You have a few different kinds of batteries operating your RV, and it’s helpful to know a little about each of them when you travel. You have your engine battery that operates your RV – just as you have one that operates your car. Then you have your house batteries, which operate the things on your RV when it’s parked – things like lights and appliances.
Your house batteries can go by several names – the coach battery, or deep cell battery, as well as simply being called the house batteries.
Maximize the life of your Trojan RV batteries
There are a few things you can do to maximize the life expectancy of your house battery. Be sure to cycle the battery down to 50% discharge before recharging it every time. The sooner you can recharge your battery, the better.
Also, be careful of undercharging – when a battery isn’t fully charged to 100% before being used again. Undercharging can also age your Trojan deep cycle RV battery by causing sulfation, when the sulfate material begins to crystallize on the discharged portions of the battery plates and become useless. Also, discharging a battery for long periods of time can contribute to a shorter lifespan. It causes water loss and corrosion of the plates. Try to be aware of how long you’re charging your battery.
How to know if your Trojan RV battery is properly charged
To know if you’ve been charging your battery for the right amount of time, you’ll need to know when it is, in fact, charged. There actually aren’t that many good ways to know, except to know how long it’s been in use, or how long it’s been charging. You can check its specific gravity, you can purchase a battery meter that will tell you, or you can go by battery voltage.
How to know how much power you want
Most people will want the most power they can get for the least amount of money. Power for house batteries is measured in amp-hours (AH) or reserve capacity (RC). AH refers to how many amps the battery puts out over a 20-hour period, and RV refers to how many minutes the battery can support a 20-amp output.
The types of Trojan RV deep cell batteries
There are two major kinds of deep cycle batteries – flooded lead acid and valve regulated lead-acid batteries. Flooded lead-acid are the more common, though they do lose some liquid with each use and need to be refilled with water every so often. Valve regulated lead acid batteries almost never require maintenance. The electrolyte is suspended in a gel or fiberglass mat. They’re leak-proof and great for water vehicles, but not as great for RVs as they don’t charge as well. There are also Trojan RV batteries that use Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) that are a good choice as well.
How to know how much power you need
Generally speaking, the larger your battery, the greater your power. You can take a look at the Trojan website to determine which RV battery best fits your needs. Don’t forget you can also wire batteries in series, using two 6-volt batteries instead of one 12-volt one. This is a good way to up your AH, even though you will still have 12-volts.
Where to find Trojan batteries for RV
You can, of course, find Trojan RV batteries on their website, along with a customer service number and other tips for using them. They even have a list of dealers on the site, so you can find a nearby location that sells the batteries. You can also find them on other sites like eBay and Amazon. Be sure to look at the return policy for anywhere you choose to buy your batteries, and if you’re purchasing them online, see if shipping is free or if you need to factor that cost in.
It’s important to know a little about your RV batteries. With a little research ahead of time, you can feel confident the next time you head out on a trip that yours will run well and provide the power you need.
This post may contain affiliate links.
