Batteries are undoubtedly the most important part of cars and vehicles in general, and for recreational vehicles (RV) in particular, batteries are indispensable parts of the vehicle’s electrical system that keeps everything in your RV up and running when there’s no power supply. As critical as it sounds, not many people give much care about picking the right kind of battery for their RVs as they assume that any kind of batteries will do the trick.
In fact, choosing the right kind of batteries is a lot more important than you think, as a good battery will not only boost your RV’s performance but also make your RV experiences smoother and much more productive. And deep cycle batteries are no stranger to RV owners thanks to their efficiency and capacity. The question is, among dozens of different types of deep cycle battery out there, how can you find the best deep cycle battery for RV?
Rest assured, because we are to help you choose the best one for your RV. Read on to learn about our top picks for deep cycle batteries for RV with in-depth reviews so that you can make the right choice.
What You Should Know about Deep Cycle Battery for RV
What is A Battery and How Does it Work?
Before we start presenting our list of best deep cycle battery for RV, let’s first learn a bit about deep cycle battery and how it works. The more you understand the working mechanism of deep cycle battery, the more you will be able to make the most out of the battery for your RV.
If you are from a non-technical background, it can be confusing at first when trying to grasp all of the basic notions in the battery field in general and deep cycle batteries in particular. But don’t worry, we will quickly walk you through the glossary of deep cycle batteries so that when you run into such terms in the future, you can easily figure out what they mean and how to choose the best one that fits your needs.
What is A Battery?
You may already have an idea of what a battery is, but in case you don’t, a battery is a type of storage device that stores power instead of making power. But what are batteries made of?
The most common type of batteries is the lead-acid type, and quite recently, a new type called lithium-ion batteries emerged as a competitor with a lot of superior characteristics. However, it is unlikely that lead-acid types will be wiped off the field as the lithium-ion batteries require a lot higher initial expenses and high disposal expenses compared to lead acid ones.
The composition of the acid is typically 30% of sulfuric acid and 70% of water when fully charged. There are other varieties as well, such as nickel-iron types. The nickel-iron type has impressively long battery life. However, the efficiency is considerably low with different voltages. That’s why the nickel-iron type is never a top choice for batteries.
Regarding battery size codes, there is no one-size-fit-all. Batteries come in various sizes, which are based on the physical size and terminal placement. Battery capacity should not be confused with battery sizes. In other words, the biggest batteries are not necessarily the most powerful batteries.
What is A Deep Cycle Battery?
Unlike cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) require a lot more power for their functions, including all the appliances and devices inside the RV. That’s why an RV needs to rely on house batteries instead of regular car batteries to run, and a deep cycle battery is thus an excellent power source for an RV house.
As the name suggests itself, a deep cycle battery is a type of lead-acid batteries that undergo a process known as deep cycling, in which the battery is discharged then recharged many times over. As deep cycle batteries last several times longer than normal batteries, they allow large storage of steady power over long periods of time.
How Temperatures can Interfere with Battery Capacity
Temperature plays a big role in determining the capacity of batteries. If the temperature drops, the capacity of most batteries will decrease, and if the temperature rises, the capacity will go up. Therefore, weather conditions and the temperature that you plan to have your batteries exposed to should be considered before you decide to purchase your battery.
The standard temperature for batteries is around 25 degrees Celsius, but most manufacturers nowadays have put a lot of efforts into improving the temperature tolerance of their batteries, especially the industrial deep cycle batteries.
Battery Cycle or Battery Lifespan, Which Matters more?
Some people measure the lifespan of batteries with cycles, and chances are you frequently see the number of cycles as an example of how long a battery lives. But is this true?
A battery cycle is defined as one complete discharge and recharge cycle. To be more specific, when your battery starts to discharge from 100% to 20% or 10%, you recharge your battery to go back to 100%, which means you just complete a battery cycle. As far as battery cycles are concerned, the term “Depth of discharge” is usually mentioned to refer to the state of charge of the battery. Knowing about the state of charge can be helpful when you start familiarizing yourself with the deep cycle batteries.
The number of battery cycles does not indicate the lifespan of batteries. In fact, battery life is directly linked to the depth of each battery cycle. To put it more simply, if a battery’s depth of discharge is 80%, the life of that battery will last twice as long if it is discharged to 50% every day. Many people make use of this fact to extend the life of their batteries, but we recommend that you should strictly follow the instruction of the manufacturers and perform proper maintenance and care rather than attempting to extend the battery life by yourself.
Battery Voltage
Speaking of battery voltage, all lead-acid batteries generate around 2.14 volts per cell when they are fully charged. But one thing you should know about batteries is that batteries age over time, even when you store them in ideal environments. Batteries that are not used for a long period of time will gradually lose their charge. This process is known as self-discharge.
When you look for the best RV deep cycle battery, you should take into account the self-discharge rate of the battery. New types of batteries such as AGM ones do not lose much of their charge while the older types tend to lose more (up to 15%). What’s worth noticing is that you should never leave your batteries partially discharged for more than one month as it is going to speed up the deterioration of your batteries.
The higher the temperature gets, the faster your battery will self-discharge. As a result, the battery life will become shorter under high temperatures. If you don’t think you can spend much time on regular maintenance, consider choosing new types of deep cycle batteries for your RV such as lithium ion or AGM to reduce the risk of having to replace new batteries often.
Different Types of Deep Cycle Battery
Deep cycle batteries are normally classified into two types: flooded and valve-regulated lead-acid. The valve-regulated lead-acid can be further divided into gel sealed and sealed absorbed glass mat (AGM). The most widely used battery type is the flooded type, but the best quality deep cycle battery for RV does not necessarily have to be a flooded one. It entirely depends on your needs and the conditions of your RV as each type has its pros and cons.
Flooded Deep Cycle RV Battery
Flooded, or also known as “wet” batteries consist of lead and lead-oxide plates submerged in an amount of electrolyte fluid which is composed of sulfuric acid and water. One major advantage of a flooded deep cycle battery is cost-effectiveness as it can last for a good period of 5 or 7 years at a lower price than other types. However, this type does have some drawbacks, such as loss of efficiency, restriction in installation (they should be installed in upright positions) and high demand for regular mai