Are your battery systems in check?
Here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself
1. Are your batteries "deep cycle" batteries optimized for RVs?
Batteries can look identical on the outside and be very different inside. Deep cycle batteries are the ones built to run RV equipment and electronics — refrigerators, microwaves, televisions, satellite dishes and electric pumps. A standard automotive battery is designed to start an engine and cannot support a sustained draw. RV Care Traveler's Choice deep cycle batteries are engineered for RV use and outlast regular automotive batteries. On larger RVs with a lot of electronics, AGM and gel batteries are the premium option: they are sealed, so unlike flooded batteries they never need watering.
2. Does your battery system have enough capacity to meet your needs?
Capacity matters most when you are off-grid with no AC power. Your battery system should have enough capacity to provide at least twice the expected power draw required before the batteries will be recharged. To get the most life out of them, avoid discharging past fifty percent between recharges, and always recharge fully after a trip. Your local RV Care Dealer can estimate your power demand and size a system to it.
3. Do your batteries pass a visual inspection?
Check the terminals are clean and tight; if they are corroded, clean them with a baking soda and water mixture. Clean the tops of the batteries the same way, so residue cannot form a conductive path. Look for cracks or leaks in the case — either means immediate replacement. Watch for bulging during charging: a slightly convex AGM case is normal, severe bulging is not. Always wear gloves and eye protection, because the electrolyte is highly acidic.
4. Is your battery maintenance up to date?
Flooded deep cycle batteries lose water to evaporation as they recharge, so check the levels regularly and top up with distilled water. ALWAYS add water to a battery after it has fully recharged and cooled down. NEVER add water to a battery before recharging it — it will overflow, and the acid it loses is power it can no longer generate. Never check the levels before the batteries have cooled. And NEVER CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY: let it come to room temperature first. AGM and gel batteries need none of this.
5. How old are your batteries?
Lifespan depends on how often you use them, how hard you draw them down, the temperatures they work at, how well they are maintained and how they are stored out of season. On average, you can expect your battery system to last 2-3 years or perhaps longer when properly sized for your needs and adequately maintained. Anything two years or older is worth checking at the start of the season and at every service.
RV battery recycling
Canada is beautiful, let's keep it that way! When you buy an RV Traveler's Choice battery you can return your used one for a $15 credit toward the new one. Lead batteries are the most recycled consumer product in the world — ahead of glass, paper and plastic — and virtually 100% of a lead battery is recyclable. Bringing yours back to an RV Care dealer keeps it out of landfill.
Winter RV battery storage
Batteries self-discharge in storage: cold slows that down, heat speeds it up. Left partly discharged, lead sulfate crystallises on the plates and the battery may never make full power again.
Before storing, remove corrosion with baking soda and water, clean the terminals with a wire brush, disconnect the batteries from the vehicle so nothing draws on them, and charge them fully. If yours have removable vent caps, check the electrolyte and top up with distilled water. Keep them above 75% state of charge (12.4 volts), and store them somewhere cool and dry between 32 and 80°F, never anywhere they can freeze. Never trickle charge for more than forty-eight hours.