An ideal deep cycle RV battery is one that has quality materials and excellent craftsmanship. This takes any product on top of the market.
When looking for a deep cycle battery for your RV, take all the time that you need to get to know the top brands in the world of RV batteries.
Make sure that the performance of their products is world class and that their customer service is superb.
There is a wide selection of RV batteries ranging from 2v to 12v. It is important that you make sure that the construction of the material is superior.
You can do this by getting to know the brand through their websites and through forums where you can read numerous reviews about a brand’s products.
A good RV battery is one that features rapid recharge. If the battery is designed to have low internal resistance, it will be able to charge 20% quicker compared to other batteries.
Deep cycle batteries do not need maintenance, but you have to make sure that you charge it properly so that you won’t have any problems with it.
Another thing to look for when shopping for RV batteries is a solid warranty.
Study the free replacement warranty period as well as the prorated warranty period so that you will know that if something goes wrong with the battery, you can have it replaced or you can have a refund.
Selecting an RV Battery
You may not think of it often, but batteries are among the most vital parts in you RV. It makes your electrical systems run.
You need to have an understanding of how your batteries work together with your electronic equipment so that you will know what to do if issues do arise.
There are two important roles that batteries have in your RV. One is that it starts your engine, and the second is that it powers your electronic appliances and accessories.
In the RVs we have today, the usual DC requirement has gotten higher because it is utilized to provide power to TVs, refrigerators, acoustic systems, heater fans, and cabin slides.
And of course, there are a lot more in your RV for sure.
This makes us think about how important the RV batteries are when we consider the power requirements and consumption of our electronic devices, appliances, and accessories.
It is vital to have a battery bank that is well capable of managing and accommodating these loads.
What to Consider When Choosing a Battery Bank
Before anything else, assess and calculate the equipment that demands power in your RV. It is a wiser move to have a battery bank that has double the capacity that you need. This way, you can optimize the number of life-cycles of your battery. There are several websites that can give you a computation for your consumption per appliance.
You can also refer to the owner’s manual or on the information on the appliance itself for this information. There are times that you may be able to get reserve capacity if you use 6v batteries. However, there are also times that using 12v batteries is more efficient.
Another is selecting a charger that can effectively match the size of the battery bank. If you will use solar panels in recharging the battery bank, remember to properly size them and also use a controller so you can have an easier time regulating the voltage for optimal results.
In case you will rely on your alternator for this, make sure that you also regulate the voltage. When you have already chosen the battery charger that you will be using, it is important that you know even just the basics on how you can use it and make the most out of it in powering your batteries.
How to Care for Your RV Batteries
To take care of your RV batteries, the first thing to know accurately is the battery bank’s open circuit voltage. You can do this if you remove one main lead to the battery bank and then make sure that there will be no other hot wiretaps that will create a load on your battery.
If your battery has been freshly charged, allow it to sit for a while, about an hour so that the surface voltage dissipates. Check the voltage of the battery after that. If it has a 12.85v or higher, then it has been charged fully.
When you are already sure that your battery has been fully charged, and you won’t need it to provide power to any equipment such as for carbon monoxide sensors, you can leave them disconnected so that the battery won’t get drained. But you can maintain the battery bank by allowing a float charge towards the battery.
If you don’t keep your battery connected, we highly recommend that you perform a boost charge at about every six to eight weeks. This is to ensure that the battery is fully charged.
In colder temperature, you don’t need to boost charge too often. However, to get your battery serve a longer life, do occasional cycling.
To check your battery’s health at the start and end of your adventure, do a test for its true capacity. You can do this by applying a 25 amp load on a fully charged battery.
Observe the length of time that the battery will run until the battery’s voltage will reach 10.5v. You can compare the result to the battery’s published ratings so that you will know the battery’s remaining capacity.
This video explained what you need to know..
Getting House Batteries for Your RV
Apart from the battery that will crank up the engine, your RV will also be needing house batteries. This kind of system may be made from numerous batteries that have been wired together so as to supply more power.
The battery used for cranking is just the same with what is being used with cars, but they are larger since RV engines are also larger. The battery needs to have a higher Cold Cranking Amps or CCA rating.
Check that your battery has the right CCA rating for your engine. As for house batteries, they can be different from the engine batteries.
The house batteries are designed in such a way that they will be able to supply power over a long period. Imagine them as marathoners while engine batteries are sprinters.
With the house batteries, they go through deep cycling because usually, they get discharged fully before they will be recharged. This kind of battery can last longer compared to the usual starting batteries.
Many RV batteries make use of lead-acid technology. In this type of battery, the lead is submerged in acid or water solution. It needs for you to place water in it every now and then because, with every charge, some of the solutions are lost.
But don’t worry, today, there are plenty of batteries that are maintenance-free. These batteries are sealed with only a small vent.
However, they don’t really make up for good deep cycle batteries. But if you don’t want to think about maintenance, look for gel batteries as they are good deep cycle batteries.
Notes to Keep in Mind
● Marine batteries are affordable, but it will give you at most two years.
● With deep cycle batteries, you can expect them to last from four to ten years, but they will cost around twice as much as marine batteries.
● Flooded cell batteries can last for about six to seven years.
● How you use your RV is a determiner of the kind of battery that you will be needing. For simpler needs, a marine battery will do well. But for more complex systems, you may want to consider getting a deep cycle battery.
● To power up your computer, TV, lighting, microwave, and other electrical devices, you will need a 12v battery system.
● When you disconnect your battery, remove first the negative charge. When you reconnect it, connect first the positive terminal.
● The capacity of your battery reduces when the temperature also falls.
● In cleaning your battery, use baking soda dissolved in water. You can then spray it onto the battery. This removes the build up. Spray with clean water to remove.
● Lastly, look for the best battery there is by doing lots of research.
Next Steps
Now you know what to look for when shopping for the best deep cycle RV battery. You can take a shop around in Costco or Walmart for batteries for your RV.
Apart from that, you can conveniently look for one online as there are plenty of online shops that have all the information that you need to know about the battery.
Also, read forums so that you will know the experiences of users and how they rate a certain brand’s products.
If you have any questions about RV batteries, deep cycle batteries, battery chargers, and others, feel free to shoot us an email.
We’ll be happy to send you other materials that can help you in choosing the best products in the market.
