This article is going to be talking about choosing the best RV batteries for both the house and chassis. And about what will fit your needs best.

And first of all, let’s suppose you have a towable RV like a fifth wheel or a travel trailer.

Then most likely you just have house batteries in your RV. And that’s all you need to focus on.

But if you have a motorhome, very likely you’re going to have both kinds of batteries. You’ll have chassis batteries and house batteries.

Table of Contents

• Differences Between RV House And Chassis Batteries
• The Best RV Batteries For A Motorhome Chassis
• Replacing RV Chassis Batteries
• The Best RV Batteries – Which Chassis Brands To Choose?
• The Best RV Batteries For The House
• RV House Battery Choice #1 – The Pros
• What Are The Cons Of RV Battery Choice #1?
• Another Big Disadvantage Of These Batteries
• The Best RV Batteries – The Pros Of Choice #2
• The Cons Of Choosing Battery #2
• The Best RV Batteries – The Pros Of Choice #3
• More Advantages Of RV Battery Choice #3
• The Cons Of Choosing Battery #3
• More Cons Of Choosing RV Battery #3
• Which Kind Of Battery Should You Choose?
• Conclusion

Differences Between RV House And Chassis Batteries

So let’s explain the difference right away. House batteries are designed to run all the electrical needs in your RV when you’re not plugged in to shore power.

And they are designed to do that for a good long period of time as well.

But on the other hand, chassis batteries are designed mainly to start the RV engine. And then keep it running down the highway.

So what kind of batteries then do you need for the chassis in a motorhome?

The Best RV Batteries For A Motorhome Chassis

Well, actually they’re very similar to a car or auto battery. But they’re much more powerful.

Because what you need from them is a lot of cold cranking amps to get that engine started. Usually within two to five seconds or so.

And that’s often going to take around 1000 cold cranking amps or even more.

You see, those kinds of batteries have more plates in them. But they’re thinner plates.

So what that means is that you get a lot of power at once. But it doesn’t sustain that power level for a very long period of time.

Replacing RV Chassis Batteries

Now what happens when replacement is needed for your chassis batteries? And they all eventually need replacement.

Then I recommend that you use the batteries you already had in the chassis.

In other words, if the motorhome came from the factory with a battery in it, it’s a pretty good chance you need to go back with that kind of battery.

And very often you can get the information you need for replacement right off the battery itself.

But you also could consult your RV owner’s manual too. Very often they’ll tell you just what you need to get for your motorhome.

Of course, to make it simple, you also could just disconnect the battery. Then take it down to a local auto parts store and show it to them.

And very often they’ll know exactly what you need. And there’s a good chance they will have exactly what you need in stock.

But if they don’t, they can often get their hands on it in short order too.

The Best RV Batteries – Which Chassis Brands To Choose?

Now what about the best brands to choose from when you’re buying an RV chassis battery?

Well, in my case, I have used NAPA batteries quite a bit. And I’ve had very good success with their batteries too.

But I’ve also heard very good things about Interstate batteries in general as well.

The Best RV Batteries For The House

OK, now let’s talk about house batteries. And these are much more complicated to choose from.

Because what you choose really depends on what you want to accomplish with them.

Now there’s a lot of different kinds of batteries that could be used as RV house batteries.

But we’re going to talk about three main kinds of house batteries in use today.

Ones that are commonly used to power the RV’s house electrical needs. Especially when you’re not plugged in to shore power.

Now let me say this first. All of these kinds of batteries that I’m going to discuss will do the job.

But they all have pros and cons you need to consider.

RV House Battery Choice #1 – The Pros

So let’s start with the least expensive battery that you can get. And that is the flooded lead acid (FLA) battery.

It comes in both 12 volt versions and 6 volt versions. But with the 6 volt batteries, you have to use two of them together to make 12 volts.

And they’re often referred to as golf cart batteries because they are often used for that purpose.

Their plates are thicker, and therefore they often last longer for constant use. And that’s why golf courses love using them.

But first, let’s talk about the pros of FLA batteries. And the first pro is that they are the cheapest battery out there to buy.

So you can find them in a lot of places and you can often buy them at a great price too.

But they’re also rugged. And they can stand up to almost anything and keep on going.

So they’re very reliable and proven technology that’s been used for years and years.

And they’ll last somewhere around 500 discharge cycles on average.

What that means is discharging them all the way down and then charging them up again.

What Are The Cons Of RV Battery Choice #1?

So what are the cons? Well there’s several cons. And one of the big ones is that they are usually very heavy.

So if you have a bank of 2, 3, 4 or more of these, it’s really a lot of weight to put in your RV. And you have be sure your rig can handle that weight.

Now the other thing is that they off-gas a lot. They put off noxious and toxic fumes in the charging and discharging process.

So you can’t just put flooded lead acid (FLA) batteries inside your RV with you in most cases. In fact, it’s dangerous to do that.

And even if you put them in the RV’s outside compartment, make sure that it’s well ventilated.

Another con is that they’re going to need constant maintenance. It’s called “watering the batteries”.

That means that they have to have the water inside replenished regularly as it evaporates.

So that’s a constant thing you have to remind yourself to do if you own FLA batteries.

Another Big Disadvantage Of These Batteries

Also you really only get about half the power potential of the battery in real world use.

So for instance, when you have a rated 100 amp hour battery, actually you can only use about 50 amp hours out of it.

Because if you discharge the battery down below 50 percent, you could do damage to the battery.

And if you consistently do that you will shorten the life of the battery considerably.

So that means therefore that you really only have about half of the battery’s potential. And that’s all you can make use of for your RV.

So you have to often have a bank of several FLA batteries to get the job done.

The Best RV Batteries – The Pros Of Choice #2

OK, let’s move on to our second kind of battery. And that’s an AGM battery, or absorbent glass mat battery.

Now it’s actually still a type of flooded lead acid (FLA) battery. But there’s no liquid in it.

In this case, what they’re using instead is cell matting material in all of the battery cells. And it works very well for RVing purposes.

So now let’s talk a little bit about the pros and cons of AGM batteries.

And the first pro is that it’s mostly maintenance free and that’s a great feature that a lot of RVers love.

That means no more watering batteries on a regular basis to replace lost fluid. And it’s spill-proof too.

So they can often be installed in more places and not always in upright positions.

Also, there’s less off-gassing of toxic and noxious fumes as well. So clearly we’re moving in the right direction with this kind of RV house battery.

And you sometimes can discharge those batteries a little bit farther too. At least more than most liquid filled flooded lead acid batteries and still be okay.

Also, they’ll usually last longer too. In fact, they last roughly on average about 1000 discharge and charge cycles. Which is pretty good.

The Cons Of Choosing Battery #2

OK, now let’s move on to the cons about AGM batteries. And the big con is they are more expensive than liquid flooded lead acid batteries.

Also, they’re more sensitive to over-charging too. So you have to be very careful with them and make sure you have a quality AGM battery charger.

Now let’s move on to our last type of battery that we’re going to talk about in this article.

The Best RV Batteries – The Pros Of Choice #3

And it’s the LifePO4 lithium battery which is becoming much more popular now for RV use. In fact, we are starting to see them quite a bit.

So what are the pros? Well there’s a long list of pros because they really solve a lot of the issues of the first two kinds of batteries we talked about.

First of all, they are much lighter. So you can have a bank of these batteries and not really be adding as much weight to your RV.

Also, there’s essentially no maintenance to them either. And isn’t that nice? You just install them and let them do their job.

Also, there’s no off-gassing involved with RV LifePO4 lithium batteries. And that’s really great!

In fact, many RVers put these batteries right inside the house itself. You know, in a compartment inside the RV.

And that’s just fine because they don’t cause any toxic fumes that can harm people.

More Advantages Of RV Battery Choice #3

Now here’s a big pro. They can be discharged close to 100% of the rated battery power.

So you’re getting practically the full use of the power that’s stored in the battery. That’s a huge weight and space saver for RVers!

And they also charge faster as well. So they tend to bounce back quicker during the charge process.

And here’s a big one. They last a long time. In fact, they usually last between 3000 – 5000 discharge and charge cycles.

That is a very long time and way beyond the capabilities of most FLA batteries.

The Cons Of Choosing Battery #3

So what are the cons then? Well the big one is the cost! And yes, they really do cost quite a bit more than the other batteries I’ve covered.

Now just a few years ago they were pretty much $1000 per battery. But they’ve become a little more affordable at this point.

However, the cost is still more much more than either common flooded lead acid or AGM batteries.

Another con is that there’s a good chance you might need an upgraded charger at the same time that you switch to these batteries.

Because if the RV came from the factory with flooded lead acid batteries in it, very often the charger will not charge lithium batteries like it should.

And lithium RV batteries require a very specific charging process to protect the battery.

So suppose you make a complete switch of a bank of batteries you have in your RV’s house.

Well then, you may be not only replacing the batteries. But you might be replacing the charger as well and that’s an added expense.

More Cons Of Choosing RV Battery #3

Now the last con for lithium batteries is that there can be challenges for charging them in cold weather.

So in most cases you shouldn’t do it below freezing or you could damage the battery.

But of course, you could have them installed inside the RV and keep them warm that way.

And lately more and more of these lithium batteries are being made with internal heating systems. And that resolves much of that issue.

OK, so those are the pros and the cons of both house and chassis RV batteries.

Which Kind Of Battery Should You Choose?

Now let’s talk about who should choose what kind of battery for their RVing needs.

So let’s suppose that you are an RVer that’s usually found in RV parks and campgrounds. And you are most often hooked up to shore power.

Well in that case, you really don’t use your batteries all that much to run the electric components in your RV.

Because your electric needs are mostly being met by the campground power connection.

So common flooded lead acid batteries will work really well for you. And that’s especially true if you’re on a budget.

So what about AGM batteries? Well essentially they work best for the same kind of RVers.

You know, people that are in RV parks and campgrounds most of the time. Especially those that have a little bit more money to spend.

And as a result, they can afford to buy a battery that doesn’t require much maintenance.

Now who’s best for lithium LifePO4 RV batteries? Well those are great for RV boondockers.

For people who spend the majority of their time unplugged from shore power. And especially for those that enjoy a lot of off-road RVing.

Also, for those who have solar installed on their RV since lithium batteries can maximize the use of the sun’s power.

But they’re also a great choice for any RVer who can afford the higher cost of those batteries.

Now one thing needs to be said at this point. And that is the cost is certainly initially more for lithium RV batteries.

But consider the fact that they last much longer than the other kinds of batteries.

So then, the lifetime cost actually equalizes quite a bit between the various battery types.

Conclusion

Well, I hope that what I’ve covered here today in this article will help you choose the best RV batteries for both the RV house and chassis.

Have safe and happy RV travels!