Keep battery terminals clean?

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wopachop

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What works in super dusty conditions like a bumper pull trailer? Heard of the penny. Need to try that.

The Trojan battery guide videos online with the old lady host recommend coating everything in vasoline. Been wanting to try that too. Just dont want to deal with cleanup. I keep hoping a nice clean dry connection will work. But it never works. My truck or trailer.  

At least with a dry connection the cleanup is using baking soda water. The terminals are not coated in a grease to clog up my wire brush. But maybe thats the way to go? Coat everything in dielectric grease? That part confuses me too. I read mixed advice on when to apply dielectric grease. I still dont understand how you could coat a terminal and then expect it to scrape off completely as you push the connector together. Wouldnt there still be a super tiny film of atoms left between the 2 metal surfaces? I use dielectric grease often. I will fill the entire connector and then push the terminal in. Let the excess plop out. For the trailer tongue batteries im not sure grease is the best choice. Curious what you guys do. This time i might end up coating everything since the clean and dry method keeps failing. 

 
biggest issue is keeping the off gasses vented away from terminals.  Battery caps leak and vent gasses out that corrode connections.  Remove the gasses and you wont have any issues unless you have bare copper wires. 

 
Another thing that works perfectly is AGM batteries.

No more corrosion and no more maintenance.

 
ugh, i though i had it under control now its a mess.  they are sitting in an open floor tray, also have some vents up high to let air out or in.  They only see power from the solar and charge with a 75 amp Progressive Dynamics charge wizard.  I never plug it on at home and always check the battery water monthly, never add more than 1/4" of water.  

should i add different caps with hose and vent it under the trailer?  i have two more batteries on another compartment that have the watering system with hoses that dont corrode at all.  But the ones behind the propane tanks seem to make a mess lately.  WTF  I hate dirty corrosion chit.   

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Not an answer to the issue - but boiling water actually worked pretty good to clean the terminals on my motorhome....after cleaning using this technique - and then using the over-the-counter battery terminal spray, it seemed to keep them from corroding (or at least not as fast).  Lot better than cleaning with baking soda and a wire brush, that's for sure,



 
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I've had good luck cleaning the corrosion w/ a couple cans of coke or pepsi and a wire post cleaner....then coating w/ the red terminal coating.

 
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