Which battery is the KTS200 connected to, can the starter battery be used?
The system runs on 12V DC and must be connected to the caravan's house (deep cycle) battery. A starter battery is designed to deliver high current for a short time; it is not suitable for repeated, sustained loads such as levelling, and on a motorhome flattening the starter battery creates the risk of not being able to start the vehicle.
Battery choice matters for two reasons.
First, the difference in chemistry: A starter battery is built not with thick plates but with thin, large-surface plates; its purpose is to deliver high current within seconds. It is not resistant to repeated discharge. House / deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, are designed to be discharged and recharged many times.
Second, safety: Using the starter battery for levelling on a motorhome can mean not being able to start the vehicle at the end of the camp. On a towed caravan, the tow vehicle's battery should not be used in any case.
When planning the connection:
- Connect the GRV485 to the house battery with a run that is as short and of suitable cross-section as possible. A long run creates voltage drop and the jacks slow down.
- The house battery must be fully charged at the moment of levelling; with a weak battery the jacks move incompletely or do not rise at all.
- On lead-acid/AGM batteries it is widely accepted to limit the depth of discharge to about 50% in order to preserve life.
For detailed cabling and protection design, consult the company that installed your RV's electrical system.
Full coverage of the topic: Guide to automatic RV levelling