What happens to a fully discharged battery?

Once a car battery has been drained below a state of full discharge, the damage has been done. If this is the first time that it has been discharged, you should be able to fully charge the battery and continue using it, but every time it is discharged below that threshold of 10.5 volts, the damage is done.

How do you tell if battery is fully charged?

A fully charged battery will typically display a voltmeter reading of about 12.6 to 12.8 volts. If your voltmeter is showing a voltage anywhere between 12.4 and 12.8, that means your battery is in good shape. Any voltage above 12.9 volts is a good indicator that your battery has excessive voltage.

How long should a car battery stay charged?

Most car batteries which are in good condition will last at least two weeks without needing you to start the car and drive to recharge it, according to the AA. But if you don’t intend to drive your car for some time for whatever reason, you should still start it up once a week to recharge the 12V battery.

What does the green light on a battery mean?

Typically a light green dot indicates a fully charged battery. The electrolyte solution is close to 1.265, a solution that is heavier than water (1.0).

What causes a battery in a camper to die?

Camper batteries can die for many reasons, these being age, overcharging, undercharging, too much device draw, parasitic loads, or not enough amp hours. Taking care of your batteries is the first step to prevent them from dying. The number one takeaway is to never let a Lead Acid battery drop below 50% state of charge.

What kind of batteries do you need for camping?

Charging of two laptops, two phones, two tablets and camera equipment (the camera situation is unknown at the moment, but will probably be something like a GoPro and a 360° camera) We don’t expect we’ll be driving every day so we will need solar panels to charge the batteries

How does a deep cycle battery get charged?

Your deep-cycle battery can be charged by being hooked up to the start battery in your car, which is charged up by the alternator when you’re driving.

What’s the state of charge on a 12V battery?

Your 12V batteries have a state of charge; when they are completely full they are at 100%, and when they are dead as a doornail, they are at 0%. This is where many people go wrong. For most deep cycle batteries, if you want them to last a long time, you should never go below 50% state of charge. Say what?!

What’s the best battery for boondocking or dry camping?

One of the best RV batteries for short-term boondockers is this one: Optima Batteries 8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery (12 Volt) This is a long-lasting 12-Volt RV battery that will fit boats, other small vehicles, and is great for short camping trips.

What’s the state of charge on an RV battery?

Note: An 80% state of charge for a 12-volt battery is 12.5 volts. An 80% state of charge for a 6-volt battery is 6.25 volts. There are basically three ways to test the condition of your RV batteries. 1) You can use the monitor panel in the RV.

What makes a RV battery last so long?

A battery discharged to 50% everyday will last twice as long as a battery cycled down to 20% everyday. RVs have parasitic loads that can discharge a battery over time. Some but not all of these loads are LP gas leak detectors, the TV antenna power booster, clocks, stereos and appliance circuit boards.