The Best Battery For Your RV

Best RV Battery

One of the most frequently asked questions in the mailbox of The Battery Genius is: "which deep cycle RV battery is best for my RV? A simple answer to this question would be that more capacity equals more power, and better technology equals better life. Thus, the best rv battery for your RV would typically be one with a high capacity and which is technologically advanced, right? Well, not necessarily.

RV batteries are far more complex than say, a car battery, and there is a lot more that goes into picking the right one other than those two attributes. There are many factors involved and it is important to address them in order to provide an accurate answer and meet your specific needs. Some of these factors to consider include charging/discharging, reserve capacity, the presence of a battery management system (BMS) or lack thereof, and most importantly, price. With all of that in mind, the question that we really need to ask here is, "what kind of RVer are you?"

The type of RV deep cycle battery you should buy depends on how you go about RVing, if and when you do. For example, if you are the type of camper who is always plugging your motorhome or travel trailer into an electrical source, then your main concern would be to properly maintain your deep cycle battery through the use of highly-efficient chargers. However, if you are the type of camper who really likes to go off-grid and do some serious camping for longer periods of time, then you’ll want a battery with the highest AH capacity (amp hours) that you can fit into your RV!

Wanderlust

The first kind of RVer is someone who cruises around from RV campground to RV campground, relying on many different power supplies by always plugging in to “shore power,” as opposed to using their own battery charger or other source of energy. This is an RVer who never uses their batteries for more than 20% depth of discharge. If you are this specific type of camper, then know that there are tried and true technologies out there which can keep you rather comfortable, and doing so without hurting your billfold. Because you never use your own power source, any concern for reaching maximum capacity or maintaining maximum life is unnecessary. However, this will maximize - or at least drastically increase - the out-of-pocket expenses and overall maintenance of your recreational vehicle.

At this point, one of the few options available as far as battery type goes are some of the cheaper batteries that you can find at your local club store, any auto parts store, or even on Amazon. If you currently use either two 6-volt batteries or one 12-volt battery in your RV, then you could also just pick up two 6-volt golf cart batteries for around $90 each as a cheaper substitute. Despite the lower amount of power that these standard RV battery banks contain at 180 amp hours, you will still be able to easily get by, for all intents and purposes.

The second option you have in keeping your RV Battery purchase inexpensive while getting considerably more “bang for your buck”, is the US2200 6-volt battery. The US2200 Xtreme Capacity RV Battery is our top pick because it provides a whopping 232 amp hours of battery capacity in a traditional flooded lead acid battery (also known as "wet cell") design. This means almost 30% more power than any wet cell battery from a club store and 5% more than Trojan. It also has a much more heavy-duty construction and cycles up to max capacity way faster as well.

The US2200 XC RV Battery is the complete workhorse in 6 Volt batteries. It delivers an astounding 700 cycles at 50% depth of discharge and 232 amp hours with its patented Diamond Plate Technology! Now while both of these options are cost effective, they will also require periodic maintenance to ensure your batteries maintain their durability for a long period of time. Besides keeping the posts clean and free of acid or corrosion, the most important maintenance measure you can take is keeping your flooded RV Batteries filled with distilled water. This can be done very easily by adding a permanently installed RV battery watering kit.

Boondocking

Now, the second kind of RV owner is someone who is always on their own and spending much of their life dry-camping and recharging, perhaps by way of a generator, converter-charger, solar panels, etc.. This can also be known as "boondocking." If you consider yourself a full-time boondocker, then you will want the most intensely engineered RV battery that money can buy: Lifeline RV Batteries. Lifeline RV Batteries have been specifically designed for RV and marine battery usage with their maintenance free and spill-proof construction, as well as their ability to handle bad weather. Lifeline Batteries are AGM batteries (Absorbed Glass Mat) - a type of sealed lead-acid battery - that utilize the latest in oxygen recombinant technology to produce a true, 100% maintenance free RV Battery with low discharge rates. Lead-acid batteries are made up of lead plates that are immersed in an electrolyte solution to increase the charge of your battery in addition to better dealing with overcharging. These work great as starting batteries and/or house batteries used for your basic automotive needs such as powering your lights, water pump, fridge, and so on. In these applications, you can benefit from:

100% maintenance-free, deep cycle AGM battery design with a low self-discharge rate

Nearly 1000 life cycles when discharged to the BCI recommended 50%, which is significantly more than other technologies.

A life span ranging from 5 to 8 years when installed in most marine and RV applications.

In addition to all of these benefits, Lifeline also offers one of the best warranties in the industry with our pro-rated, 5-year warranty and a one-year free replacement. Now, there are many different types of batteries out there that you could use for your RV. Lifeline Batteries may not have the highest capacity out of all these batteries nor are they the cheapest, but they discharge slower, recharge faster, and last longer than any other battery in RV applications. This can be a tremendous difference-maker when determining how you want to use your batteries. They are also available for an incredible price, given all that they have to offer. Their unique design, extended lifecycle, and high CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) all put it a step above the rest in terms of pure value.

However, most of us do have to watch what we spend and stay within our means. That said, if you need a new battery, you can always find the best Lifeline RV Batteries or any other RV Battery for the absolute best prices from the folks over at Powerstride Battery.

Not only can they help you discover what kind of RVer you really are, but they can also help you find the right RV Battery for your budget and your lifestyle on the road. After you make a call to Powerstride Battery, you may find out that becoming the “second kind of RVer” may well be within your reach!