This site is a very good read about batteries and campers:
http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm
It gives lots of information about batteries, how to wire them, how to calculate usage, recharging, care and a lot more.
It depends on what you want to do with your camper. If you camp mostly in the boonies, you'll want a larger capacity battery (i.e., group 31). If you almost always have electric when you camp, a group 24 is probably all you need. Some even get two 6-volt golf cart batteries and wire them in serial to get 12 volts. Capacity is rated in amp-hours (AH). Golf cart batteries have around 200AH, group 31 is around 120AH, group 24 is around 80AH. Unfortunately the only way to determine if you have enough battery is to either do the math and calculate your usage or buy one, use it and see if it lasts long enough.
With the greater capacity comes more weight and cost, though. You'll need to make sure you have enough cargo capacity to carry that extra weight, both with the camper overall and tongue weight before you could consider upgrading.
You can also affect how long your battery lasts with how you use it. A couple of ideas:
- Upgrade to LED lighting and always making sure to turn everything off when not in use
- when camping in cold weather, use cold weather sleeping bags and just use the furnace first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
One other thing is that you should *always* have a battery charged and connected if your camper has brakes. The battery powers the brakes and stops your camper should it ever become disconnected from your tow vehicle and trigger the break-away switch.
I just replaced my battery this year. I had the original group 24 battery on the pup and it started to go last year. I decided to go with a group 29 battery from Walmart. I did a lot of looking around and decided that the capacity would fit us fine. It also has a warranty on it so if something goes wrong with it while camping, there's always a Walmart nearby. And it was priced right.
We have a Group 24 on the Niagara, which was the stock size. When it comes time to replace I'll go to a Group 27. I had done the same thing on our Flagstaff.
We rarely camp without electric but I do like having the extra capacity over the 24. Like Fritz, when we had replaced the battery we went to Wal-Mart, for the same reasons.
John
I had a 24 on my pup and upgraded to a 29 at the start of last year.
I wanted the larger capacity because that battery used to do triple duty. I used it for my backup sump pump, trolling motor on my boat, and my pup. Also I would connect my CPAP to it while dry camping if it was longer than 2 nights (capacity of my jump pack was only 2 nights). My pup only has lights and a heater.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
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