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Battery Maintenance

 

Pro-Fill Double Battery Watering System

The supply of electricity to your RV is the single most important system that makes the RV lifestyle possible. Electricity, supplied by the starter battery, starts your engine, without which you wouldn’t make it to the nearest campground.

When we camp without hookups, electricity from our house batteries provides the day to day features of RV living, enabling us to live for days and longer without an external power source. Batteries also provide the means for storing power produced by solar panels or a wind turbine.

Without functional batteries, we would not have running water for showers or washing dishes. We would have no lights, TV, or stereo. Therefore, RV battery maintenance should be at the top of your chore list. And as chores go, the least amount of time you spend on them the less of your precious recreation time they will gobble up.

One of the often neglected chores involving your electrical system is filling and maintaining the water level in your batteries. Because of the heavy use placed on your batteries, constantly charging and discharging, the water level must be checked regularly. If you slack off on this important check, you may find yourself powerless due to dead batteries, a shortened battery life, and premature failure.

There are several reasons why we often neglect this important check. We have to unscrew the caps of all our batteries, then we’re exposed to the corrosive electrolyte inside the battery that can cause burns, be harmful when inhaled, and will eat holes in clothing.

A simple, DIY RV project installing a Pro-Fill Battery Watering System, will not only remove the hazards of battery maintenance but will also enable you to fill all your 6-volt house batteries to the appropriate level at the same time (automatic control valves ensure each cell is closed when the precise level is reached) and without having to unscrew a single battery cap.

The Pro-Fill system consists of rubber tubing connected to special battery caps. The tubing is connected to a single fill point and operated by a simple rubber bulb hand pump drawing from a distilled water container. A few pumps and you are finished – the automatic shut-off prevents over or under-watering.

The step-by-step installation video on Camping World’s website will enable you to set up your battery-watering system in minutes, and more importantly, keep your batteries always properly filled. These steps are essential to battery maintenance.

Battery maintenance is the first step: Stay on top of filling and maintaining water levels of your battery. But even with diligence, your battery can still run into issues, and that’s why there’s a backup plan. Good Sam Roadside Assistance offers battery jumps and assistance in the event something doesn’t work as it should, no matter where you are. A safety net like that — along with emergency fuel and fluids — ensures you get back on the road quickly.

 

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