How to Charge Your RV Battery

Everything in an RV, including the lights and the appliances, is operational only through a charged RV battery. You may have to charge the battery a few times if you take your RV out on a regular basis. If you know how to charge your RV battery, you can be sure you’ll have the power to enjoy all the perks of your recreational vehicle.

Steps

1Turn off your RV and make sure you set the emergency brake. This will prevent unintentional injury.

2Locate the RV battery. You could have more than one battery, depending on the size of your RV. The battery location can vary from one RV model to the next.

3Remove the battery cables from the battery using a wrench. Wear heavy gloves when removing the cables and always remove the black cable (the negative side) first before removing the red cable (positive side).X

4Clean the connections on the battery from any corrosive substance.XMix 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 milliliters) baking soda with enough water to make a paste.

Apply the paste to the connections on the battery.

Use a wire brush to scrub off the corrosive material.

Wipe the paste off with clean water and a rag.

Apply petroleum jelly to the terminals to prevent further corrosion.X

5Open the fill cap on the top of the battery to see whether the distilled water level is low. If it is low, pour distilled water into the battery using a funnel. Fill up to the fill line.X

6Attach the RV battery charger to the battery. Connect the positive side to the red connection first and then attach the negative side of the battery with the black connection or clamp the black connection to a metal piece to ground it.X