Roadhawk RV Battery Review: Are Roadhawk Batteries Any Good?
Unknown may be cheaper, but it is not always the best deal around town. You can save a lot of money buying unknown battery brands and come up with a real gem of a battery. But then, you may also come up with a battery that is best used to weight something down when you want to toss something into the lake.
Are Roadhawk batteries any good? Roadhawk batteries may be but there seem to be known under their brand name, Deka. The same people who make or import Deka batteries are the ones behind the old Roadhawk series. As to how good they are classified as a deep cycle AGM battery that does more than most batteries will.
To learn more about this battery brand and what it is doing in your RV just continue to read our article. It has the information you are looking for as sometimes it is hard to find information about unknown battery brands on the internet.
Roadhawk Batteries 101
What Type of Battery is a Roadhawk Predator RV Battery?
This battery is called a deep cycle AGM model and the AGM stands for absorbent glass mat. If you have not heard of that term before this is a process where the electrolytes are absorbed into a fiberglass mat.
It is a lead-acid battery model as well and it should provide you with a longer blast of power when you are starting your engine. Also, this brand of battery is designed to need little maintenance. Even though less maintenance is required, the battery will not have a shorter lifespan.
With proper maintenance though, the battery should last you a long time and there are certain things you can do to help it survive the trials and tribulations of RV life. Like anything else proper care makes this and everything else lasts longer.
Predator RV Battery Specs
Some of the listed specs include 23 amps, CCA 500, MCA 615, DC24, and 150 minutes. The DC24 means group 24 and is the specific design for post configuration and physical size. Then CCA stands for cold cranking amps which are measured at degrees F over a 30-second time frame.
Then if you want to put this battery on a boat, you have the MCA figure which stands for marine cranking amps which is measured at 32 degrees F for 30 seconds. The 23 amp 150-minute figures tell you that the battery is rated to give you 23 amps for 150 minutes
That information should tell you that there is enough starting power in the battery whether you use it for your RV or boat. The battery sounds like a good deal so make sure to do some comparisons to make sure it is on the same level as popular brands.
Roadhawk Deep Cycle Battery
The unique aspect of this design is that the battery uses thicker plates that help it withstand repeated charging cycles. In other words, the power should be there and you should not be let down when you need starting power at that moment.
If you are going to pair it up with another battery it is best to make sure that the two batteries are the same. If you do not do this and mix them up the different capacities may cause you some trouble. That is when it comes to charging and discharging tasks.
You may experience premature failure if you do not have two Roadhawk deep cycle batteries that have the same specs. Keep in mind that battery brands are like car brands. There are a lot of similarities but one person will prefer one brand over another and so on. The same goes for batteries.
Are Roadhawk Batteries Any Good?
The specs are there for it to be a good battery but proof is in the pudding as they say. Your experience with this brand may be ideal and very good. If you or others like the battery brand then they will say nothing but good things about it.
On the other hand, if the owners had a bad experience then they will say nothing but negative things. If you take care of the battery and do not over-charge it, then you should get some long life out of the unit.
If you do not take care of it, then chances are the battery won’t last and you will be in the negative category. Overall, people have said some very nice things about this battery option and it can be a great one for you to use.
What bothers people is that no one knows much about the battery, who makes it, and so on.
Roadhawk RV Battery Reviews
There are both positive and negative reviews about this brand of battery. A few people have commented that this brand of battery belongs in the cheapest category both in parts and costs.
Their exact words were ‘the product of the ’lowest bidder’. other people have echoed that sentiment as they let others know that dealers always go for the lowest cost item when installing anything in RVs and trailers. There have not been any reviews where owners have heaped lavish praise on this model of batteries. Their words are more tactful and realistic.
One person did mention that if there is a CCA rating then it is not a true deep cycle battery.
Roadhawk RV Battery Warranty
As it turns out there is no real warranty information provided. You may have to contact camping World as these batteries are re-branded Deka batteries produced by East Penn. Whatever warranty Camping World places on the battery will be what you get.
We checked the camping World website and did not see any specific warranty information. There is talk on their website that there are a 30-day and a 90-day return period on unused items but they do not talk specifically about their battery products Unless we missed it.
Call Camping World or send them an e-mail to get specific information on how much and what type of coverage you have when you buy one of their batteries.
Roadhawk RV Battery Price
Since these batteries are re-branded and sent to camping World for retail sale, all you have to do is look on their website to get the most current price they have on their batteries. We only looked on the first page and they have 4 Group 24 options and they range in price from about $150 to just over $300.
There is a group 27 option that retails for $362 approx. But like anything else those prices can change without notice. They are reasonably priced and depending on the type you want you can probably save when you show them your Good Sam membership card.
Camping World and Good Sam seem to be partners in this operation and it is worth checking out if you have a membership card. You may get a better warranty deal as well.
Predator RV Battery Amp Hours
According to Camping World’s website, the battery seems to enjoy a 20-hour cap and the figure looks like this: 20 HR CAP: 79. There is also a mention of 150 minutes in the specs and that may play a part in how much power time you actually get.
We did check the specs section at camping world’s website but no mention of the battery amp-hours was listed there. The best thing to do is talk to an owner who has a little battery background in order to get any more specific information.
Just in case you read some of the discussion forums, some people have claimed not to have found the Roadhawk Battery on their site. They are there and we have seen several of that brand of battery on their web pages.
RV Battery Maintenance
While higher temperatures will increase battery storage capacity, it will also shorten the lifespan of the battery itself. You want to regulate the temperatures around your batteries to make sure the area doesn't get too hot.
Another issue you have to watch out for is Sulfation which is sulfate crystals forming around the lead plates. This occurs over time as the battery goes through its different duties. This issue increases if you over or under-charge the battery.
Also, storage in a discharged state and letting the electrolyte levels drop below the top of the lead plates. Maintaining the battery properly will help keep it in top shape and last a long time, even if it is a Roadhawk model.
Some Final Words
There are actually about 4 battery-making companies in America. If you have an unknown brand, chances are it is simply a re-branded model from another company that actually makes batteries.
The Roadhawk is a re-brand of the Deka series at East Penn and the battery may be as good as that one. At least it is not being made in China where anything goes.
