09/06/10

Battery types:

There are different battery types for very different purposes. In this article we will be referring to the "chassis" battery and the "coach" battery.
A "chassis" battery starts the engine and runs the automotive systems in either the motor home or the tow vehicle. A "coach" battery powers the lights, furnace, water pump and other 12 volt devices in the coach.

Engine Starting battery - this type of battery is constructed to supply a high amount of current in a short amount of time, as when starting a cold engine, and then it is recharged immediately by the engine alternator. The internal plates are thin to allow more contact area with the acid solution. This allows a great amount of chemical reaction to take place in a short period of time. The starting battery does it's job very well but will perform poorly as a coach battery.

Marine Battery - this type of battery is constructed in a similar way as the starting battery but the internal plates have more support built in to withstand the pounding of a boat going over rough seas. This battery is required to provide high current to start the boat engine, so it is essentially a beefed up starting battery.

Deep cycle/RV battery - this type of battery is built to supply relatively smaller amounts of current for relatively long periods of time without being recharged immediately. The internal plates are thick and robust to supply this continuing current but the power is distributed over a longer time span. A deep cycle battery will require a longer recharge time at a lower current level to be fully and safely recharged.

More on connecting multiple batteries in the next weekly tip!