Okay, So you always hear people talking about marine batteries for their teardrop trailer. Some people don't think it really matters, and others don't have much of an opinion on it. Well I have done quite a bit of surfing online and think I may have finally found the answer. Now to avoid becoming a plagerist I must admit my resources. The following is a quote from the globe and mail published in 2012. I could just give you the link and you can read it yourself, But I have a few thoughts as well. I've also sifted through the article to give you just the highlights. Okay ready? "A car battery is primarily designed to provide a large amount of current to get an engine started, and that's pretty much it. Once started,the battery just sits there being fed by the charging system to supply it with the energy that was lost during the starting (cranking) process...this is why they are called cranking batteries or engine start batteries.
They can pump out large amounts of energy or current or amperes very quickly - but only for a short time. They supply little if any energy once the engine is running". Hmm, Maybe I should renew my subscription to globe and Mail... Okay great, one down. Now what about the Marine Battery ? According to the same article: a Marine battery is designed for a couple of purposes - some call it a hybrid - a cross between a cranking and a "house" battery.House batteries are used extensively in recreational vehicles of all types and are not expected to supply large amounts of cranking energy. However, they are capable of supplying energy (or discharging) over very long periods of time. Not only are marine batteries expected to crank over an engine, they are also required to supply energy for lighting, pumps, sound systems and anything else that might be essential for comfort or safety while out on the water. As might be expected, these batteries can supply a combination of large amounts of cranking energy followed by a continuous supply of energy to keep accessories running". Now for the technical part: The marine battery is capable of doing continuous supply "through different construction techniques.As car and marine batteries are both categorized as"flood-acid batteries", that is, the internal components are immersed in a solution of sulphuric acid and water called electrolyte, the easiest and cheapest parts to modify are the sets of energy storing plates that are immersed in the electrolyte. Marine battery plates are thicker than conventional batteries. This is one of the contributing factors to the increased cost of a marine battery". So there you have it. First of all your teardrop trailer will never have to crank over, but there is a probability if you don't have a constant source charging it like a solar panel or a battery charger, you have a good chance of having your battery go dead. If marine battery plates are thicker than conventional batteries, then I would think you would be better off with a marine battery vs a car battery. Why ? Well according to Yahoo, ( Avoiding plagerism again ) "Deep cycle" means it's kinda built to tolerate being discharged to nearly dead.
No lead/acid battery really benefits from that kind of behavior. They all create sulfates that clog the battery plates as they discharge". A Starting battery is fully charged at 12.6 volts. A Deep Cycle Battery is fully charged at 14 volts. I hope this helps anyone when deciding what battery to buy for their Teardrop trailer, oh yeah, one more thing... "Contrary to popular belief, batteries will NOT discharge through a concrete floor. Putting a battery on a piece of wood simply insulates the bottom of the battery from the cold". Don't believe me ? Take it up with the globe and mail. It's their quote...