How To Choose a Lithium Battery for RVs, Campers & Vans

Are you looking to replace your batteries in your RV, Camper or Van? Building a new van? Or considering an upgrade to lithium? Here’s a simple guide to what type of battery you need, how to choose the right size battery bank, and how much solar power you would need to be self sufficient and go fully off grid.

What type of battery do I need for my RV?

RVs, Campers, and Vans have two types of batteries. One is a automotive/starter battery that is used to start the engine. The other is a deep cycle battery, also called a house battery, that is used to power your electronics. Your solar panels, if you have them, re-charge your deep cycle / house batteries but do not directly power your electronics. The house batteries are your power source, the rest of your electrical system either gets power to your batteries (charging) or pulls power out (discharging) to run your fridge, lights, etc.

Most RV and Vanlife electronics will operate with any deep cycle 12-volt marine battery. Most stock RVs come with lead acid batteries because they are cheap, and if you are doing a Van build or an RV build it might be tempting to buy a lead acid battery (also called AGM or SLA) because they are low cost and widely available at any auto parts store. But for the longest run time, most efficient use of solar power, longest lifespan, and greatest reliability and best piece of mind we recommend lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries.

What Size Battery Do I Need?

The size of the electronics you are powering determines the size of the battery you need. Physically a Dakota Lithium 12V 100Ah battery and a DL+ 12V 315Ah battery are the same size and will both fit in the compartment that holds your current house battery.

Here’s a simple guide to what lithium battery is the best for your vehicle.

Size of RV / Van  |  What Your Looking to Power  |  Recommended Battery | 

10′-14 ft	Lights, radio, electronics (laptop, cell phones, etc.), small fan	DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1
10′-14 ft	Lights, radio, electric cooler, tools, fans, electronics	DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1
15′-20 ft	Lights, radio, stove, electric cooler/small fridge, electronics, fans	1x DL+ 135Ah or 2x DL 100 Ah or 1x DL 200 Ah or 1x DL+ 315 Ah
21′-30 ft	Lights, radio, stove, lg. electric cooler/small fridge, small tv, electronics, fans	1x DL+ 315 Ah or 2x DL 100 Ah or 1x DL 200 Ah
31′-40 ft	Lights, radio, stove, medium fridge, large TV, electronics, large fans	1x DL+ 315Ah or 2-4x DL 100 Ah or 2x DL 200 Ah
40’+ ft	Lights, radio, stove & oven, fridge, TV, electronics, air conditioning	2x DL+ 315 Ah, or 3-5x DL 200 Ah or 1x DL+ 560 Ah

What Size Solar Panels Do I Need?

Dakota Lithium batteries are the best choice if you are considering adding solar panels to your RV, Van, or trailer because they have the highest efficiency rating for solar power. That means you get more power from each solar panel, and can use more of the power you collect. A deep dive on solar power efficiency is here.

Here’s a size chart for what solar panels you need by size of RV & how many Dakota Lithium batteries you have.

Size of RV  |  # of Batteries  |  Recommended Solar Panel Capacity

10′-14′	DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1	100 watts of solar (100 watts x 1)
15′-20′	DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1	100 – 200 watts of solar (100 watts x 1 or 2)
21′-30′	2x DL+ 135Ah or 1x DL 200 Ah or 1x DL+ 315 Ah	200 watts of solar (100 watts x 2)
31′-40′	2x DL+ 135Ah or 1x DL+ 315Ah	400 watts of solar (100 watts x 4)
40’+	2x DL+ 280 Ah, or 1x DL+ 560 Ah	600 watts of solar (100 watts X 6)

 

One thing to note, rooftop solar on RVs and vans tends to have multiple solar panels instead of a single big solar panel. This is because the roof top of a van or RV tend to have vents, like a kitchen vent, or an air conditioner, or a fan or roof vent that make it hard to install a single large panel. To better use the rooftop space consider connecting a number of smaller, 100 watt panels together. This will achieve a higher solar panel capacity. Multiple solar panels also offer redundancy. When there is one glass panel if it shatters you are out of power. Whereas with with multiple panels if one fails you still have solar capacity left.

What Electrical System Upgrades do You Recommend?

Living the dream unshackled from shore power is magical: you have the freedom to go anywhere, and live life on your own terms. Here’s a few upgrades we recommend to build your dream off-the-grid home on wheels.

• Our #1 recommendation for anyone looking to make the lithium upgrade is to make sure that you will be charging your batteries with a lithium compatible charger – it increases performance and saves you time. Dakota Lithium batteries like to be charged at 14.4 volts, which is higher than lead acid. This means that traditional chargers, for shore power, or from solar panels, will work but they will not full charge lithium batteries. For charging off shore power while at home or at RV parks each Dakota Lithium battery will come with a free wall charger that you can plug into any wall socket (or extension cord). For charging via solar panels see if your solar charge controller has a lithium setting (many new ones do) or use a solar charge controller like the Victron Smart Solar MPPT charge controller. Or charge your batteries using the electricity produced by your engine’s alternator using a Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger (more on this in a moment).
• If building a new van, truck, trailer, or RV you will need a way to plug in your household electronics. For that you will need an inverter, like the Victron Phoenix 1200 watt inverter (for small & mid sized RVs) or the Victron Multiplus (for large RVs and Skoolie’s). An inverter allows you to use 12V Dakota Lithium batteries to power household electronics that require 120V AC (the wall plug in your home). Rated at 1200 watts this professional grade Victron inverter takes DC power (the power that comes from batteries or solar panels) and transforms it into AC power. 1200 watts is the perfect size for small to mid sized boats, Sprinter or camper vans, RVs, job sites for charging power tools, or other off grid applications where you need plug and play power. 1200 watts is a good size to run a medium sized TV, stereo, small kitchen appliances, computers, or other home electronics. If your RV or trailer came with wall plugs then an inverter is already built into your system, and that is compatible with Dakota Lithium batteries.
• If you are looking to spend a lot of time on the road then we recommendation the Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger which allows you to charge your deep cycle Dakota Lithium batteries using the alternator in your van, boat, or RV’s engine. The Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger is a professional DC to DC adaptive 3-stage charger with built-in Bluetooth. For use in dual battery systems in vehicles or on boats where the alternator and the starter battery are used to charge the service battery (aka house or deep cycle battery). The unit can be monitored and programmed via Bluetooth and can be remotely controlled via a remote on/off switch. The Orion Tr-Smart charger can be used in 12V systems and is suitable for both lead acid and lithium batteries.
• For battery monitoring our favorite solution is the Victron Smart Shunt 500A/50MV Battery Monitor. It allows you to monitor the performance of your system using the Victron app on your phone. Provides real time data on the performance of your system, including how much energy has gone into your batteries from your solar panels and/or from your engine’s alternator, how much energy you are currently using, and how much power you have left in your batteries. Using a battery monitor provides piece of mind, helping you make decisions on when to camp and for how long. It also provides a overview of the performance of your electrical system, which can be helpful if you or a friend need to troubleshoot problems on the road.