To get the most out of your Recreational Vehicle (RV), a good battery is an absolute essential. Any RVer, who has been in the boondocks, knows this to be true. A deep cycle battery, along with a good start up battery, is a must for any traveler who looks to enjoy RV living for long periods without hooking up to sources of power and water or using a dump station. In deep cycle applications, RV deep cycle batteries outlast normal car batteries – two to ten. As far as advantages of deep cycle batteries, there are many...

A deep cycle battery is designed to regularly discharge 80 percent of its capacity before getting recharged back to full strength. A true deep cycle battery for recreational vehicles is designed for these applications. A word of caution, though – do not completely discharge your RV’s deep cycle battery on a regular basis.

Deep cycle batteries are used where discharging and charging occurs frequently, such as in your RV. They are maintenance free and are sealed. Deep cycle marine batteries are designed to last for longer periods on boats, yachts and other watercraft.

There are three distinct types of lead acid batteries – Flooded Acid, Gelled Acid and Advanced AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat). Manufacturers can design any one of these for deep cycle applications.

Lifeline RV/Marine Battery

Lifeline AGM batteries, used for RVs and marine crafts, offer several advantages over gelled-cell and conventional flooded lead-acid batteries. They can be recharged rapidly from typical sources, including solar panels, an AC generator, or an alternator while driving. Lifeline AGM batteries recharge 20 to 25 percent faster than conventional flooded or gelled-cell batteries. These batteries, priced substantially higher than the conventional flooded-cell batteries, offer a number of advantages. They have a very low discharge rate while in storage, no venting of explosive hydrogen gases and offer extended life-cycle durability – frequent discharge/charge cycles without serious deterioration, among others.

RV deep cycle batteries and deep cycle marine batteries from Lifeline offer the following benefits:

• User safe, by providing non-spillable sealed construction
• Maintenance free, with no repairing of corroded terminals
• Fast recharge
• Thick positive plates to provide real deep cycle performance
• Best charge retention in comparison to flooded-cell batteries
• Lowest discharge rate of less than 3% per month unattended
• Shock and vibration resistant

Optima AGM Batteries

Optima® batteries are billed as “The Next Generation Of Battery Technology Designed And Built In The USA”. These sealed, maintenance-free AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries exceed the cranking performance of all other batteries in their size category.

Its revolutionary design “has extremely low internal resistance and which produces high cranking amperage and very fast recharging characteristics”. Other features include, shock and vibration resistance, light weight and long service life. Optima® batteries have proven deep cycle applications as RV deep cycle batteries and deep cycle marine batteries, among other applications for off-road vehicles, pickup trucks, aircraft ground support equipment, automobiles, emergency vehicles, and many more.

A number of deep cycle RV batteries and deep cycle marine batteries are available. Delphi, Trojan, Rolls, and Gel are a few on the market.

Check out our recommended resources below for attractive deals and offers on these and many other models of deep cycle batteries.