🔋 Lead-Acid to AGM Swap – What This Looks Like in the Real World Here’s a perfect example of the kind of battery work RV owners eventually run into. In this case, I swapped out a set of worn, leaking lead-acid batteries and replaced them with fresh AGMs. Nothing fancy — just solid technician steps, safety, and good habits. Below are the general steps I followed, and these are the same habits I want YOU to start building. ✔️ 1. Take Pictures Before Touching Anything This is the very first thing you should do on any battery job. - Take pictures of every cable. - Take pictures from multiple angles. - Get close-up shots of each terminal. Why? Because batteries must be hooked back up EXACTLY the way they came off. If you miss one jumper or reverse one cable, you can blow fuses, fry inverters, damage the chassis electronics, or worse. Pictures are your insurance. ✔️ 2. Disconnect Power Safely Before removing batteries: - Turn OFF the battery disconnects. - Make sure the inverter/charger is off. - Unplug shore power. - Turn the generator off. Then disconnect in this order: Negative (–) first → then Positive (+). Reconnecting is the opposite: Positive first → then Negative. This reduces the chance of accidental arcing. ✔️ 3. Remove the Old Lead-Acid Batteries As you saw in the photos, the old bank was: - Leaking - Corroded - Off-gassing - Eating into the metal tray and nearby surfaces Lead-acid batteries do this over time — especially in RVs that see a lot of heat or sit too long without proper charging. I removed each battery carefully and kept all jumpers laid out in the exact order they came off. ✔️ 4. Clean and Neutralize the Tray Anytime there’s corrosion or battery acid damage, you want to clean it up before installing new batteries. I did a light touch-up here: - Vacuumed loose debris - Neutralized acid residue with baking-soda solution - Cleaned battery cables and lugs - Wire-brushed any corrosion - Dried everything before reinstalling