Dry Camping Battery Suggestions

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:


If you have 2 six volt batteries in series and one takes a dump, then both are worthless. If 1 of the 12 volt takes a dump, you just remove that 1 battery.

If you do some research it is not the "best practice" to mate up an old and new battery. The best approach is to start off with both batteries new because when you mate a new and old battery the new battery never achieves it's maximum possible life.

I just had the same issue.
Had a 12 volt deep cycle flooded acid house battery and two six volts in series as "add on" power.

Decided to scrap that and went with 12 volt Duracell AGM house battery and 2 more of those same AGM's as add on power.

If you have 2 six volt batteries in series and one takes a dump, then both are worthless. If 1 of the 12 volt takes a dump, you just remove that 1 battery.

AGM is also "no" maintenance and takes a faster charge, plus more forgiving to deep discharges and more able to handle vibration. However they cost more.
Sams club has the best deal on those at $178

First thing I did was get a volt/amp meter and tested the battery and tested the amp usage of all our stuff. I can now figure out how long we can dry camp and also how the batteries are doing at any time. A meter can keep you from guessing.

I generally boondock for 3-4 days, my camper has one 4d deep cycle battery, and I have a 12"x12" solar panel with little battery clips that I clip on when I set up, and leave on the entire time. I've never run out, but I don't leave lights on unattended etc.

Lot of assumptions here:
1) For best life of battery try not to discharge more than 50% of capacity
2) 6 vs 12 volt (people like to debate). I like 2 6's and hook together. Try and get deep cycle batteries with a high amount of AH (amp hours).
3) You mention you only have 1ea battery. Most motor home setup's have a "start" battery for the motor and then 1, 2 or more batteries for the living quarters.
4) When you say run the generator to charge a battery... I'm hoping you mean to run the generator and let the onboard converter charge the battery? Charging a battery with a generator takes a long time.
5) If you use the generator to power a converter to recharge... the converter hopefully has 3 stages: Bulk, Absorption, and Float. If you are using the generator to power a good 3 stage converter I would run it about 1 hour a day. The most regeneration occurs in the BULK stage. When the converter switches to the absorption phase the amount of recharge is reduced... kinda like airing up a tire. When it is flat and you start putting air in it goes in quickly.... as the battery becomes charged it gets harder to put energy into it so there is a trade off once the battery charge gets to absorption you will be spending a lot on generator gas and not getting a whole lot of return. Once you get home and hook up to shore power the battery will completely recharge and go on float mode where it should be maintained.
6) As others mention, solar is very good way to recharge batteries.

Think of you battery as a storage tank, so the more the better off you are.

1) You need to charge your battery until it is fully charged pluss two more hours.
2) You should have enough batteries to last two days. That may be 2, 4, 6, or 8. I have 4 six volt batteries.
3) 2 six volt golf cart battreies wire in seirres are 230 amps. 2 twelve volt batteries wired parallel are 200 amps.

Why run a generator at all to recharge one battery that is apparently sufficent for your use? (Assumes you discharge that one battery only to 40-50%) Bulk charging is fast. It's absorption that takes hours. Investigate a solar system in the 200 watt range. Yes, two sixes generally considered better than two 12s. General guideline is 1 solar watt to 1 battery amp hour. Dry/boondocking is about all I do....and I camp near fellow solar RVers. My generator...their generators...are usually running by 7 a.m. Hear anything?