BATTERY PACKAGES

There’s nothing more central to an RV than the battery bank. Even with the availability of shore power, your battery bank is still essential to the function of some key 12V components, like your leveling system and refrigerator. The size of your battery bank will dictate how autonomous you can be while dry camping and for how long while also providing the guidelines for which appliances can be run through an inverter. The type of battery you have will influence battery location, charging preferences, discharge capability and beyond. It is important to become at least somewhat proficient in battery language and the different battery types so that you can determine if and which upgrades might be suitable for your lifestyle.

Series vs. Parallel: A series connection is when your batteries are connected from the positive terminal of the first battery to the negative terminal of the second battery. In a series formation, your batteries will double the voltage while maintaining the amperage. Parallel connections are achieved by connecting the positive terminal of the first battery to the positive terminal of the second battery and likewise for the negative terminals. In a parallel formation, your batteries will double the amperage while maintaining the voltage. Stringing together batteries in series or parallel is determined by the voltage of the battery and the connection needed to achieve 12V for the entire battery bank. For instance, (2) 6V batteries would be paired together in series. This doubles the voltage, making the entire bank 12V. Keeping in mind that the amperage is not doubled, it remains the same. (2) 6V AGM 4CTs rated for 220Ah connected in series would become a 12V pair with a total capacity of 220Ah.

Use-able Capacity: The total Ah capacity of a battery bank is a gross measure and you should be careful not to discharge your batteries according to that rating. The net Ah capacity, often referred to as “use-able capacity”, of a battery bank will differ according to the battery type. For instance, a lead acid battery has 50% use-able capacity whereas a lithium battery has 80% use-able capacity. A 12V 100Ah lead acid battery provides 50Ah use-able capacity whereas a lithium battery with those same specifications has 80Ah use-able capacity.

Deep Cycle: You will often hear the term deep cycle in reference to a house battery bank. There two main types of lead acid batteries (1) cranking and (2) deep cycle. Cranking batteries are designed to be discharged and recharged very quickly which makes them great in applications where they are starting engines. Deep cycle batteries are designed to be discharged and recharged over longer periods of time. This is why the Ah capacity is rated over a 20hr period.

LITHIUM BATTERY PACKAGES

There are many advantages to upgrading your lead acid batteries to lithium. Below are just a few of the many compelling features they offer above traditional lead acid batteries. Keep in mind, lithium batteries are not for everyone and this mostly boils down to budget. While they offer more cycles, it comes at a higher upfront cost and this is not just because the batteries are more expensive but also because there are added upgrades involved integrating them into what was previously a lead acid system.

1. More charge cycles - Lithium batteries offer upwards of 2500 charge cycles compared to 500 - 1000 in a lead acid battery.

2. Increased use-able capacity - A 12V 100Ah lithium battery offers about 80Ah of use-able capacity whereas a lead acid battery with the same specifications has a use-able capacity of 50Ah.

3. No voltage sag / high current output - Performance is steady across the full use-able capacity of a lithium battery which is not the case for a lead acid battery. As a lead acid battery gets more and more depleted, performance of your system walks down with it. The voltage sag affected by lead acid batteries will cause lights to dim when the batteries are taxed by demanding loads, like microwaves.

4. Faster charging - Lithium batteries can absorb current at a much higher rate which allows them to charge much faster than a lead acid battery.

BATTLE BORN LITHIUM PACKAGES

If you surf the internet long enough for drop-in style lithium batteries, you will find there are numerous options and most are pretty comparable in terms of price and performance. Between the two brands we offer, namely Battle Born & LifeBlue, the choice is based on application. Battle Born batteries are designed with thru-hole terminals making connections to the batteries more versatile and easy to install. In contrast, LifeBlue batteries are designed with metric bolts which are sometimes too short or too long and the configuration makes it difficult to add more than two or three lugs onto the post. As a result, it can increase the amount of work needed because we have to add distribution posts. While the packages offered below reflect even sets of batteries, they do not necessarily need to be paired or grouped evenly since each Battle Born battery is 12V.

LIFEBLUE LOW TEMP LITHIUM PACKAGES

There are certain applications in which LifeBlue batteries would be considered over Battle Born. In applications where there are slide out battery trays, like in a Class A, the LifeBlue 200Ah models usually fit well. LifeBlue designs a low temperature lithium drop-in style battery which works well in applications where the battery bank will be exposed to the outdoor temperatures.

AGM BATTERY PACKAGES

AGM batteries, particularly LifeLine AGMs, have been a household name in the RV industry for decades. Even with the decreasing cost of lithium batteries, the reliability and ubiquity of AGM batteries continues to set them apart and make them relevant today. Absorbed Glass Mat, AGM, batteries are defined by their ability to recombine hydrogen and oxygen which allows them to be fully sealed. This makes them desirable because it eliminates the need to refill with electrolyte or check and clean terminals like you would a traditional flooded battery. Because they are fully sealed and very tightly packed, they are ideal in applications where they would subject to vibration, unlike flooded batteries. When treated properly, users are likely to see a longer lifespan and better performance from an AGM battery than they would a flooded battery. While all of these points are very persuasive, it is important to understand the conditions in which AGM batteries last longest and perform best. While flooded wet cell batteries are often treated with some expendability because they’re inexpensive to replace and can sometimes be recovered from abuse by adding electrolyte or possibly equalization (another debated topic), this is often not the case for AGM batteries. It is crucial that an AGM battery not be depleted beyond 50% gross capacity and that they not be under- or over-charged. Not only should they be monitored with a shunt-based battery monitor, but they also need a charger that is capable of charging them at the correct voltage. Over discharging or under charging any lead acid battery can cause the build up of sulfation on the lead plates. This sulfation decreases battery capacity and over time can cause the capacity to walk down. The best practice at preventing sulfate buildup, regardless of the type of lead acid battery, is by proper monitoring and charging - making sure the battery experiences full charge cycles and is not depleted beyond 50% its rated Ah capacity. If you are considering an AGM battery upgrade and have a stock converter/charger on your RV, we suggest budgeting for an upgraded converter/charger, inverter/charger, or solar with a programmable charger that you would use to top your batteries off toward the end of their charge cycle.