How to choose an rv battery?

corvettekent wrote:
My 6 volt Interstate batteries are 6 years old and still working like they should.
Do you check the electrolyte level of your batteries? Clean the tops and the connections? I think it is more of how you maintain them than it is what brand you have.

x2. My Interstate 6 volts are eight years old. They still work but, I'll be replacing them this year. And, they froze one time and bounced back.
Yours should last longer than 4 years.

The 12 Volt Side of Life may help you understand batteries.

If you don't do a lot of camping without hookups than most any pair of batteries would work. For camping without shorepower a pair of true 6 volt deep-cycle batteries is a good way to go as they can handle the deep draw down and recharge process better than starting or marine/rv hybrid batteries.

We usually purchase all of our vehicle batteries from Sams or Costco including our current set of 6 volt GC2 batteries. We primarily camp off the grid and realize that it's how a battery is maintained, and more importantly how it is recharged, than the brand label affixed on the side. Our Interstate batteries lasted 8 years.

RV/ Marine batteries are made to discharge their current down to 50% over a long period, then be recharged! The constant charge/discharge is what will do them in! A start battery is designed to flow a lot of currant in a short period, (I.e. Starting the engine), then next to nothing and after replacing the start current little or no charging ! Under the right conditions they can last a long time, but if you completely discharge them more than a couple of times they will die! Never ever buy a battery for your house battery if it has a "CCA" rating, (Cold Cranking Amps). That is not a deep cycle battery.
Also, if you have two batteries, always replace both, and try and buy the replacements as close as you can to their manufacture date, (do not buy one made last month and the second made 6 months ago). The weak one will ALWAYS draw down the good one, never the other way around!

Maintenance as mentioned is a big deal with keeping a battery! Also, again as mentioned a multi stage charger will keep from over charging you battery. Interstates are pretty good batteries, so if you are looking to replace yours, check around, Cosco, Sears, etc. to get the best price, they should all be comparable. Do the required maintenance, inspect the batteries, clean any build up, clean the terminals, keep fluid levels always within range, (use only distilled water), check your charger to ensure it is not over charging) and you should have batteries to last 5 - 7 years. Good luck.

My 6 volt Interstate batteries are 6 years old and still working like they should.
Do you check the electrolyte level of your batteries? Clean the tops and the connections? I think it is more of how you maintain them than it is what brand you have.

It really is a bit of a guessing game. You can get a good vehicle starting battery with a 100 month warranty from Costco, or you can get an RV Marine battery at the same place with a 24 month warranty. My last vehicle battery for my truck went 11 years. I have never had a marine battery last that long.

I figure it works for me because I have never tended to draw my battery down like you might if you were running an electric motor on a lake boat. That is the RV Marine style.

Battery technology has improved a lot, and deep cycle batteries are preferred for RV applications. There is a bit of "you get what you pay for", but there are deals to be had.

When it is time to replace my interstate batteries, I plan on buying Lifeline AGM replacements. I've read a lot of positive comments about these from fellow RVers. I also plan on replacing my charger with a multi-stage charger to maintain the batteries better.

http://www.bestconverter.com/Lifeline-AGM-Batteries_c_58.html