How to choose an rv battery?

The majority of all automotive batteries are made by just 2 companies, Johnson Controls and Exide to the brand's specs. Kind of like buying a brand X &Y travel trailer having a Lippert frame and components.

I just bought two Crown 6 volt batteries to replace a bad 12 volt duel purpose marine/staring battery. Paid $135 each for them. I've read a lot o good things about crown. U.S. made.

I have 2 Walmart 12 volt batteries in my 5th wheel. They are beginning their 5th year of service. We usually have electric hookups but do dry camp on one trip in June for 12 days. I recharge once or twice with a generator but the batteries do fine.
The OP hasn't said whether they dry camp or not. if not, then I believe that 1 or 2 12 volt batteries are fine as these batteries are easy to find anywhere.

We have two 6v Golf Cart Batteries from Costco for house power plus a 12volt battery used to start the generator(This was the battery that the dealer provided). The 12 volt is also a backup in the rare case one of the 6v batts fails. RVs don't work too well on 6 volts.

N-Trouble wrote:
Go to Costco and pickup two 6V golf cart batteries. Then go to local auto part store and pickup a cable to connect them in series. Sit back and enjoy. Oh and keep an eye on water levels and fill with distilled water when needed.

This. I paid about $85/ea for my Interstates. Then pick up a funnel and a bottle of distilled water and keep an eye on the level.

Read the specs on the Walmart battery before buying it. Just because it's type 27 doesn't mean that it has the same specs as Interstate or Exide. I have a ham radio repeater system that uses a battery for backup when commercial power is down. I originally had an Exide type 27 from Tractor Supply. The dumb charger dried all of the water out of the battery so I replaced it with a Walmart type 27. The battery was cheaper and lighter (less lead) and doesn't last as long as the Exide. When this one fails I will go back to Exide or Interstate.

laknox wrote:
"Marine" batteries are starting batteries meant to deliver a burst of power when starting an engine, not a lesser amount over a longer period.

Actually, "marine" batteries refer to a class of battery that defines the design, construction and intended use of said battery. There are 3 primary types of "marine" batteries available: starting, deep-cycle, and dual purpose (for a combination of starting and deep cycle properties)

From an RV perspective, you would want a deep-cycle battery.

Go to Costco and pickup two 6V golf cart batteries. Then go to local auto part store and pickup a cable to connect them in series. Sit back and enjoy. Oh and keep an eye on water levels and fill with distilled water when needed.

RoyF wrote:
I have always just gone to my dealer, and they always install a pair of Interstate batteries. I have a four-year-old pair of group 27 Interstates that are down to 50% charge, so it's time to replace them. There is a wide range of prices, so I am confused about what to do.

I see a group 27 rv-marine at Walmart for $82. How long is it likely to last?

Sears has a group 27 marine for $125. Camping World has a group 27 marine for $229.

Is this a matter of getting what you pay for? What to do??

If you do a lot of boondocking, or camping where there's no power, then consider 2 6v golf cart batteries. Will last much longer because they're designed to be deeply discharged and fully recover when recharged. "Marine" batteries are starting batteries meant to deliver a burst of power when starting an engine, not a lesser amount over a longer period. I got mine at Sam's for about $80 each, plus about $12 for a cross-over cable that's needed to connect them in series to make 12v.

This being said, if you only camp at campgrounds with hookups, then any good 12v battery(ies) will do.

Lyle

Sandia Man wrote:
If you don't do a lot of camping without hookups...

I think this is where the OP needs to start. Do you primarily camp with or without electric hookup. We have a single group 24 battery in our 5er, and that is fine because we always camp where there's electric hookups.

Some may scoff at this, but we've had good success with WalMart batteries. Our previous TT had them, and I'm currently running 4 Marine batteries that are 4 and 5 years old. Maintenance is always the key.