What's with the rv lithium battery? Are they really more expensive? Are they better than lead-acid batteries? Let's break down the advantages and disadvantages of RV lithium batteries to see if they are worth considering, or whether they are just a shiny new RV technology fashion that can be abandoned.

Lead-acid batteries are still the first choice for cars and RVs. Most RV enthusiasts still prefer them. They rely on cheap components, so it is a relatively cheap battery. If used properly, they have been proven to be reliable, safe, and effective.

Lead-acid batteries contain plates, one covered with lead dioxide and the other made of sponge lead. They are saturated or immersed in water and sulfuric acid solutions. The diaphragm is used to allow electrolytes and ions to flow through it without bringing the two metals into contact with the battery. When the chemical reaction no longer produces enough energy, the process can be reversed by adding an electric current, thus restoring the chemical to its original state. This makes them effective power and storage devices.

Two types of lead-acid batteries are usually used in RVs. Starting the battery can quickly provide a large amount of power. The power released by the deep cycle battery is lower for a long time. The deep cycle battery has a thicker plate in the battery. They can withstand discharge to a lower percentage and charge more frequently without damage than the startup battery. That's why deep-cycle batteries are most common in RVs.

Lithium batteries work the same way as lead-acid batteries, but with different metals. There are many different types of lithium-based batteries for different applications. The type you are most likely to find in the RV lithium battery is lithium iron phosphate, which is written as LiFePO4.

In all lithium-based batteries, the cathode or positive electrode of the battery is made of some kind of lithium-based metal oxide, and the negative electrode or anode is usually made of graphite. There is a partition between them to prevent metal contact and use organic compounds as electrolytes.

RV lithium batteries have several advantages over lead-acid batteries, one of which is their fast charging rate. Lithium batteries charge much faster than lead-acid batteries.

This is partly because they are more efficient, but also because they can be recharged at higher amperes. An ampere is a measure of electrical speed. Basically, electricity can be pushed into the battery faster, thus speeding up the charging speed.

If you want a more detailed description of volts, amperes, and watts, you may need to check out our article on how to run an RV at 30 amperes.

Faster charging rates make RV lithium batteries an attractive investment for people who like dry camps. They tend to be more suitable for solar energy, and faster charging time may lead to shorter charging times for generators. So if you like camping outside the grid, they are definitely Cadillac batteries for the application.

Another feature that makes RV lithium batteries an excellent choice for clumsiness is their continuous discharge. When a lead-acid battery is used, its voltage decreases in proportion to its discharge state. In other words, lead-acid batteries should actually use only 50%. After using 50% of the battery, the voltage drops too much to use.

In contrast, RV lithium batteries can maintain their available voltage until 80 percent of the discharge. The result is more efficient and more durable batteries.

The energy density of a lithium battery is much higher than that of lead-acid batteries. This means that more energy can be stored in a smaller space. This also means that RV lithium batteries are much lighter than lead-acid batteries with the same rated power. Considering that the materials used to build lithium batteries are inherently lighter.