Batteries

[welder]

How long should the house batteries last?

[JayArras]

Without being recharged, or total # of years?

As a general rule, it will depend on how often charged, how well maintained, what's connected to it, etc.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by JayArras

Without being recharged, or total # of years?

As a general rule, it will depend on how often charged, how well maintained, what's connected to it, etc.

As well as type of battery that's utilized as a house battery

Starting battery (cheapie from Walmart) Not very long

Marine Deep Cycle A lot longer

Pair of 6 v golf cart batteries, longer still.

"Lithium" A really long time.

That's just their lifetimes assuming they are charged regularly and discharged according to recommendations for each type.

It's also going to depend on how well matched the battery bank is to the average load placed on it by the RV. If the batteries are continuously run flat when the furnace runs overnight, you need more battery capacity.

If you rarely go below 50%, the batteries, even plain lead acid deep cycle batteries will last many hundreds of cycles. Now divide the number of camping trips you take per year into an average number of 800 cycles for a lead acid deep cycle and you have the number of years you might expect.

Many variables so you have to start with YOUR parameters and work from there.

Every deep cycle battery manufacturer will publish their data on how many cycles based on depth of discharge. Now plug in your requirements.

[TLAK]

I'm on my forth season with the originals. Chicago winters, I don't have power at the storage lot but run the motor about once a month during the winter. I check and fill the water 3 or so times a year. I don't boondock, always stay at campgrounds with electric. We've done about 27 trips of various lengths.

I had them tested this spring and they still check out as 97% healthy. Surprisingly, the truck battery tested 60% and I had it replaced. The tech told me that after a couple years (when you get past the warranty period) batteries are crap shoot, some go bad right away while others go on and on.

[Edmo]

What is the correct way to charge house batteries if I may ask

[Hoglou]

Whlle waiting for TitanMike, I follow the method of taking a fully charged batt out of service for 24 hrs and measure voltage. Good time to service and clean batts up afterwards, do it twice a year. The closer to 13.00 the better.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Edmo

What is the correct way to charge house batteries if I may ask

Use the built in converter. Most do a fine job of charging as long as you keep on top of water use.

Lots prefer to use separate chargers but I've used the OEM converter for years, actually decades, and as long as I don't let the batteries run dry they've lasted me no less than 3 years and sometimes twice that.

If you're in a full hookup site, let the converter charge the batteries. If boondocking, use the generator or solar panels. If in storage, without power to plug in to, best to remove batteries if storing more than a month or so and keep them on a maintainer at home.

[Hoglou]

Sorry, you wrote charge and read test.