I sent an e-mail to MinnKota motors asking them if it was OK to store your electric trolling motor in the garage where it would freeze. I saw a post about winterizing your boat and they recommended bringing it in the house because freezing would ruin the magnet. That didn’t sound right to me so I figured I would ask MinnKota. Here is there reply:
You can store it in the cold if you wish. I would recommend, though, before winter comes, to turn the motor upside down to allow any water inside the lower motor unit to run out before it freezes. Water is not supposed to get inside, but if you have a leaky seal it can get in and when it freezes it can damage the magnets.