When selecting a battery for your travel trailer, consider the amount of space you have available and your power needs. There are two options available, including 6-volt batteries, which require four to six batteries wired in series to obtain 12 volts and the most power. Alternatively, you can use two 12-volt batteries wired in parallel to get more amperage for running devices longer.

There are two different types of batteries that can be used in an RV: lithium and lead acid. Both lead-acid and lithium batteries are used to provide power to recreational vehicles for an extended period of time.

Lead-acid batteries have some advantages because they are a decades-old technology and cheaper upfront, however, they require regular maintenance and are less efficient than newer lithium batteries.

Lithium batteries are lighter, more powerful, more durable and longer lasting than their lead-acid counterparts. The only drawback is that they cost more initially, on the other side, saving you money in the long run.

While each has its own unique benefits, lithium is always the better option of the two when comparing a lithium RV battery vs lead acid RV battery. If you’re looking to upgrade your RV’s battery system, consider installing lithium phosphate batteries.

One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing RV batteries is your power requirement. The best way to determine this is by adding up the number of appliances and devices you want to operate during an outage.

 Suppose you want 1 air conditioner, 1 television, 1 portable fridge and 1 laptop to operate. The power consumed by these items is:

1 Air Conditioner – 1000 watts
1 Laptop – 160 watts
1 Television – 120 watts
1 Portable Fridge – 80 Watts

Therefore your total power requirement is ( 1000 +160 + 120 + 80 ) = 1360 watts

The second step is to calculate the battery capacity. We need a battery that can provide back up for 8 hours given a power requirement of 1360 watts. The formula is:

Battery capacity = Power requirement * Working Hour / Battery voltage. Battery Capacity = (1360 watt * 8 hours) / 12 volt= 906 Ah

 Therefore battery system with a capacity of 906 Ah will work for you. So if you want to run 1 air conditioner, 1 television, 1 portable fridge and 1 laptop for 8 hours on a recreational vehicle (RV), you will need four 12V 300Ah batteries.