Unlike a regular vehicle, an RV is meant to provide more amenities on your trips. For this, you need to have your RV connected to electricity at all times. This is where storing electric charges is important and the best way to do so in an RV is with deep cycle batteries. A deep cycle battery is different from your regular car battery.
This type of battery is able to provide a continuous supply of power at the same voltage levels which is what most appliances need. This means you can use deep cycle batteries for a long time. Also known as deep cell batteries, they have quite long discharge periods where they can be discharged up to 80%. But what makes a good deep-cycle battery in the first place?
Important Features of Deep Cycle Batteries
Amp Hours
One key parameter you'll want to pay attention to is the hours of use a deep cycle battery has. This is referred to as amp-hours and it determines the capacity of the battery. It's best that you buy deep cycle batteries that have a high number of amp-hours. The higher the number the great it's capacity. This means the battery is able to provide more power in one hour time.
DoD
Also known as depth of discharge, helps determine the total amount of energy that is being discharged from the battery. DoD is expressed as a percentage of the total power capacity of the battery. The more you end up discharging a deep cycle battery the more you reduce its overall service life which is why it is not recommended to fully discharge deep cycle solar batteries.
Shelf Life
The shelf life of deep cycle batteries might be longer than a regular car battery but you still have to pay attention to it. Shelf life is an important factor when it comes to the longevity of the battery and it is impacted mostly by the battery's self-discharge rate. The higher that rate is the shorter the lifespan of the battery.
Durability
A durable deep cell battery is one that you take good care of. But this alone isn't enough to make it durable. You should look for a deep cycle battery that can provide more power than is needed for your RV to work. This way you will have a battery that is able to withstand surges and other issues better and provide the same amount of power for longer.
Voltage
The volt rating of a deep cycle battery determines the power it can send out to different devices and appliances. The higher this rating is the more powerful a deep cycle battery is going to be.
Dimensions
While size and weight won't seem much at first they can significantly affect their portability. The smaller they are the lighter they come but you also don't want to use on capacity so don't go for too small of a deep cell battery.
Types of Deep Cycle Batteries
Lead-Acid
Also known as flooded deep cycle batteries, lead-acid batteries are the oldest and most popular. But people buy deep cycle batteries of this type because they are the most affordable. While they are reliable and are able to withstand overcharging, flooded batteries are not environmentally friendly and have a limited life cycle. Lead-acid batteries are known to have the lowest self-discharge rate amongst all other deep cycle batteries and they are also highly durable.
AGM
One of the newest members of the deep cycle family of batteries are AGM or absorbed glass mat batteries. These are a variation of lead-acid batteries which contains a special fibreglass mat. With very low internal resistance and a low self-discharge rate, AGM batteries are a great choice.
They are however more expensive and overcharging them can shorten their lifespan. Recuse of their internal construction AGM batteries cannot spill and they do not require any maintenance. But they will experience a gradual decline in capacity and have low specific energy which means you should always store them in a charged condition.
Gel
With gel deep cycle batteries you do not need to do any maintenance as they are robust, versatile and vibration resistant. They also have a long lifespan and shelf life too. The downside of gel deep cycle batteries are that they are sensitive to overcharging and the fact that they require special regulators and chargers which can increase your total investment. Gel batteries are however known for being able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Lithium-Ion
The newest member of the deep cycle family are lithium-ion batteries. They are the lightest of the bunch but also the ones with the highest energy density. Lithium-ion deep cycle solar batteries do not require any maintenance and they can last between 2,000 and 6,00 charge cycles. Their downsides are that you need a battery management system for them, you also cannot charge them at low temperatures and they can be extremely expensive.
