There has never been a better time to own an RV. Hybrids, travel trailers, fifth wheels and motor homes are featuring more electronics than ever before, along with increased sleeping capacities to accommodate larger families, or just friends. One thing the industry has yet to catch-on to, however, is catering to dry-campers. The typical trailer comes with a single Group 24 battery, while a fifth wheel or motor home might come with a pair. Either solution is barely adequate for anything more than a weekend of summer camping, however. When we first started camping, our biggest concern was water. We used too much fresh water which, in turn, created too much gray water. As we gained experience, our water lasted longer and we realized that our (then) trailer’s 40-gallon fresh water tank was adequate for most trips. Our Group 24 battery, however, was more like a 10-gallon tank!
The analogy of a water tank is a good one for batteries. We usually think of volts when it comes to batteries, but it is more useful to think of batteries as storage tanks for current (amp-hours). A lot of effort gets expended on debating the merits of different kinds of batteries; 12-volt vs. 6-volt, wet cell vs. AGM, etc, but the bottom line is that a Group 24 battery holds about 80 amp-hours of current, a Group 27 about 105 amp-hours and a pair of 6-volt batteries about 210 amp-hours. That is all fine and good, but how many amp-hours do you need? It is a good question, and there is no single answer that will address everyone’s needs. In our pre-satellite TV and microwave oven days, we would use about 60 amp-hours per day. Now that we have those toys, and four Group 27 batteries to support them, we use about 150 amp-hours each day. Could we get by with two batteries? No, and here is where batteries differ from water tanks – you cannot run a battery “dry.” In fact, unless you have 6-volt batteries, which are very rugged and designed for deep discharge cycles, it is a good idea to only use about 25% (12.4 volts, on a volt meter) of your batteries actual capacity. That is only 20 amp-hours on a Group 24 battery, which is why attempting to dry camp with these can quickly destroy them. Even a pair of Group 24 batteries, which is what our Class C had when we purchased it, cannot withstand the repeated discharge cycles of (even moderate) dry camping.
When it comes to getting away from it all, you can never have too much battery capacity. Increasing your RV’s battery capacity is one of the best upgrades you can make, and it provides a solid foundation for further upgrades that will make your camping experience as relaxing and enjoyable as it can be. And isn’t that what it is all about?
Happy camping!
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Roy Scribner
jwohlfeil – when we were towing a trailer, we upgraded the single Group 24 to dual 6V batteries. Those did the job pretty darn well – I would have gone that route with our Class C, but the 6V’s would not fit under the step (too tall).
OrdinaryGimp – I am hesitant to set off another fight over batteries, but I will tell you this: I spent several hundred dollars to have our installer construct a sealed battery box in our rear compartment that vents to the outside…so that we could run flooded batteries.
thanks for the feedback!
Roy
OrdinaryGimp
…easy to read basic information that everyone needs to know about batteries, and it’s a fun read: nice article Roy Schribner!
To be critical, I wish that you would have provided a little bit more information about the debate: AGM vs. Gel vs. Flooded Lead Acid. Flooded Lead Acid technology has been around for almost 150 years, maybe newer technologies have surpassed this tried-and-trued power storage method? I’d like to know what you think.
If money isn’t an object, AGM batteries would be all I’d use. Gel Cells? Pretty much any negative claim against maintenance-free batteries involves a Gel Cell; avoid these, rumor has it that they are too accident prone; and, they require a specialized charging algorithm. AGM and Flooded Lead Acid batteries can share a charge algorithm.
For what it’s worth, I have a flooded lead acid floor sweeper battery in my camper (Trojan T1275). If on the rare occasion I would have to discharge 50%, that’s 70-75 Ah. This is more than enough for a long weekend.
Although it’s a great tool, we don’t have a generator, hopefully, we’ll never need one. Here’s another if-money-weren’t-an-object thing: I’d add an adjustable solar system; my guess is that a couple of 100 watt panels that can be angled and rotated could power a small camper like ours: no TV, but a stereo/radio that’s a power pig.
…again, a great article Mr. Schribner!
jwohlfeil
HOW do you add more batteries to the on-board power? I have a new TT with barely enough room on the tongue for the 2 group 24s already installed. In fact, adding the second battery created space issues between my WD Hitch and Propane tanks – that’s another issue.
I love the idea of adding more batteries (2 more for less than $200) better than spending the $1,000 on a Honda EU2000i and a gas can.
The challenge for both is where to put/keep them. One suggestion was to bring along 2 additional batteries and put them on the ground and hook them up. This makes sense, and when hook-up camping you can leave them behind.
That leads to the next question, can you mix the already onboard, 3 month old, group 24s with 2 new group 27, 29, or 31s? Because if I’m going to buy new batteries, they should be bigger, right?
Scrib
Gary – I’d say we weighed the pros & cons of solar, and for us it just didn’t work. We are usually at the beach or in a forest – and while solar would work great at the beach, it would not do us much good in the woods. For us, it made more sense to add batteries. We plan to revisit solar in the future, as the price comes down.
Michael – Yes, I know several people that use a Sunlinq 12W solar panel (it’s a flexible roll-up kind) to keep their batteries from discharging, while in storage. The 12W seems to be able to keep up with the various current-draws (LP and CO2 alarms, etc.) just fine, while the smaller 5W panels could not. I do not have an personal experience with this, as we are able to keep ours plugged-in.
http://www.globalsolar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=67
Mario – There are a number of battery gauges, or panels, available on the market – they are not cheap, though! The Xantrex LinkLITE:
http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/273/p/1/pt/5/product.asp
is one solution.
Darrel
No gennie? No chance. My wife and I both like a room temp. of not more than 74 degrees. Where we are normally camped there is no way of acheiving that without shore or gennie power. We have 1000+ hours on our 3 yr. old gennie. We rarely stay in a campground other than at the lake with shore power though.
Mario Aubin
I have a set of 3 wet flooded batteries and although I try to keep them charged and ready, I have no way of knowing How long it takes to recharge from an outlet connection, from the generator or from the truck alternator when we travel.
Although I know I could measure the water density as batteries charge and etc… but the amount of work required is daunting. So, is there a ‘control panel’ that could be easily installed that could keep me aware of the state of charge of my battery bank? Can it be self installed?
peter webster
I’m not very fond of generators myself—it’s one thing to run one when there’s nobody around, but in campgrounds, they’re a disturbance. What do we really need them for? Not as much as we think.
Think of the years we camped and made do with Coleman’s and/or kerosene lanterns. Sometimes a pain in the neck, but basically OK—like sleeping in bags on air mattreses, eh?
When I go camping—boondocking—I’m out there because I dig being out of the cities, away from the “comforts of civilization”—at least most of them. The one comfort I like, other than a good bed, is light. I use LEDs. They’re cheap, last for approximately ever, and have very very low draw on the batteries. TV? Well, no loss. We have a laptop we can use for movies, should we get tired of listening to coyotes, looking at the stars, and reading…Hmm, well, there is one other comfort: indoor plumbing—but that, in my case, doesn’t require electricity. And the propane stove makes coffee very fast: boil the water, pour it in the French press over the grounds, wait 3-4 minutes, and there it is…
Speaking of coffee, I’ve had a lot, so I’m verbose. Apologies to anyone bored.
Rick Quirk
Roy: Thanks, your blog on batteries was simple and to the point. And, I emphatically agree with your response to the good Maj. Keith Carson as to generators -the scourge of “camping.” We’re on our 5th motorhome over 30 years, the last two I specifically bought WITHOUT a gennie. As well as the disturbance, the maintenance doesn’t offset their value. When dry camping, we use a simple perk-pot, our basic 400W inverter gives us several hours each night for the TV/DVD player, and hours on the laptop if need be. Replaceing my alternator with a 110A upgrade does a nice, quick job of recharging the two 6 volt house batteries when we move. Firing up a gennie for a pot of coffee or the TV is lunacy. Get a life.
Michael
Is solar a cost effective way to maintain the charge in the four house batteries in my rig when it’s not in constant use?? Battery maintenance is an on-going headache for me, it seems.
Gary Petersen
We own a 2008 35 ” 5th Wheel that has two 12V batteries that we keep charged via “Solar Power”. To date (this is our first real season) we have not noticed any problems and seem to keep both batteries going even while boon-docking for a weekend. Can you comment on solar power vs generators?
Gary Petersen
Scrib
Thanks Keith – the point I was trying to make (maybe not so well – heh!) was that a good set of batteries should be the first priority, when outfitting an RV for dry camping. This came to light for us last month, when we were camping at the beach. A new toy hauler was camped nearby, and anytime those folks were at their campsite, they had their generator running. It was a small Honda, so it was not noisy, but it seemed to me that they would have been better served investing a few hundred dollars on batteries, before spending $1,000 on a generator.
Roy
Keith R. Carson Maj. (ret.)
Just read u.r. article on batteries – for a novice starting out (which I think you are trying to reach) ur article does not really give a 100% solution I would suggest you talk to RV’s about generators to augment the batteries that way the reader does not have to wonder what the solution is. Just a suggestion mind you
Winter Texan
Keith Carson