Travel Trailer Battery

[jdbailey1206]

My wife and I purchased a 19' travel trailer for vacationing around this summer and I was wondering if anyone knows what type of battery I should hook up to it to provide power to the trailer itself.  Any input would be appreciated.

[SavannahLion]

They'll called Deep Cycle batteries though they may go by different brand names. Any RV dealer or shop will have one.

Be sure you get the right float charger. The WalMart specials are for auto batteries and usually not meant to float the batteries.

Check this link out as a starter http://rvroadtrip.us/library/12v_system.php

If you get a power hookup for the tow vehicles. Make sure they do it right. A lot of scuzzy installers will take shortcuts. In my experience U-Haul was consistently the worst. The RV dealer we went to was OK but his choice of electrical sheathing needs work now. Make sure you get the fuse circuit that charges the RV battery from your cars electrical system. Our installer left that out even though I spec'ed it and wanted an extra $500 until I realized all he did was leave out the fuse. ---uvula---.

[MonMotha]

If you're willing to spend a little more money, get an AGM type "sealed", maintenance free battery.  They will cost about double what a similar size flooded deep cycle will, but they are much more tolerant of high-power pulse draws, which I imagine a travel trailer is well capable of, especially if you have a high-power inverter for running conventional electrical equipment, and you don't have to remember to top them off with distilled water a couple times a year.

You might also look into Lithium Iron Phosphate.  They cost about 4-5x what even an AGM will, but they will last 4-5x as long, and you almost can't break them.  Note that these are quite different than conventional Lithium Ion like you may be used to from a laptop or cell phone.

As to interconnect with your vehicle so that you can charge it, first make sure your vehicle's alternator is up to the task.  You may need to beef it up.  And, as was mentioned, make sure that all wiring is done properly.  Use sufficiently large wire and make sure all connections are waterproof.  This means that connectors need to be purpose-designed for exposed automotive connections, and any splices should be done by soldering the wires and covering with double-wall, glue-filled heat shrink.