Engine Batteries Replacement

[gator67]

My engine batteries are five years old and probably due soon for a change. My questions are:

1) What is the proper procedure? Do I turn off the engine battery switch in the coach?

2) Whether I turn off the engine battery switch or not, do I remove the grounding cable in the battery compartment first?

3) Do I need to do anything with the chassis batteries?

4) Do I need to disconnect from shore power? Turn off inverter?

4) Any recommendations as to what batteries to replace them with?

Any other helpful hints or gotchas are also welcome.

[EngineerMike]

Before anything else, take a photo of the cable layout for reference, then buy new batteries w/ground-hot layout the same as current batteries (some come reversed which will be a pain). Then, cuz its all easy and why not, batt switches off (both), inverter/charger off (your cable layout may make a common ground for the house/inverter & chassis batt's), then remove & tape (I use blue painter's tape cuz its handy and this is a precaution to avoid an accidental cable strike) cable ends on chassis batt's w/the ground cables first. Haul out the old batt's & heft in the new, nut down the cables w/red first, then black, paint connections w/corrosion goop, & fire up all switches & inv/chgr.

Any so called maintenance free battery of correct size would suit me.