Marine Corps Veteran Braves Winter Storm with Heated Battle Born Batteries

As a Marine Veteran and Naval Aviator, Patrick McCammond likes to be prepared. In February 2021, he was all ready for a 2-week road trip to move his wife and son to San Diego. He had all his fuel stops planned out between North Carolina to California, and packed some extra food and layers of clothes into his 24-foot Coachman Apex Nano RV. He also had just installed a brand-new heated Battle Born 100 amp-hour, 12-volt battery. It certainly came in handy to help keep the family warm as they encountered the Texas freeze.

Patrick and his wife bought their Coachmen RV in early 2020, but after only a year the factory-installed lead-acid batteries were already having problems keeping a charge. After two fall camping trips, one in the North Carolina National Forest and Ashville, coupled with a few crisp 40°F nights, Patrick knew he had to get a new battery into his RV.

“It was a great trip, but I had issues while I was on the road, showing that we’ve got super low voltage and it has been plugged into the truck the whole time and plugged into shore power,” Patrick said. “So I’m like, ‘we’re going to need new batteries.’”

As a self-proclaimed novice RV owner, Patrick did his research on the best batteries and liked the cost-benefit, 10-year warranty, and customer support that our company stands behind. It all came in handy when stopping through Texas. Another plus for the switch to lithium was that lead-acid batteries would have internal damage when being used with an excessive draw below 50% and certainly wouldn’t be available to perform in any subzero temperatures. With the trip being conducted during the winter Patrick elected to go with Battle Born for an added measure of safety which would have the ultimate payoff only two weeks later.

“Every interaction I’ve had with Battle Born has been very positive, they answered every question and exceeded my expectations,” he said. “As an amateur at RV stuff, the team guided me pretty clearly and distinctively. So, no complaints at all.”

On February 16, in a state park in Tyler, TX as temperatures hit a record low of -6°F, Patrick and his family took refuge in the park on their trip, weathering the winter storms that devastated the Texas power grid and killed 702 people. Through it all, Patrick was confident his Battle Born battery would be able to handle the cold and keep his family warm. The battery and the heater worked overtime protecting the McCammond Family from the cold. Keeping them comfortable during the extreme conditions, which caused catastrophic damage and tragedy for many other Texans across the state.

Having a battery accept a charge sounds like a simple thing until it’s not. The McCammond family’s health and well-being relied on it, and its performance during the unprecedented cold speaks for itself. As the rig is more suited to be a summer camper, the McCammond’s used different tactics like lining the interior spaces, walls, with blankets to preserve heat and propane at every available opportunity.

Onboard, they had a backup Honda 2200i generator, and the F-150’s factory-installed 400-watt inverter as an extreme measure, if required. Patrick wanted to be as prepared as possible with ample backup sources. He ended up not needing any of the backup sources since the battery was so efficient, and it did not drop below 90% with the 6-hour period of the constant pull early in the morning. The coldest night dropped to –6 degrees Fahrenheit, which was a record-breaker for the state, as the electrical grid continued to fluctuate with brownouts throughout the night and for the next four days until the ice cleared from the state park. Having that peace of mind made Patrick less worried about how his family was doing and allowed him to check on his handicapped neighbors at the site throughout the ordeal and assist them during the storms.

So, we were just very fortunate that we’re in a great country where a company like Battle Born exists, and we can buy a product like that and have that level of protection,” he said.

Don’t get left out in the cold. If the winter storms catch you or the power grid off guard, be as prepared as Patrick for any snowy situations. Check out our heated battery model options on our online store or give our technical sales team a call at 855-292-2831.