How Long Will RV Battery Last Boondocking?

If you like boondocking, you’ll want to know how long your RV battery will last while you’re out there. It’s inconvenient when your battery dies and you’re left without electricity. How Long Will RV Battery Last Boondocking?

The length of time the RV battery will endure when boondocking is determined by the quantity of energy used as well as the amp hours of the battery (or the bank of batteries).

In general, a single 100ah 12-volt battery can provide enough power to run your basic electrical items such as lights, fans, and a water pump for a day or two. When you conserve energy, replace the battery system, and use alternative types of energy (such as propane or generator) when available, you may be able to extend the life of the RV battery.
The following intends to offer you a thorough solution to the question of how long will an RV battery survive while boondocking, as well as some useful tips:

Amount of time battery will last boondocking

When boondocking, dry camping, scattered camping, or any other sort of camping where there are no utilities, one has to know how long their RV battery system will truly last.

As previously stated, when boondocking for a single day and just utilizing basic electrical equipment and appliances, the RV battery with 100 amp-hours (ah) of capacity (i.e. normal RV battery size) must keep the RV operating for around 24 hours on a single charge.

It is crucial to remember, however, that we all consume energy differently. You will need to conduct some arithmetic if you want to get a more accurate estimate of your energy use before going camping.

Begin by identifying the devices you want to use on a regular basis, as well as the amount of time you intend to devote to each of them. Determine how many amps each gadget consumes. This information may be printed on the device or indicated in the owner’s handbook. When they just provide you watts for a certain device, you should convert this to amps by dividing watts/volts.

How Long Will RV Battery Last Boondocking?

If a device is 120 volts, increase the amps by ten.

Consider a 12 volt light bulb. This consumes around 1.5 amps. When the lamp is turned on for two hours, it consumes three amp-hours of battery power.

Consider this equation when calculating how much a 12v appliance will consume as a coffee pot. A coffee maker that uses 450W on 120V AC will require 450 / 120, which equals 3.75 amps. If you use 120v AC power, your coffee maker has a capacity of 3.75 ah. The amps need to be converted to 12-volts. This is accomplished by multiplying by ten. As a result, 3.75*10 = 37.5 ah. When using a coffee maker for only one hour every day, it will consume around 37.5 ah.

Add up all the amp hours of those appliances as well as devices that you hope to use. You can then get an estimation of the total amp hours that you will employ per day. You can then find out how long the deep-cycle battery can last when you do not charge it.

It is critical to understand that an RV with lead-acid batteries may only be depleted to around 50% before needing to be recharged. If you do not do this, its life may be cut short. As a result, a 100 ah battery may provide around 50 amp-hours. If you use lithium-ion batteries, they can be entirely discharged before being recharged (but the BMS will often halt the discharge at 80-90 percent).

Should I get more than one RV battery?

You may go boondocking for two to three days. You’ll be thinking if you need more than one battery for this. This is not required, however when looking into RV batteries, it may be preferable to have more.

If your 12-volt battery is rated at 80 amp hours, and you don’t use too many appliances and devices at once, you can obtain approximately two days of power from it.

If you want to go dry camping for a few days, it’s a good idea to have a backup battery in case you need it.

Tips for extending battery life when boondocking

Those who frequently boondock must save energy and maximize the life of their RV batteries.

The following are some energy-saving methods to assist you to extend battery life when boondocking:

Lights should be used carefully

It is critical to use lighting strategically. Lights, particularly incandescent lights, consume a lot of energy. It is possible to save battery energy by just turning on lights when they are needed.

If you read frequently, consider reading during the day rather than at night. It is preferable to schedule the day so that the majority of activities may be completed with the aid of natural sunshine. Try not to stay up late if there is no sunshine. It is also preferable to get up early.

When the need for light arises, obtain LED flashlights as well as lanterns. Rechargeable batteries are used in flashlights. These may last for weeks without being recharged. Lanterns may be used at night to read, play games, and conduct other things. When it’s dark outside, cheap solar-powered LED yard lights are an excellent method to highlight the RV’s outside.

Use LED rather than incandescent bulbs

If you want to save power in your RV, replace the outdated incandescent lamps with LED or fluorescent lighting. These will draw less power from the home battery. They consume less power and produce a brighter light than incandescent bulbs.

The furnace should be used carefully

While your RV furnace is most likely powered by gas, your unit’s fan may consume a significant amount of electricity. This is why you should use your propane furnace sparingly.

You may accomplish this by parking your RV somewhere where the sun will warm it. You may do this when the weather is mild, such as in the spring and fall.

Bring additional blankets and sleeping bags if you want to keep warm at night.

Turn the thermostat down a few degrees if you need to operate the furnace. You may add insulation to the RV’s floor, windows, and around the bottom exterior to keep heat in during the winter.

Reduce water pump employment

Although each model is unique, a water pump will use around 5 amps when in use. When you are not using it, it continues to draw modest quantities of electricity. It is also critical to utilize the water pump sparingly. When not in use, it should be switched off.

Get lithium batteries

When using a lithium-ion battery instead of a lead-acid battery, you may virtually double your consumption power. This is due to the fact that you may completely discharge it. A lead-acid battery, on the other hand, should be depleted to roughly 50% in order to survive longer.

Tips to charge your RV battery when boondocking

Even if you are boondocking for a short period of time, it is vital to recharge the batteries. The following instructions will show you how to charge the boondocking RV battery:

Solar panels- Using solar panels to recharge RV batteries is a practical and effective method. To charge the batteries, you’ll need to use the sun’s energy. The process is non-harmful to the environment.

RV Generator– You may achieve this using a Portable Inverter generator. It might be a portable generator or the onboard generator of the vehicle. This will assist you in charging the RV battery when boondocking.

The car alternator may also be used to charge the RV batteries. This is only if you are prepared for it. However, it is a very sluggish process. You may speed up the process by utilizing a DC to DC power battery charger.

While boondocking, if feasible, travel to a campsite or RV park with shore power to plug in and recharge batteries, refill water supplies, and dump tanks.

You now have an idea of how long your RV battery will survive when boondocking. If you want to have the finest experience possible, it is always preferable to be prepared. Power is really vital, and you must ensure that you have it when you travel and go dry camping. When you don’t have any electricity, it might be difficult.