Improving RV Battery Charge and Extending Battery Life

Despite what the forums might say about standard RV battery life being only two to three years, your on-board, deep cycle batteries should have the capability to last you between five and seven years. That is, if you take proper care of your battery and complete regular maintenance to combat invasive sulfation. There are a number of simple ways to extend the lifespan of your battery and get the most out of an RV battery charge for dry camping, and in this lesson we teach you a few expert tips for maintaining the deep cycle house batteries on your rig.

How to improve RV battery charge and maximize each battery

When it comes to things that shorten the lifespan of an RV battery, sulfurization is by far the biggest culprit. Sulfur builds up on a battery for multiple reasons, most notably improper charge and poor storage. By not maintaining at least minimal RV battery charge when the unit is in storage, sulfur attacks the lead plates of the battery and takes valuable years off its life. To help you get every bit of juice out of each battery, Dave Solberg teaches you some quick advice for increasing RV battery charge capacity and extending your battery’s life.

First, Dave explains why you should run routine maintenance on RV batteries once per month. If you have a battery system with a larger inverter, you can complete the multi-stage charge yourself, using high impact charges to break up sulfur and save crucial RV battery charge. If you’re like most RVers, you’ll probably need to take your rig to a repair center, where technicians will desulfurize and condition the battery for you.

Or, if you don’t have an inverter and you’d like to take care of your battery on your own, Dave introduces an inexpensive tool you can utilize to prolong an RV battery charge and extend the life of your battery by 200 cycles. Whichever route you choose to take, be sure to maintain your RV battery, you and your wallet will be glad you did!