RV battery buying guide

Changing or upgrading your RV battery doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. But if you are going to be spending time in your RV, especially boondocking, then it is absolutely essential. Here are some tips for buying a house deep cycle RV battery.

Chassis battery or house battery?

An RV or motorhome has two batteries. The chassis battery starts the engine while the house battery runs your RV or travel trailer furnace and lights. Essentially, they run the “house” part of your RV, the part you live in.

The chassis battery is not the same as the house battery. The house battery’s plates are considerably thicker and are designed for extended use, so they need to be charged repeatedly. This creates a charging cycle and is the reason that RV house batteries are referred to as deep cycle batteries.

Battery sizes

Deep cycle RV batteries typically come in two sizes, 6 volts and 12 volts. Either works well in grouping, but a 6-volt battery does have a thicker plate, lending a larger cycling capacity. This does not mean it can stand on its own if you need the standard 12 volt. It will still be necessary to wire two 6 volts to achieve that.

Battery material

Batteries are made from various materials and that does make a difference. Currently, lithium RV batteries are the top of the line choice, but they can be a little pricy to purchase. However, their performance more than makes up for the initial higher price tag. The only real issue with lithium batteries is that they aren’t so great performance-wise in very cold temperatures.

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are just under lithium when it comes to performance and quality. They are lead-acid batteries and require no maintenance. They employ a fiberglass matting to absorb the battery’s sulphuric acid and do quite well in cold temperatures.

Standard lead-acid batteries are the lower end option and the least expensive. However, they do require some maintenance. They must be topped off every month or so by putting distilled water in the battery cells. They can withstand numerous charges but do have a shorter lifespan than lithium batteries and AGMs.

Lifeline Batteries has an extensive line of RV batteries at great prices. Visit our site to get the best batteries at the best prices.