The summer break is already here with us. It’s the only period that you get to spend some good time with the people you care about, family. A road trip or camping might go well if it came in handy.
After all, who doesn’t enjoy the closeness such activities give. There is nothing that feels amazing than having a travel trailer. The vehicle provides the best experience away from home. With it, you won’t have to stress over the scorching sun or even lodgings during your travel.
For the trailer, is the battery that necessary? This is one question that you will find many families asking, especially when preparing for a trip. Yes, your travel trailer requires a battery, especially when you’re on the road.
You may be used to having your travel trailer parked at a stationary position, and getting power from an electricity output. It would be best if you didn’t allow that to confuse you. Remember, when on the move, you need to get those tail lights working for the sake of other road users. That’s why you shouldn’t ignore the battery in this case.
Reasons Why You Need a Battery in Your Travel Trailer
More often than not, camp goers argue that they don’t necessarily require a battery for their travel trailer. If you fall under this category, you need to ask yourself one major question, what will power your brake lights, marker lights, electric brakes, or even tail lights? You need a battery to perform all these tasks. Remember, things such as brake lights can never be ignored.
In the US and any other place around the world, it’s illegal to drive without adequately functioning brake lights. Today, the numbers of accidents that have resulted from failing brake lights are many. Therefore, you must ensure that your trailer has some brake lights before hitting the road for that camping you have been planning all year long.
The fun part about an RV is creating a home setting away from home. The presence of fridges, comfy seats, television sets, and well-functioning air conditioners gives a fantastic experience during the entire trip. All these accessories require power to run.
Where do you think the power comes from while you’re on the road? It’s the battery that keeps everything running while out there on the road. Therefore, unless you don’t mind enjoying cold drinks and fresh food, you should have a battery for your travel trailer.
When out there camping, the travel trailer is usually connected to an electricity supply. With the connection, it means that everything will run, as its while at home. But, what will happen if the electricity supply bails on you? Does it mean that you spend your nights in the dark?
No, with a battery as your back up, you can get out of this scary situation. The battery ensures that your trailer has power, whether there is electricity or not.
What Battery Do You Need for Your Travel Trailer?
By now, you understand why having a battery for your RV is non-negotiable. The next question you should be asking yourself is what kind of battery you should acquire. When it comes to shopping for the right battery to get the job done, many people find it confusing. They assume that all cells are similar as they all perform the same task, giving power.
You must understand that batteries are different. You don’t expect the battery in a big lorry to be the same as the one in your car. The same way, a travel trailer requires a unique battery based on the number of appliances in there that require power.
Deep Cycle Battery Is the Right Choice
For the trailers, you will need a deep cycle battery as it’s reliable and efficient when it comes to performance while out there in the jungle.
Deep cycle batteries can give a steady supply of power over an extended period as opposed to conventional batteries. The name deep cycle means that they can get drained until 80%, and still have no problem in the future. That is not the case with a conventional battery. Continuous draining of the usual battery can reduce its lifespan.
What Battery Size Do You Need?
The battery size is determined by the power requirements on the RV. Once you’re sure about the power requirements, you can choose either the six volts or 12 volts battery. You must understand that every size comes with a different price tag.
For the six-volt batteries, you will need either four to six of them, while you only need two for the 12-volt battery. The six-volt cells are connected in series while the 12-volts are wired in parallel. These connections ensure that you get the highest amperage from the link.
Tips on How to Boost the Life of Your RV Batteries
As a driver, you expect the batteries to serve you long until you’re sure that every coin you spend is refunded. Often, the batteries in a travel trailer tend to be neglected because the trailer is used seasonally.
You must ensure that you regularly check the batteries even when you’re not planning to use the trailer. It would be best if you connected them to a maintainer. A battery maintainer is a device that ensures that the batteries remain in their full state hence reducing the chances of damage.
You must, as well, remember to check the battery’s water levels often. If you find the levels to be low, ensure that you top up. Failure to check the water levels can as well cause damages to your battery. Also, you should inspect and test the batteries occasionally.
The fact that they are in a travel trailer, and that you use seasonally can see you forget they ever existed, which is wrong. You must check for things such as rust and corrosion and deal with them if there are any. Things such as rust can shorten the life of your battery, if not dealt with immediately.
