEGATIVE post only, DC 12V- 24V system, 200A continuous and 600A momentary at...
Convenience: vertical knife blade type, easy to install & simple to use. Lift the knife, then power will cut.

Should My RV Battery Disconnect Be On or Off When My Rig Is In Storage?

The answer to this question depends on a couple of factors, most importantly, how long your rig will be in storage. If you’re storing an RV for an extended period (more than a couple of weeks), it’s wise to use your battery disconnect switch, as batteries will discharge and degrade over time when left unused due to parasitic drains in the RV. This can also happen when batteries are exposed to sub-freezing temperatures, which can damage their overall health and decrease their longevity.

Here are some guidelines for when to use your battery disconnect switch during periods of storage:

If you’re storing your rig short term (a week or two, for example), your batteries will probably be fine without disconnecting. However, this depends on the loads you may have in your RV, the devices/appliances you leave turned on, and whether you have solar panels on the roof (and if they receive sunlight while in storage).
One of the most significant factors to consider is your refrigerator:
1. An RV fridge can cool using propane, requiring only a minimal amount of power to manage the circuitry. If you have an RV fridge (and plenty of propane), you could leave it on without a problem for quite some time, even without a shore power connection.
2. If you have a residential fridge (like the one we had in our Newmar), you should absolutely empty it and shut it off, even during shorter storage periods. Even with our substantial solar and lithium battery banks, we would never have left our residential fridge on without a shore power connection while we were away from the rig for more than a few days. The risk of melted freezer contents oozing out onto the floor simply isn’t worth the risk.
If you’re storing your rig for several weeks or longer, you should turn on your battery disconnect switch (i.e., turn OFF the batteries) to preserve the health of your batteries.
If your RV will be stored in sub-freezing temperatures, you may want to disconnect the battery cables, remove the batteries entirely, store them in a warm location, and/or use a trickle/maintenance charger or battery tender.

Do I Need to Use My RV Battery Disconnect Switch If My Storage Space Has Shore Power?

If you have a power hookup at your storage location, the answer to whether or not you should flip your battery disconnect switch to the “OFF” position may be a bit different. For full details on this topic, read our post, “Should I Disconnect My RV Battery When Plugged In to Shore Power?”

However, generally speaking, if you’re storing your rig for a month or less with it plugged in to shore power, you can leave your battery disconnect switch in the “ON” position. If you’re storing your rig for longer than that, we recommend using the battery disconnect switch to kill power coming from the battery bank by shutting it “OFF” during storage.

An RV battery disconnect switch being turned on

An RV battery disconnect switch is a convenient way to temporarily disengage your rig’s house batteries from the electrical system.

However, there are a couple of circumstances under which it’s best to disconnect your RV battery/batteries completely (as in disconnecting the cables).

When storing your batteries for long periods of time, depending on the situation, you may want to disconnect your RV battery/batteries even if your RV is connected to shore power. This is especially important if your RV has an older converter/charger (or one that’s cheap/inefficient), as those can overcharge the batteries while your rig is plugged in long term. This can be prevented by completely disconnecting the battery/batteries and, ideally, storing them in a heated location.

Also, as you may recall from our article on RV battery disconnect switches, the battery disconnect may not stop ALL power drains. Some gear may be hard-wired directly to the battery, bypassing the shutoff switch altogether. Many of an RV’s electronics will continue to draw a small amount of power even when they’re turned off. This is known as “parasitic” or “phantom” drain. You’ll want to disconnect your battery/batteries to prevent this power draw.

Disconnected batteries will still discharge… but at a much slower pace. In most situations, leaving the battery/batteries connected when your RV is connected to shore power is preferable so the battery remains fully charged.

Want to learn more about your RV’s electrical system? Check out our article: RV Wiring For Dummies: Don’t Be Shocked By What You Don’t Know.

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Tom

Friday 5th of September 2025

If you have solar panels on the roof, would you disconnect the batteries for the winter?

TheRVgeeks

Good question, @Tom. The answer is that "it depends"...

It depends on how much solar you've got on the roof It depends on where you're parking it and how much sun will actually hit the panels It depends on the weather and how much sun the panels could possibly see (is it going to snow and completely block the panels? Will you be able to get to the RV and clear the snow?) It depends on how large the drains are on the batteries... will they last through several days of no sun at all? It depends on how long you'll be storing it. A couple weeks? A month or two? All winter long?

Which is why it makes it hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer, since not everyone is in the same situation. Generally, for ourselves, if we were going to be gone from the RV for longer than about 2-3 weeks, we generally shut everything down in order to reduce drains and left the solar to keep the batteries topped up. Longer than about a month, and we'd disconnect everything.

Gary

I can’t say if this is the right way to do it, but I use the battery disconnect, remove the lead acid batteries, put them on a battery tender in my garage and put a cover over the trailer for our 6 month interior B.C. winter.

Sounds perfect, @Gary!

Jay

I've never disconnected the house batteries other than to change them. If plugged in during storage, the built-in charger should keep them fully charged. If it's a MH, you will usually need to add a separate trickle charger for the engine batteries.

We have a GE residential fridge in our coach. We had a problem storing it with the doors slightly open because even when "off," the fridge will beep if the doors are open too long. The only solution seems to be unplugging it. The plug being inconveniently located in a small cabinet above the fridge, we placed a multi-outlet strip in there with the fridge plugged into it. With that, the fridge can easily be totally turned off and on.

Roland

Leaving an RV on shore power in storage for longer periods is dangerous. Even more dangerous if you have lead/acid batteries. Not unusual that lead/acid batteries fails due to internal short when they get old. Then they boil and develop tremendous amount of heat. LiFePo4 batteries at least have temp sensors that will disconnect a hot battery. But with LiFePo4 there is no reason connecting the RV to keep them on a charger.

Matt

Good article. My 2019 Fleetwood has a Magnum 2012 Inverter/Charger that has a Float and a Full Chg stage. I keep my unit plugged in while stored in the garage. I also Equalize 1 or 2 times a year. Seems to be keeping the 7 yr old Harris GC2 - 6 volts working for me. I have noticed that they do require a little more frequent Generator recharge when we’re boondocking.

Hi @Matt... yes, the newer inverter/chargers have some better logic when they determine that there hasn't been much, if any, loads on the system and go into a "Full Charge" mode where they just let the battery(ies) sit without any charge. But since almost every RV has some level of "parasitic drains" from electronics, etc, they eventually need to kick back in to top the battery(ies) up again. So, over time, the plates get a bit more sulfated... and even with regular equalizing, will begin to show reduced performance. But getting 7 years out of lead-acid batteries is pretty good! As long as they're still working enough for your needs (and you don't mind the extra genny time to keep 'em topped up), they could keep going!