Our trailer battery recently made the decision that it needed to be changed while we were out camping.

The battery came from our last camper and was roughly 5 years old.

So we went to the neighborhood auto parts shop after grabbing the battery.

Once there, we obtained two cables—one positive and one negative—to join the two batteries as well as two fresh batteries.

In the video below, we temporarily install two batteries while camping with the intention of later building a second battery box for the second battery.

Upgrading to Dual Batteries at the Campground a Temporary Setup – Diy RV and Home

Now that we are back at the home, I am finishing up the second battery installation and second battery box installation.

Due to the space that was available where the batteries were to be mounted, certain changes to the battery boxes were required.

For a thorough setup, see the video below.

Adding Dual Batteries to our Coleman 202RD Travel Trailer – Diy RV and Home

NOTE: The batteries were connected by running jumper wires from the second battery to the first battery, then connecting the positive and negative lines to the first battery.

Now there won’t be any issues if just a little load is placed on the batteries; the voltage will discharge at the same pace.

However, a friend and participant in our facebook group Campers Life did suggest that a better approach to connect the batteries would be to attach the positive line from the trailer to one battery and the negative cable to the second battery’s negative post.

This will enable both batteries to be discharged at the same pace under large loads, which is a brilliant suggestion.

I’ll rewire the batteries in that fashion in a future video.

When I finish the improvement, I’ll release a new video.

Adding Second Battery To RV Videos Suggestions From Youtube

Add a 2nd RV Battery – I’m not Chuck.
Step by Step Guide On How to Install a 2nd Battery to Your Camper – Stoney Creek Sparkchaser
How to install Dual 12 Volt RV Lithium Batteries | The Savvy Campers – The Savvy Campers
12-Volt Dual Battery Setup | Pete’s RV Quick Tips (CC) – petesrv

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Written by Bob Matsuoka
Bob Matsuoka is a blogger and founder of RVing Beginner blog. He has been blogging for over five years, writing about his own family’s RV adventures, tips for people who are interested in buying an RV or taking their family on an adventure by RV.