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What is The Best Battery for Campers?

Considering the best batter for campers? Selecting a battery for a camper was once as easy as visiting the store and looking at the lead acid deep cycle batteries. One battery was generally as good as any other. It was often just a matter of finding the right size and getting the best price. 

Today, the field is a little more crowded. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, 12v lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid gel, and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, another type of lead-acid battery, offer additional choices.

What kind of battery is best for a camper?

The best kind of battery for a camper may come down to how you plan to use the battery and in what conditions. Each battery type has its limitations and benefits. 

Most campervans and campers will use one of the following four types of batteries.

• Lead-acid AGM
• Lead-acid gel
• LiFePO4
• Lithium-ion

AGM stands for absorbent glass mat, and manufacturers seal these lead-acid batteries, making them easier to maintain than “flooded” lead-acid batteries, which can leak. One of the reasons they work well in a camper is because they’re resistant to vibration, which means they’re an ideal battery for a moving vehicle. They also withstand high charge and discharge rates.

Meanwhile, a lead-acid gel battery costs more than an AGM battery but lasts longer, so the cost difference may not matter in the long run. However, the AGM battery wins out over the gel battery with its better charge and discharge rates. Gel batteries may become damaged when they’re charged or discharged too quickly. AGM batteries don’t have this limitation. 

One of the drawbacks of lead-acid batteries is that they’re cumbersome. Although they’re capable of holding a lot of power, the average deep cycle lead-acid battery is easily 60 to 70 pounds. If you have two batteries in your camper with a few solar panels and an inverter to charge them, you’re looking at a few hundred extra pounds of equipment on your camper.

Weight is one of the most significant benefits of selecting a lithium battery. Not only do lithium batteries weigh much less than lead-acid, but they’re also much smaller. Size and weight are critical when dealing with the space limitations of a van camper or a micro camper.

When selecting a lithium battery, you can choose a lithium-ion or LiFePO4. If you’re set on a lithium battery, a LiFePO4 might be the better option because it’s not as vulnerable to temperature changes and has a longer lifespan than the lithium-ion battery. LiFePO4 batteries are also less likely to explode in the event the ambient temperature skyrockets.

What is the longest-lasting RV battery?

In addition to size, weight, stability, and cost, longevity is one of the most critical factors in choosing an RV or camper battery. With proper management and strict adherence to recommended charging and discharging percentages, a lithium-ion battery is the longest-lasting battery, and a LiFePO4 isn’t far behind. Lithium batteries can last anywhere from three to ten times longer than lead-acid batteries.