cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

House battery recommendations.............

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Ok, wanting to put in a reliable, RV house battery in used RV just purchased. Has a single marine/RV type battery you'd get from AutoZone or similar outlet.

I have upgraded to BattleBorn Lithiums in my personal RV, but, don't think my cousin who is taking this RV is looking to spend that kind of $$$ since he'll be doing light boondocking and campgrounds.

Before asking, I "searched" above using "house battery" and just not getting to direct answers. Thanks for any suggestions!
11 REPLIES 11

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
SJ-Chris wrote:
Lumpty wrote:


(In fact lithiums pose a conundrum -> they are outstanding because their terminal voltage holds up well right close to the point where they are empty, but they are problematic because you can't hardly tell how close they are getting to empty by monitoring their terminal voltage!)


A simple battery monitor will keep you informed all the time. Plus, they are educational (...and fun in a nerdy kind of way...) to be able to see exactly how many amps/etc each item is using. I installed these and am happy with them...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FGFFHC6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Happy Camping!
Chris


Years ago I installed a digital ammeter into our coach's AGM battery system so I can monitor current into, or out of, the coach batteries at all times during charging ... or during discharging as I turn on or turn off any 12V DC and 12V inverted-to-120V appliances. The ammeter is mounted right on the dash of our Class C so I can easily see it when we're driving or camped.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

SJ-Chris
Explorer
Explorer
Lumpty wrote:


(In fact lithiums pose a conundrum -> they are outstanding because their terminal voltage holds up well right close to the point where they are empty, but they are problematic because you can't hardly tell how close they are getting to empty by monitoring their terminal voltage!)


A simple battery monitor will keep you informed all the time. Plus, they are educational (...and fun in a nerdy kind of way...) to be able to see exactly how many amps/etc each item is using. I installed these and am happy with them...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FGFFHC6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Happy Camping!
Chris
San Jose, CA
Own two 2015 Thor Majestic 28a Class C RVs

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Lumpty wrote:
I have a pair of, IIRC for size, Group 31 AGM's I bought from Sam's Club 4+ years ago. Not outrageously priced, and have worked fine. No issues using all 12v stuff whenever needed for up to 48 hours. We almost exclusively dry camp at race tracks, and will only run the generator if A/C is needed or to use the microwave.


That's exactly the situation when we camp with our pair of Group 31 AGM's ... except not at race tracks. No expensive lithiums and their supporting battery management systems required. 😉

(In fact lithiums pose a conundrum -> they are outstanding because their terminal voltage holds up well right close to the point where they are empty, but they are problematic because you can't hardly tell how close they are getting to empty by monitoring their terminal voltage!)
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

Lumpty
Explorer
Explorer
I have a pair of, IIRC for size, Group 31 AGM's I bought from Sam's Club 4+ years ago. Not outrageously priced, and have worked fine. No issues using all 12v stuff whenever needed for up to 48 hours. We almost exclusively dry camp at race tracks, and will only run the generator if A/C is needed or to use the microwave.
Rob

Too Many Toys.
- '11 E450 Sunseeker 2300
- '16 F150 Supercrew 5.0/FX4
- '09 C6 Z51
- '15 VW Golf Sportwagen daily driver
- '86 Civic and '87 CRX race cars

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
Lithiums now have warming technology. There is a thin wire that hooks up to the pos terminal. It activates internal heat so the battery can be charged when its cold.

If AGM’s are your game, i always have used Deka .

Crabbypatty
Explorer
Explorer
You get what you pay for. The less expensive Costco 6 volt batteries do not last as long as Trojans. Yes Trjoans expensive, but how long do you plan to own your rig? They are built with larger plates. Sold my first TT with 10 year old Trojans T125's still going strong. So it was a no brainer for me to do the same with our 5th wheel and added two more

We do 5 one week long dry camps during the summer and just finished our 5th week. With 4 Trojan t125's we run the fan all night to keep cool. Watch tv, charge phones, lights, water pump etc. never an issue. We added solar an now rarely use a generator so we went down a size and now carry a honda 2000 instead of the 3000. One less thing to do running a generator.

Lithium are still to expensive but once they come down in price maybe the next rig. In order to keep you flooded wet cell batteries like the Trojans or Costco is you should try never to drain them down more than 50%. That's the magic number.

Hope this helps.
Happy Trails
John, Lisa & Tara:B:C:)
2015 F250 4x4 6.2L 6 spd 3.73s, CC Short Bed, Pullrite Slide 2700, 648 Wts Solar, 4 T-125s, 2000 Watt Xantrax Inverter, Trimetric 2030 Meter, LED Lights, Hawkings Smart Repeater, Wilson Extreme Cellular Repeater, Beer, Ribs, Smoker

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Pnichols: Yep, still have the 4x4 and always will. I have 2-BattleBorn 100amp lithiums with 200watts of solar up top. It has been GREAT leaving TV on all day if I want too and not worrying about using lights/fans/microwave, etc. Yep, even wired microwave directly so I don't have to start the generator. Sooooo worth the $$ if you're boondocking almost all the time like I am!!

WinMinnie02
Explorer
Explorer
Get 2 interstate from Costco or Autozone

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
VA-Apraisr wrote:
Ok, wanting to put in a reliable, RV house battery in used RV just purchased. Has a single marine/RV type battery you'd get from AutoZone or similar outlet.

I have upgraded to BattleBorn Lithiums in my personal RV, but, don't think my cousin who is taking this RV is looking to spend that kind of $$$ since he'll be doing light boondocking and campgrounds.

Before asking, I "searched" above using "house battery" and just not getting to direct answers. Thanks for any suggestions!


I'd recommend - if it will fit - a single 12V Group 31 AGM deep cycle quality battery, such as those offered by Lifeline or Fullriver. One from either of these two suppliers would be more expensive than the common marine/RV type, but offer set-it-and-forget-it ultra reliability ... and of course cost way less $$$ than a lithium setup:
https://lifelinebatteries.com/products/marine-batteries/gpl-31xt/
https://resources.fullriverbattery.com/fullriver-battery/spec-sheets/DC115-12.pdf

(Off topic, but is your personal RV still that great 4X4 Class C you used to have? If so, what is your BattleBorn setup in it?)
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
I agree that two 6 volters from Costco and/or Sam's would fit your buddy's needs.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
If you have room, it's hard to beat a pair of (lower-end) 6V GC2 golf car batteries for the capacity and longevity per dollar spent. Costco and/or Sam's Club often have pretty good deals on them, as sometimes do local golf cart dealers.

If "light boondocking" means basically just the occasional overnight without power and there are no big 12V draws like a residential fridge, the single RV/Marine battery might serve just fine as-is.