How can you know which battery is best for your vehicle? Here you will find some tips that will help you make the right choice.
Check your vehicle’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendations:
Battery size – the size of the battery that best fits the available space of your vehicle. In many vehicles, more than one battery size can be mounted.
Cold Start Intensity– The intensity of cold start is fundamental to have a good starting capacity. This is the number of Amps that a battery can deliver at 0° F for 30 seconds.
Capacity (Ah)– It helps to power the electrical system of your vehicle if the alternator fails. It indicates how many minutes the battery can supply enough power without falling below the minimum voltage necessary to operate your vehicle.
In general, both for cold start intensity and capacity, the higher this value is, the better. However, if you live in a place with cold weather, the intensity of cold start is a very important aspect when choosing a battery. On the other hand, if you live in a place with a warm climate, you will not need as much cold-starting power.
If you are looking for a deep cycle RV battery for nautical or off-road applications, you should also consider the following:
- The type of equipment that should be fed
- The number of amps needed to operate the equipment
- The number of hours that the equipment will use
Multiply the amps by the hours to determine the number of amp-hours (Ah) you will need.
Current consumption of the equipment (amps) x Time (hours) = Ah
Example: Fishing boat
Lights 10x 5 = 50
Electric motor 1 x 5 = 5
Fish Finder 3 x 5 = 15
Radio 1 x 5 = 5
Total = 75 AH *
* Look for a battery that provides the necessary amount of Ah for the time and working voltage of the system.
To have a safety margin, increase the number of Ah by 20%
