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Originally Posted by crazymason
Haha! I like the battery wars insanity! I think I'm learning...with most affordable batteries, efficient/safe power draw is effectively only 50% of total capacity. Which tells me I need good battery capacity and a quick way to charge them back up. All other functions are going to rely upon my ability to accomplish those two things.
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nice.... i like them too. if you want to learn a lot about various solar power panels, batteries and such, there are a bunch on YouTube that help add to what people share here. A good start is Will Prowse, Pippi Peterson, We are the Wynns, Mortens on the Move. from there you'll see tons of people sharing real world info on all aspects of RV use and living. This site and RV.net i get most of my info from those three sources. You're either gonna love it or wonder what the heck is wrong with the test if us.
About batteries... read, a lot. i had zero clue just how technical it is if you want to keep them healthy and get value from the investment.
Im moving to lithium over the summer im prep for pretty much wintering in AZ to explore and health reasons. Lithium iron ferrite (LiFeO4 shorthand) for their stability, they can be totally charged in a couple three or four hours compared to a lot longer for lead acid (LA shorthand) they also weigh a lot less. I would suggest Battle Born 12v LiFeO4 if you go that way BUT the upfront cost for two is about $1900. that buys you 200 AHr you can use. To get that from LA/AGM batteries you'll want 4 batteries which cost about $600 total. LA tech batteries can be just fine, i mean a zillon folks use them just fine. AGM, a type of LA battery that are a level better, cost more than traditional wet cell (the water sort) standard batteries, bht nit too much more.
Nobody can do more than point you toward info to absorb. You won't know until you see where your RV steers you. I thing starting with two 6v LA batteries hooked in series, from Crown or Trojan are safe bets. shoot for at least 225AHr. You should only use about 100-115AHrs as LA batteries degrade faster if discharged too deeply, namely below 50%. The gives you the same capacity as one Battle Born 12v. The lithium can be recharged faster, by far, than LA due to simple chemistry. one Battle Born is not that much mire than the 4 LA/AGM option and gives the same capacity.
If you are going to be mainly caming with hook ups then the whole discussion is moot. Just go with a couple 6v batteries in the 225Ahr range and enjoy.
12v true deep cycle batteries are very costly. A lot if RV dealers stuff in a regular "derp cycle" automotive battery as your coach battery. I bet they are also counting the RV engine (often referred to as the chassis battery) as one of the two.
Sign, see I've devolved into info overload too... ao just have fun!