Although the deep cycle house batteries in your RV are designed to withstand up to 80 percent depth of discharge, that's only on paper. If you want your house battery to last longer and thus save money, try not to deplete your battery by over 50 percent. Contact online >>
Although the deep cycle house batteries in your RV are designed to withstand up to 80 percent depth of discharge, that''s only on paper. If you want your house battery to last longer and thus save money, try not to deplete your battery by over 50 percent.
To ensure this, you will need the best RV battery monitor to measure how much charge your battery has left at any given time, as well as other indications of battery performance and health.
To help you pick 12V battery monitors that suit your needs and budget without all the headache, here''s an in-depth review of the 10 RV battery monitoring systems for ensuring optimal battery life. Learn how to use them, as well as crucial buying criteria and answers to common questions.
Perhaps one of the first things RV owners need to learn with regards to maintaining their home on wheels is the workings of their 12 volt house battery, and every related device and accessories designed to maximize battery''s lifespan and performance.
A recap of Battery 101 lessons: you should try your best not to deplete your 12 volt battery bank down to less than 50 percent depth of discharge. Doing so once or twice would not kill the battery off, but the more this happens, the shorter the RV battery''s lifespan.
This is utterly important, since a dead or malfunctioning house battery can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. It will also cost you hundreds of dollars to replace the battery bank, not to mention the money and time spent to rescue yourself from being stranded.
This is where a battery monitor for RV comes in. When installed, the monitor will constantly measure the state of discharge of your battery and display it on the screen as a percentage. You only need to mount the monitor in a high traffic area and glance at it every now and then to keep an eye on your battery bank.
There are two types of RV battery monitor systems: voltage-based systems and shunt-based systems. In summary, battery monitors that rely on shunts are more accurate. They cost a bit more than the simple voltage-based type, but it''s totally worth it.
Voltage-based battery monitors, which are often called voltmeters, measure battery voltage in real time but can only estimate the state of charge based on voltage. This is not very accurate as voltage can fluctuate with changes in temperatures and humidity. This type of battery monitor can even produce slightly different results with two similar house battery banks.
While voltmeters are cheaper and simpler than the shunt based type, its voltage readings don''t tell you anything about the battery''s performance or your power consumption, other than the amount of voltage stored in the battery at a given time.
Voltmeters don''t tell you how much power is consumed by your RV system, or whether your battery is charging or not and how fast when you are using a solar system or the alternator to top off your battery.
This information is all crucial in identifying overly power hungry or malfunctioning electrical devices or systems in your RV and shutting them off in critical times, or spotting any fault with the house battery itself before it''s too late. Not knowing this information can leave you in the middle of nowhere with a prematurely dead battery.
Meanwhile, shunt-based systems use a special device called a shunt, which is installed between the battery''s negative terminal and all the electrical systems or devices that connect to it and consume power from the battery. The shunt can measure battery voltage but more importantly, it measures in real time the amount of current coming in and out of the battery.
It then uses this information to calculate the amount of charge left in the battery, which allows for battery accuracy then calculations based on battery voltage.
The shunt also uses collected data to calculate the power unit''s average and running energy consumption and projected remaining battery runtime. More advanced monitors of the type can also rely on the data it receives to offer critical information on the battery''s performance and health.
Without further ado, let''s dive right into this delicious list of RV battery monitor reviews. Here are 10 reasonably priced battery monitoring systemsthat are accurate, easy to install, easy to read and use, and will last you a long time down the open road.
If you don''t know what you need to look for yet, skip to the next section to learn the most important specifications and buying criteria first. This will make comparing different models easier.
If you are willing to spend a bit more money to get the absolute best RV battery monitor out there that allows you to closely keep an eye on how your house battery is doing, especially if you own a large, expensive battery bank, the Victron BMV-712 will be the best bet. It offers everything you would ever need for monitoring battery health and maximizing battery lifespan.
There are so many things to love about this well rounded battery monitor. Firstly, one thing I love about this unit is that in addition to battery voltage and current, it also shows the amp hours used, which are very crucial during off-grid trips since your RV will not be connected to any electrical hookups.
In addition to the above three basic display options, the Victron BMV-712 series also displays state of charge, how fast the battery is charging, remaining time at the current rate of discharge, and power consumption in Watts. This is useful information that will help you manage and adjust your power usage so that you can prevent over-depleting your battery bank, especially when coupled with the programmable relay function, which allows you to turn off non critical loads or to run a generator when needed.
This selection of information can also help you notice patterns and anything out of the ordinary with your battery as well as your electrical system, especially when coupled with this monitor''s capacity for storing historical data.
A handy feature for remote monitoring of your battery around the clock is Bluetooth connectivity, so that you can check how your battery is doing on Apple or Android smartphones, tablets, macbooks, and other devices.
Another feature that contributes to the Victron BMV-712''s reputation as the best RV power monitoring system for large battery setup is midpoint voltage monitoring. When batteries are connected in series, one bad cell or one bad battery can destroy a large, expensive battery bank. To prevent this, the monitor measures the midpoint voltage to timely detect a bad cell or bad battery and will flash you a timely warning on your smartphone.
In addition to its various readings and useful features, this battery monitor is also extremely easy to install and easy to use. Everything you need is included in the kit, including a high quality 500A shunt and all the necessary fuses and cables. Just connect the shunt to your battery bank, mount it nearby and run the included wire from there to the monitor. You can program visual and audible alarms to your liking. A quick install menu and a detailed setup menu with scrolling texts will help you easily go through the various settings.
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