RV House Batteries

The RVs house batteries are different from the engine batteries. The house battery is created to offer energy over a longer period of time. Everything in your RV relies on a 12-volt system to function. RV house batteries are designed to run power items like TVs, water pumps, fans, lights, and RV appliances. The best deep cycle battery is the one that can last several few days family trips, without getting completely drained. RV house batteries are deep cycle batteries and they can last up to 5 years.

Types of RV House Batteries

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) – Li-Ion batteries are maintenance free, extremely light, and provide far more power storage for a given size and weight, but they are still too expensive for most RVers.

Flooded-cell batteries – Often installed as original equipment, and deliver good capacity at a relatively low price. They require periodic maintenance, if the battery run low on water and electrolyte to the point where plates are exposed, they might get ruined. Wet batteries also need regular terminal cleaning.

AGM- Absorbed glass mat batteries are sealed and that is why they vent nearly zero gas. The electrolyte is contained (absorbed) in fiberglass mats. Therefore, no spillage can occur and no maintenance is required.

Gel Batteries – They can’t spill and they are sealed just like the AGM ones, but they charge much slower and are very specific in the proper charge required. Your charge controller needs to be compatible with GEL batteries.

CAPACITY & SIZE
The capacity of a battery is rated in Amp hours (Ah). It determines how much current the battery can deliver over time: 100Ah model can put out 100A for one hour, or 1A for 100 hours.  The size you choose depends on the amount of space you have. The larger the size of a house battery, the greater the AH and RC — at least in most cases. Often, they’re measured in group sizes, including 24, 27 and 31.

Storage
Recreation vehicles are usually stored away for months during the winter. Batteries naturally discharge over time so your battery will go flat if you don’t look after it. AGM batteries resist damage from freezing better than flooded cell batteries, but it is important to prevent it from happening. If you are storing your RV, even for a few days, and you will not be trickle charging the batteries, be sure to disconnect them. Check the batteries every couple of weeks, because Lead acid and AGM batteries will still lose some of their charges even when they are disconnected.

Charging

The two most common causes of RV battery failure are undercharging and overcharging. Undercharging is a result of batteries being repeatedly discharged and not fully recharged between cycles. Use a Trickle Charge If you have access to a standard 110 power plug, you can use a power adapter to trickle charge your RV’s house batteries while it is in storage. However, do not assume that it is charging just because you have it plugged in. If the power to your storage area fails for any reason, your RV batteries may end up discharging instead of charging. Always go back within 24 hours after you plug in to trickle charge to check on your batteries.