What Is The Best RV House Battery?

Here is how the article is laid out:

What Is The Best RV House Battery?
Flooded Lead Acid vs AGM vs Lithium
Battery Recommendations
Battery Stats
Series vs Parallel
Fuse & Disconnect Switch
What are RV House Batteries?
Definitions

What Is The Best RV House Battery?

Currently, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) is the best battery on the market and is also the cheapest over time, however, it carries the most up front cost. I know what your thinking, “I’m just trying to sell you lithium”. Well I’m not. Buy what is best for you. Seriously. If you have no idea what a house battery is, then I suggest you take a look towards the bottom first.

It Just Isn’t A Fair Comparison

It really isn’t fair to compare lead acid that has been around since the 1880’s to lithiums that were invented in 1996. It is sort of like comparing the original telephone (invented in 1876) to today’s modern smart phones. Here’s a little visual for you:

1876 vs Modern Technology

But don’t worry, we will compare them anyways so you can decide for yourself what you would prefer to buy and maintain.

Flooded Lead Acid vs AGM vs
Lithium

Flooded Lead Acid (Wet)

Invented in 1880’s
Have caps to check water levels
Can spill, so only mount up right
Most common

Flooded lead acid batteries are the most popular option that most manufacturers put into RVs. They are the cheapest to buy up front, but they aren’t the cheapest over time as they simply don’t last as long. Most AGMs will last twice as long before you’ll need to replace them, and lithiums will last ten times as long. When it comes to Flooded Lead Acid, you will need to monitor the water levels, especially during hot weather. They only offer 50% Depth of Discharge (aka you can only use 50% of the rated capacity). That means you would need two of them (wired in parallel) to compete with one lithium battery of the same size.

If you have plenty of room in your RV, extra weight capacity, and are able to mount the batteries in a place where you can monitor the water levels, then they aren’t a bad idea. They just aren’t the most convenient option. Also note, due to the fact that they can spill, typically flooded lead acid batteries aren’t sold online, unless there is a freight shipping option for the seller.

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)

Invented in 1980’s
Type of sealed lead acid
Typically can be mounted on sides or up right
Most expensive over time

Absorbent Glass Mat batteries are a type of sealed lead acid battery. Basically, they are the same thing as a flooded lead acid battery except they have fiberglass mats soaked in acid inside of them. Essentially, they are a better version of lead acid batteries. You may have also heard of GEL batteries. These are a different type of sealed lead acid battery. In my opinion, I would choose an AGM battery over a Gel battery for solar needs. They simply offer more capacity for the same size and are better at putting out a large load of power all at once. This is beneficial for running your inverter. AGMs are more efficient and typically last twice as long as flooded lead acid batteries. Since the AGM batteries are sealed, they don’t have any water level to monitor. You can also typically mount AGMs on their sides or in a location that doesn’t need to be accessed as often. Make sure they have some ventilation as they do off-gas.

If you are looking for the maintenance free perk of no water levels to check, you don’t want to go to a dealer to swap the batteries out as often, and you have the extra weight capacity to carry AGMs around, then they are a better option than flooded lead acid. Keep in mind they are the most expensive over time.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)

Invented in 1996
Not “Lithium Ion”
Typically can be mounted on sides or up right
Cheapest over time

Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are a type of lithium battery. No they aren’t “lithium ion” like they put in cell phones. They are lithium IRON, just look for the abbreviation “LiFePO4” when you are shopping for them. They are the best deep cycle battery option on the market right now. They have a 100% depth of discharge (aka one lithium is equivalent of two lead acid batteries of the same size). They typically have a battery management system built into the battery. That means they are a smart battery able to protect themselves and you. Seriously! If they get to cold, too hot, or you try to do something that will damage them, they will shut off. They are sealed and do not off gas at all. A bonus is they require zero maintenance, and are half the weight of lead acid batteries. To put it bluntly, they are “idiot proof”, and that is one of the best things about them. You can mount them somewhere, hook them up, and then forget about them for a long time. They last 10 times longer than flooded lead acid! They are also the most efficient battery, which means they recharge the fastest. If you are placing your RV in storage, don’t worry because lithium batteries go dead way slower than lead acid batteries. That means you can store your RV with no power hook ups and the batteries won’t die on you.

If you are limited on space or weight, love the idea of no maintenance, love the idea of being able to use the whole battery and not only 50% of it, are looking for a cheaper option over time, then these are the ones to go with. They simply out perform the other types.

What makes Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) so great?

Highest Depth Of Discharge
Cheapest Over Time
Longest Life Span
Most Efficient
No Maintenance
Zero Off Gassing
Fastest To Recharge
Least Weight
Battery Management System
Most Convenient

Battery Recommendations By Type

*They are listed in the order I personally would purchase, with the best being up top.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)

Lion Energy
The UT1300 battery is smaller in size.. but not in capacity! In fact you can fit 3 of them in the space of 2 comparable drop in lithiums. The amazing part is they pack more power into the smaller battery due to the cell technology they use. So the UT1300s are 105 amp hours at 12.8 volts which means they contain 1,344 watt hours. They can be wired in both series and/or parallel and offer a lifetime warranty. Don’t forget to use our discount code “LOST” to save 15%!! That means a $999 battery is only $849 with our discount!

Buy Lion Energy UT1300’s Here: https://www.lionenergy.com/UT1300

Battle Born
We’ve had the 100 amp hour 12 volt Battle Born batteries in two RV’s with solar systems and they never let us down. The offer several size and voltage options, along with a 10 year warranty. We have a discount code “LOST5” with Continuous Resources if you are planning a purchase!

Buy Via Continuous Resources Here: https://www.continuousresources.com/battlebor n

Or Via Our Amazon Affiliate Link Below:

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)

VMax Tanks
The best AGM option in my personal opinion are made by Vmax. The aren’t the cheapest upfront, but they are a well known brand and very efficient compared to others. We had the 6 volt 225 ah ones in our first RV. Again, since they are 6 volt you need to remember to buy in even numbers (2,4,6, etc)

If 6 volts won’t fit in the area you have available then the 12 volt, 100ah MR-127 is the next best option. You don’t have to worry about buying in pairs as they are already 12 volts. They are also the same size as a group 27 battery so they fit in just about any battery tray.

Windy Nation
A great second option for AGM is by Windy Nation. They only have a one year warranty, but when you buy more than one battery they come with the cables you’ll need to wire them in parallel which is handy.

Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)

Universal Power Group
If you want another cheap option, then check out Universal Power Group. They are a cheap battery made in China, and will offer the maintenance free perk at a lower cost.

Flooded Lead Acid (Wet)

Trojan Battery Company
One of the best and proven flooded lead acid battery makers is Trojan . If I were to buy flooded lead acid, then I would go with the 6 volt T105 which offers 225 ah. Remember to buy in even numbers for 6 volt batteries because you will need to wire said batteries into 12 volts for your RV.

Everstart
If you want a cheaper up front option and a 2 year warranty, then why not just buy from Walmart and get some Everstart batteries. That way if they do die within 2 years you can swing by any Walmart to swap them out. Just keep your receipt!

Battery Stats

*Weight & battery cost are per battery. The up front cost, & cost over time comparison is for 100 usable amp hours of 12v deep cycle batteries.

Debunking Myths & Worries

“Lithiums are useless in cold weather!”

Wrong. Sorry it just isn’t true. Take a look at the temperature ratings above. Most lithium iron can be used all the way down to -4 F… which is the same as AGM’s and flooded lead acid. Yes, they have to be 24 F to charge, but AGM’s have to be 14 F so it is only ten degrees difference. No matter what type of battery you buy, none of them like the cold or heat. All of them live longer if they are around 70 F. If you look at the top end (or hot temperatures) you’ll see lithium iron’s out perform flooded lead acid. My point is although you can’t use lithiums in cold weather, you also can’t use flooded lead acid in hot weather.

Flooded lead acid manufacturers must be promoting the myth to keep people away. I mean flooded lead acids have the shortest life span. That means you’ll need to buy them more often. Is it better for the manufacture if you buy one battery every ten years or one every two years?

“Lithiums catch fire!”

Honestly all battery types have that possibility. The reason you have probably read or heard that they catch fire is because people are thinking about Lithium ION (LIB) batteries like the ones in cell phones, or cameras, or just about any rechargeable device now a days. Many people are simply thinking of the wrong type of battery. Lithium IRON phosphates (LiFePO4) which are deep cycle batteries are not the Lithium ION (LIB) type that caught fire in cell phones a few years ago. Funny how people won’t buy lithium irons, but they’ll buy the newest cell phone with the battery known of having fire and/or exploding issues.

“You need a specific charger!”

Well this one is true, but all battery types and manufacturers make batteries with different charging voltages. Just like AGM’s prefer a different voltage compared to flooded lead acids, lithium irons also have a preferred charge voltage. Fear not, most lithium makers today know this and are making batteries that can have similar if not the same charging voltage as AGMs. Also, most newer chargers will have a flooded lead acid, AGM, and lithium setting. That means you might be worrying for nothing. If you plan to install an inverter charger in your RV, then completely forget about the factory charger (converter) in your RV because you will be replacing it anyways

Series vs Parallel

Most RVs run on a 12 volt system. So if you decided to go with 6 volts or multiple 12 volts then you want to properly wire the batteries together so you can use them all.

Need to turn 12 volts into 24? Wire them in series!
Need to wire a few 12 volts together? Wire them in parallel.
Series vs Parallel

Fuse & Disconnect Switch

For around $30 I highly recommend you buy a catastrophic fuse. Just attach it to the positive terminal on your battery bank.

If you need to quickly disconnect the 12v power to the RV, or just want the convenience of a quick switch instead of taking a cable off before storing the RV. I recommend a simple switch, they come in multiple styles, this is just the style we went with.

What are RV House Batteries?

To keep it simple, they are deep cycle batteries that power the “house” or “living” area of the RV.

If you have a drivable RV, like a class c for example, then you’ll typically have two different batteries in the RV. Drivable RVs have a “chassis” battery (also known as a cranking battery) which cranks the engine. PLUS, you’ll also have either one or several “house” batteries (also known as deep cycle batteries) that power the living area.

What about tow-able RVs? Well, since there is no engine to crank, they typically only have house batteries!

The main thing you will want to remember is the house batteries should be deep cycle batteries and the chassis battery is a cranking battery. They are different types of batteries, so don’t accidentally buy the wrong type. If you bought your RV brand new, or used, do yourself a favor and learn what batteries you have.

Definitions

Life Cycles: The life cycle is the number of complete charge/discharge cycles that the battery is able to support before its capacity falls under 80% of it’s original capacity. More simply put, it is the number of charge/recharge cycles before a battery needs to be replaced.
Depth Of Discharge: A battery’s depth of discharge (DoD) indicates the percentage of the battery that has been discharged relative to the overall capacity of the battery. For example if you have one 100 amp hour battery and discharge it 50%, you will have 50 amp hours left.

Disclaimers

Although I do try and keep up with the current options and I will keep updating this page over time. You are responsible for verifying any information as it may change & might not be up to date.
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