Best battery for RV?

[orbiker]

I voted for 4 lithium batteries for a total of 400 usable amp-hours. With the correct or better converter the charging is 1/2 or 1/4 of wet cell batteries.



I had these before and 2 were ok, but the residential refrigerator is a bit of a power hog.



Whatever your choice ends up being, get a quality converter (4 stage for wet cell batteries). KEN

[goodoz]

Your thread title reads "Best Battery For RV?". IMO, that rules out lead acid and AGM.

I would argue the best battery for an RV is a LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate). After struggling with lead acid batteries for years, I switched to LiFePO4 this year. Higher capacity, faster charging, less weight, zero maintenance, built in battery management system so you can't over/under charge, etc, etc. The only downside is price. Battleborn are the go-to choice for LiFePO4 but there are a couple others (e.g. Lion Energy) that are a good value if you can get them on sale at Costco.

Good luck in whichever way you choose to go.

Agree...but if Lithium isn't an option, AGM is definitely superior, IMO. Between our pop-up (2008-2019) and the 297RSTS (2019 - ???) I've destroyed way too many sets of lead acid...they just require too much attention and I have to store offsite from our home.

I just ordered 3 x SOK 206 AH LiFePo4 batts for our TT at a really good price. Will Prowse finally did a review and teardown on his YouTube channel and referred to them as "his new favorite battery..." (he's brutally honest, if you're not familiar)

https://www.sokbattery.com/12v-200ah...tery-pack.html

We're really looking forward to living like 50Amps on those 30A beach posts next summer!! (Hybrid Victron inverter/charger on the way as well)

Oz

[goodoz]

Umm, assuming one defined "best" as one that can run the longest with a load on it...and we stick to lead/acid (whether conventional or AGM), delve into the world of "Reserve Capacity" (RC) ratings.

Usually, that is a measure of how long a battery can last with a load of 25 amps on it. The battery with the higher number will last longer. But shop carefully, some companies use a 20 amp (or other) rating, which can dramatically make the number inflated.
Ignore "CCA" (Cold Cranking Amps), as that is only a measure of how fast the battery can dump its energy. Useful for turning over an engine. But generally a higher RC means lower CCA, and vice versa.
An alternative measure to RC is Amp Hours. Basically the same thing as RC, but not measured the same way. More AH is better. There are mathematical ways to convert RC to AH or vice versa, but it can get debatable as to how accurate the conversion is.

Optima is noted for boasting about how great they are...but when the numbers are compared, there are many "better" ones out there. Some far better, at much lower cost.

For RV use, AGM is nice in that you never have to check the water levels. But that is really the only big advantage. Depends on how irksome that task is to you. And what the additional cost might be.

If cost is no object, Trojan batteries are frequently mentioned as top-of-the-line.

But for most of us, it is a trade-off between cost, RC, and expected life span. Which means a fair amount of on-line time comparison shopping.

Me? I'd love a pair of 6v Trojans...but am cheap, so 2 6v Costco's are fine by me. That give me more "RC" than a 12v, and still leaves money for other RV things. In my boat, the 11 year old pair of 12v group 31 AGM's for the trolling motor have been a fantastic investment (from Cablea's). There I needed AGM's to avoid acid splashing out as I bounce over the waves. For that, Optima's were still at the bottom of my list.....high price/lower RC.

It's not an issue for many folks who are able to keep their rig at home or otherwise plugged in/trickle charged. However for me, having to store offsite creates an issue regarding the "self discharge" feature of a standard lead acid. I've read somewhere that LA batts self discharge at 10% per month but I've returned to my TT in the past to find completely dead cells...maybe two months later...and that's with a knife blade disconnect off the negative post on the bank (zero phantom draws). Until LiFePo4, AGM worked better for me.

[freewayrandy]

Searching those lithium batts., holy cow! Thousand bucks a pop! Would one have to change out the converter too? I'm stored at home plugged in to shore power 24/7 and always keep an eye on the batt. Thanks for all the input but don't think my budget can swing a lith. at this time.

[bertschb]

...I just ordered 3 x SOK 206 AH LiFePo4 batts for our TT at a really good price. Will Prowse finally did a review and teardown on his YouTube channel and referred to them as "his new favorite battery..." (he's brutally honest, if you're not familiar)

That new SOK is a sweet battery! The BigBattery that Will tested is super nice as well. Really nice to see these new batteries being introduced at lower cost per Ah. I thought my Lion Energy 100Ah LiFePO4's were a good deal @ $699 but these look much better. Higher capacity, better design and lower price. I have no need currently for a huge battery bank but these new LiFePO4 batteries are tempting!

[goodoz]

That new SOK is a sweet battery! The BigBattery that Will tested is super nice as well. Really nice to see these new batteries being introduced at lower cost per Ah. I thought my Lion Energy 100Ah LiFePO4's were a good deal @ $699 but these look much better. Higher capacity, better design and lower price. I have no need currently for a huge battery bank but these new LiFePO4 batteries are tempting!

Yep...I also really like the fact that they can be easily opened up and serviced...Bad cell? Bad BMS? No problem...just swap it out and move on. I liked the Big Batt as well (especially the shape/footprint) but as he mentioned, some folks won't care for the MC connector...not a biggie to get around but would introduce a little more clutter, IMO. Our battery bank will be in the storage under the bed, so I'm not overly concerned with their low temp rating (although, that is very cool!).

[Nogrey]

AGM or lead acid? I may be having to replace my Interstate lead acid and searches came up with Optima blue top AGM. Opinions?

These are kind spendy at first, but are actually cheaper in the long run. Can be nearly completely drained without damage, charges faster and more efficiently than AGM or Lead acid and best of all, no maintenance. https://bigbattery.com/product/12v-1...ck-rv-battery/

[Ynot4me2]

I have to admit, I had put an x on Lithium batteries because of the price. In Canada, BB 100ah batt is $1,400. Just for the batt. I understand all the pros of lithium and that its a long term investment button but that a lot of upfront money for part time RVing. Now that the SOK is half the price of BB it could get back on my list.

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[Grandesigner]

I went AGM as they have very little chance of discharging too much with my solar system, and no refilling either. Maybe in a few years when they need replacing I'll see if Li batts and converters, etc. can convince me to go that way.

[fez111]

AGM is lead acid. Just not 'flooded'. Acid is held in thin fibreglass mats between plates to make them relatively spill proof and vibration resistant. But still lead/acid.
Really comes down to budget
Flooded battery, pretty cheap and will get you by if you always 'plug in'.
AGM, better. 2X the flooded price. Will take care of you longer than the flooded, but not a lot longer.
Lithium, best, at least 5x the price of the AGM. The positives were listed by bertschb already.
That's my two cents.

I agree completely. Lost one of my two interstate batteries a year ago. I agonized and researched for a couple of days as to which way to go. I keep distilled water at home because I have to tend 8 batteries for all of the equipment and toys here. After reading dozens of forums I rationalized that for the cost of one LiFePO4 battery I could buy 4-6 Walmart high CCA batteries, depending on whether they were on sale at the time or not. This way, if one of the batteries in my F250 diesel went out, I would have spares to get me home. My truck has two and I rigged a battery box in the Solitude with room for three batteries. My $$ .02.