The speed of the 12 volt battery drainage will depend on the climate and how often it is used.  The 12V house battery supplies power to the fridge, house lights, water pump, water heater, stove ignition for electric hobs and USB ports, if fitted. It also supplies power to the LCD screen, DVD player, rangehood and toilet flush system for campers that have them. 

Some of our vehicles have solar panel backup, which helps restore the living area battery when parked, but can’t keep up if everything is operating. 

Although the house battery receives a trickle charge while driving, it is not sufficient to fully charge it. It is important that you book into a campground on your first night so you can plug into 240 volt power to fully charge your house battery. Then plug into a 240 volt campsite every two or so nights, for around 14 to 16 hours to fully charge the house battery and avoid it getting too low. Remember, the harder your battery works, the quicker it will drain. So, turn off any appliances you aren’t using.

The house battery is a deep cycle battery, separate to the vehicle engine battery. So, if you flatten the battery completely in the living area it will not affect the driving battery, however you will need to plug the vehicle into 240V mains power for the battery to fully recharge.