As it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to get a campground reservation, many RVers are opting to boondock and forego hookups. While boondocking offers unbeatable views and more privacy, not having power hookups can pose several challenges.

Without an upgraded power system, running some loads overnight can leave an RVer with a dead battery in the morning. Depending on the type of RV battery, this could cause permanent damage. Although the possibility of a dead battery is scary, proper system upgrades and the right RV batteries can keep you powered all night!

Why Is My RV Battery Draining Overnight?

Typically, most RVers choose not to run their generators all night as they create noise and exhaust. This means they must rely on reserve power from their RV batteries to run essential loads.

But without a constant outside power source while boondocking, it’s up to the RV batteries to provide all the power that could possibly be needed at night. Running lights, a furnace or AC, a fridge, or even a water pump overnight will quickly drain RV batteries.

Even for RVs equipped with solar systems, the lack of power input when the sun goes down leaves the RVers reliant on their batteries to get them through the night.

Parasitic Power Loads

Even if you use as little power as possible to conserve battery capacity at night, parasitic loads can unknowingly drain your RV battery. Parasitic loads reference the electrical draws from appliances that continuously suck power from your RV battery when you’re not connected to a power source. Items like carbon monoxide detectors and other electronics with lights or display screens can be parasitic loads.

Without understanding your parasitic loads, you could wake up to discover that you’ve used more of your battery than you intended. With a lead-acid system, this could cause a lot of damage to your batteries. Minimizing parasitic loads in your RV can protect your batteries and help prevent your battery from draining overnight.

🪫 Lead-acid batteries are particularly at risk if deeply drained overnight. Here’s what will kill your RV lead-acid batteries.

How Do I Stop My RV Battery From Draining? 

Preventing your RV battery from dying overnight involves a multi-pronged approach.

1. Know what your parasitic draws are and limit them
2. Use a battery monitor to know how much battery you have left when you go to bed
3. Limit normal power usage after dark
4. Maintain and know the health of your batteries (primarily lead-acid ones)

Use A Battery Monitor

Unfortunately, many RVs don’t come with an accurate battery monitor to keep an eye on their state of charge. If you don’t know how much power you have or are using, it’s nearly impossible to avoid running out overnight.

We highly recommend getting a reliable battery monitor as one of your first RV electrical upgrades. Otherwise, you’re flying blind when it comes to powering your boondocking adventures.

👉 In addition to a battery monitor, here are 5 Essential Upgrades Every Boondocking RV Needs

Limit Power Usage Overnight

The best way to prevent your RV battery from going dead overnight is to minimize the amount of power you are using in your RV. Here are some common overnight power draws:

• Avoid leaving lights on that are not in use
• Unplugging electronics after using them
• Using propane to run large appliances like fridges and water heaters
• Turn off your inverter if you don’t need it. Even if all your AC devices were unplugged, the inverter draws power to operate.
• Be mindful of your furnace. Even though it is a propane or diesel furnace, it uses 12V power to run its electronics and blower fan. Running your furnace all night can use alot of power.
• Turn off your internet. Running your routers or Starlink overnight can drain your batteries. If you don’t need them, turn them off.

Maintain Your Batteries

In addition to cutting down on power usage, proper maintenance can ensure your RV battery is able to perform optimally. Fortunately, lithium-ion batteries are virtually maintenance-free.

But, if you have lead-acid batteries, it’s easy to damage your batteries in everyday use. Lead-acid battery manufacturers do little to educate their users on the proper maintenance and care required for lead-acid systems.

With lead-acid batteries (Flooded, AGM, Gel):

• With Flooded Lead Acid you must monitor and maintain the electrolyte levels. This is essential for preventing irreversible damage that can significantly limit their operating capacity.

• Lead-acid batteries do not have internal systems that help prevent damage automatically. These factors make it much more common for lead-acid batteries to die overnight.

• Avoid discharging them too deeply. Lead-acid batteries typically can’t go below 50% of their capacity without risking permanent damage and significantly decreasing their life. The more often this occurs, the smaller the battery’s total capacity becomes and the faster it drains.
• Lead-acid batteries must be fully recharged after a deep discharge, getting all the way through the absorption cycle. This is a slow process, and many times solar charging cannot adequately complete this task. Regular partial charges before discharging again will sulfate and damage internal cells.
• Your battery’s capacity reduces as it ages. The older your lead-acid battery is, the more quickly it will die and the less likely it will last through the night.
• Keep lead acid batteries warm if possible; cold lead acid batteries lose much more capacity than the same temperature lithium.

How Long Will An RV Battery Last On One Charge?

How long an RV battery lasts on a single charge depends on both your power usage while boondocking and the battery’s capacity. Most RVs come equipped with a 12-volt, 100 amp-hour (Ah) lead-acid battery. Under typical use—running essentials like interior lights, the water pump, and small fans,this setup can usually provide about 24 hours of power.

These lead-acid batteries shouldn’t be discharged below 50 percent of their rated capacity. Drawing them lower than that can cause permanent sulfation damage, reducing their ability to hold a charge and shortening overall lifespan. In practice, that means you have only about 50 Ah of usable energy from a 100Ah lead-acid battery.

However, most RVers need much more power than this to boondock comfortably.

If you notice your RV battery depleting more quickly than usual or struggling to make it through the night, it could indicate that it’s nearing the end of its service life or that your energy demands have increased. Checking your battery’s state of charge regularly and performing a load test can help determine whether it’s time for maintenance, replacement, or an upgrade to better suit your power needs.

Does a Lithium Battery Last Longer Than a Lead-Acid Battery?

If you’ve run into capacity and longevity issues with your lead-acid batteries, it may be time to upgrade to lithium-ion batteries.

Deep-cycle lithium batteries last 5 to 10 times longer than comparable lead-acid batteries and lose minimal performance as they age. Offering a much deeper depth of discharge, lithium batteries can provide more power for longer periods of time than lead-acid batteries. While lead-acid batteries will experience irreversible damage when discharged below 50%, lithium batteries can be continually discharged to nearly 100% with no long-term effects.

Although a typical lead-acid battery can only withstand a maximum of several hundred cycles, lithium batteries can last between 3,000 to 5,000 discharge cycles, providing reliable power for years to come.

How Long Do Lithium Batteries Last in an RV? 

When used in an RV, lithium batteries provide twice as much power as standard lead-acid batteries. Upgrading to lithium batteries allows you to worry less about causing permanent damage to your battery bank, even while powering essential loads all night long.

While managing your power usage is always important when RVing, lithium batteries require minimal maintenance and can be discharged all the way down to zero percent battery capacity. Additionally, Battle Born Batteries have a smart internal BMS that will turn off the batteries long before they ever come close to damaging themselves.

In addition to providing more power, the lifespan of a lithium battery is years longer than a lead-acid battery. At Battle Born Batteries, we offer a 10-year warranty on our batteries, while a typical lead-acid battery will likely only come with a year or two of warranty coverage.

🪫 Is your lithium battery not charging properly? Here are some easy troubleshooting tips.

Are Lithium-Ion Batteries Better for RVs?

If you’re an RVer who prefers hookups, you might not think upgrading to a lithium-ion battery would be worth it. However, if you find yourself worrying about your RV battery draining overnight, wanting the option to park without hookups, or even just wanting to stop replacing your lead-acid batteries every season, lithium-ion batteries are the perfect upgrade. Especially if you want to maximize the boondocking capabilities of your RV and see the limitless possibilities that a lithium-ion system can provide. 

Our lithium-ion batteries are much safer as they do not produce any toxic fumes, unlike lead-acid batteries. In addition, the materials used in our batteries are nontoxic and much safer for human health.

With twice as much power, a much longer lifespan, and half the weight of lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries are the perfect solution for RV power. A typical 100 Ah lead-acid battery weighs 60 to 70 pounds, whereas a lithium battery weighs approximately 30 pounds. If you’re planning on adding multiple batteries to your bank, you could save hundreds of pounds of weight in your power setup. The larger the battery bank, the larger the weight savings when you upgrade to lithium.

Whether you’re powering a C-pap machine or other critical devices, having a reliable RV battery is essential. You can sleep well knowing you won’t wake up to a dead RV battery with Battle Born Batteries.

Can I Replace My Lead Acid RV Battery With a Lithium Battery?

Yes, you can replace your lead-acid RV battery with a lithium battery. Our batteries utilize the same connections and generally have the same dimensions as lead-acid batteries. 

While you can choose to place your new lithium battery in the same location as your previous lead acid battery, lithium batteries offer much more flexible mounting options. Since they don’t have harmful battery acid, they do not require venting. This allows you to skip the small battery compartment and install them in a place where you can add all the battery power you want. Boondocking enthusiasts may install 8 or more lithium batteries with solar systems to camp off-grid just as they would with full hookups.

Depending on your power needs, even just one or two of our Battle Born Batteries can substantially increase your power supply. Many RVers can make minor modifications to their existing setup and drop-in replacement lithium batteries.

Do I Need a Special Charger for Lithium Batteries? 

Most lead-acid battery chargers offer a setting that works well with lithium batteries if they do not have automatic equalization. However, upgrading to a lithium-specific charger can be beneficial. Lithium batteries can accept a tremendous amount of power compared to lead-acid batteries. A lithium-specific charger allows you to set specific charging parameters and provides more backup safety options to protect your lithium batteries.

Are Lithium Batteries Worth It in an RV?

Lithium batteries deliver the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to power solutions for an RV. While they aren’t the cheapest option on the market, they provide a much deeper depth of discharge and thousands more discharge cycles. If you’re tired of camping in crowded campgrounds and want to enjoy boondocking or simply have worry-free power, upgrading to lithium will be a gamechanger.

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Want To Learn More About Electrical Systems and Lithium Batteries?

We know that building or upgrading an electrical system can be overwhelming, so we’re here to help. Our Reno, Nevada-based sales and customer service team is standing by at (855) 292-2831 to take your questions!

Also, join us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to learn more about how lithium battery systems can power your lifestyle, see how others have built their systems, and gain the confidence to get out there and stay out there.