Do you want to have a bad time while camping? Of course not! It’s tough to deal with a dead RV battery while you’re with your family or friends, having some quality time. It just ruins the mood, doesn’t it?
So, you might ask, Can I jump an RV battery with my car? Is there any way to fix this problem quickly?
Well, that depends. The main factors are the engine and battery you’re dealing with.
We tried to cover all the related aspects to give you an overall understanding of how to solve this problem.
Stay with us to learn more!
Table of Contents
Can I Jump An RV Battery With My Car? [Yes/No]
The answer entirely depends on your car type and the size of your car engine. Besides, you need to have previous experience with jump-starting any car.
Therefore, if your car’s engine is small, then don’t even try to jump an RV battery. It will create nothing but a complete disaster. So, the question might arise, how do we know what car or engine to use?
Well, let’s make things clear. For example, your RVs’ engine is a 7.3L V8 with 350 hp. So, the car you’re using to jump should be at that minimum level or closer around.
The car’s engine must be large enough and have enough power to jump-start an RV battery. And usually, only RVs and big trucks have that kind of big engine.
But more importantly, you need to figure out what type of batteries you are dealing with.
Jump-starting your battery might affect your car or engine long-term. There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind.
Things To Keep In Mind Before Jump-Starting An Rv Battery
Not knowing how to jump-start an RV battery properly might damage your car. And this could also be a reason for getting injured as well.
Here is a list of a few things you should know before jump-starting an RV battery with your car.
- Are you familiar with the positive and negative terminals of the batteries? If not, then don’t even try to jump-start the RV battery.
- One of the most common issues is when your car can’t provide enough power for your RV. If you are using a vehicle with a small engine or low energy, likely, RV won’t get enough power to start.
- This sudden power drop might damage your car’s engine or many other components. Besides, sudden energy surges could also create electric shorts in the engine area. So, be careful about that.
- There is also long-term damage that might cause to the battery. For example, a few weeks later, you might notice that the battery is not charging correctly or providing the energy to the car properly.
In some cases, the battery could permanently get damaged, and you might need to replace the battery with a new one.
Ways to Jump An RV Battery With A Car
Of course, we don’t want to sit around and wait long to ruin our holiday, right? We need to start to jump the battery ASAP.
Let’s cut it to the chase. You need three things to jumpstart your RV battery.
- Any RV/ Big Truck.
- Drip Charging.
- Battery Jumpers.
Let’s go through them one by one to get an overall idea.
RV/Big Truck
We need a big truck or RV because of the necessary power to jump-start the battery. Trucks or RVs with 300 or more horsepower can quickly jump-start an RV battery.
Here is a list of big trucks to give you an idea of what type of trucks we are talking about. Trucks with more than 300 hp (or around) are considered to do the job, such as Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra, etc.
On the other hand, RVs with a similar engine power match the RV you’re trying to jump-start. Never try to start-jump an RVs battery car with small engines.
As for the time, it might take a minimum of 10 hours to charge those batteries completely. But in some cases, it might take 40 hours as well.
Drip Charging
Well, in most cases, RVs have a drip charging option. All you need to do is find a wall socket and plug it in. when your battery is running dry, you can just charge it back up.
Don’t let your battery sleep drained for several days. Otherwise, it can completely drain and harm the effectiveness of the battery. Before jump-starting the car, give it some power. Otherwise, the process won’t work.
Battery Jumpers
If you’re doing a lot of RV maintenance, you might already have battery jumpers. Some general and specialized jumpers exist for different categories of RVs and other vehicles.
You will find different types of jumpers with lower and higher voltages in the market. As you’re dealing with big trucks and RVs, you must deal with big jumpers.
And, of course, deal with them effectively and efficiently. But experts don’t usually suggest using the jumper cables if not necessary.
If you want to know more about jumper cable, you can start here "Can I Use Jumper Cables for the Inverter?"
Alternative Ways You Can Jump An RV Battery
Well, if you’re running out of the options we mentioned before, there are other ways.
Jump Starters
Jump starters are a way better option than jumper cables. There are many options in the market for your specific kind or type of RVs. They are all specified for the particular sort of RV engine.
The most important thing you will get out of it is that it will never damage your engine or the battery. It’s a good idea to get a portable one.
Check the Portable Power Station from Amazon.
House Batteries
Well, you just need two things. Battery isolator and the batteries you’re going to use. You can quickly turn it into one using the on and off switch and connect it.
But be careful because hitting the wrong switch might damage the engine or the batteries.
FAQs
Can You Use Jumper Cables On An Rv Battery?
Yes, you can use jumper cables on an RV battery. You will find specific types of jumper cables for your particular RV. But using the jump starters are more convenient way.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Dead RV Battery?
It usually takes a minimum of 10 hours to charge a dead RV battery. But that also depends on the engine size and battery. If your RV has a big battery and engine, it might take almost 40 hours to charge.
Should I Disconnect My Rv Battery When Plugged In?
No, there is no need to disconnect the battery. But you should disconnect when your engine is overheating, or the system is cooling down.
Conclusion
We hope you got your answer to this post. We tried to cover almost everything around this topic if you can or can’t jump an RV battery with a car.
You should be aware of a few things before jumping the RV battery. Besides, there are a few ways to do so, with some alternative methods. Try what best suits you and your situation.
Good luck!