Start with the measured installation space. Dakota Lithium’s 100Ah model has a smaller case and includes heating. Battle Born’s BB10012 offers a longer published surge duration; its heated counterpart is the BB10012H.
A Group 24 or Group 27/31 reference is a starting point for comparison, not a fit guarantee. Check terminals, cables, restraint and lid clearance as well as the case dimensions. Confirm the temperature limits for the supplied model; the documentation conflicts discussed below still need resolving.
Dakota Lithium 100Ah Heated
12V 100Ah Deep Cycle Heated
Group 24, heating built in, eleven-year warranty. Smaller and cheaper.
$$$$
Check price at Dakota Lithium(opens in a new tab)
Battle Born BB10012
BB10012
Group 27/31, longer surge, heating costs extra. Temperature limits need confirmation.
$$$$$
Check price at Battle Born Batteries(opens in a new tab)Specification by specification
| Specification | Dakota Lithium 100Ah Heated | Battle Born BB10012 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 100Ah | 100Ah |
| Continuous discharge Both 100A continuous DC; actual AC output depends on voltage and losses | 100A | 100A |
| Peak discharge Battle Born holds 200A for 30 seconds; Dakota for 10 | 200A for 10 seconds | 200A for 30 seconds Better |
| Max charge current Both 50A maximum; actual charge time depends on conditions | 50A | 50A |
| Internal heating Included as standard on Dakota; a separate model on Battle Born | Yes Better | No |
| Group size Reference sizes only; measure the enclosure and connection clearances | Group 24 | Replaces Group 27 and Group 31 |
| Dimensions | 10.24 x 6.65 x 8.66 in including terminals (8.46 in case height) | 12.76 x 6.86 x 8.95 in |
| Weight (lb) 27.6 lb against 31 lb | 27.6 Better | 31 |
| Cycle life Dakota quotes 5,000 to 80% capacity; Battle Born 3,000–5,000. Different tests | Up to 5,000 cycles to 80% capacity | 3,000–5,000 cycles |
| Warranty Eleven years to ten — both defect warranties, not capacity guarantees | 11 years Better | 10 years |
| Certifications Battle Born publishes a full certification list; Dakota does not | — | Cells UL 1642 and UN38.3; pack ETL listed to UL 62133-2 and UL 2054; IP65; Class 1 Division 2; CE Better |
| Price | $$$$ Better | $$$$$ |
The heating argument, which is the real difference
Dakota builds heating into the standard 100Ah battery. Battle Born sells it as the BB10012H, a separate and more expensive product. That is the single biggest practical gap between the two.
They also work differently, and the difference matters more than the marketing suggests.
Dakota’s earlier Even-Heat guidance describes warming the cells to 41°F before cold charging. Its current Group 24 product table confirms internal heating and low-temperature charge protection, but gives no separate cell-charge window or activation/restart temperatures. Confirm the instructions for the supplied model; its -4–140°F discharge range is not a charge range.
Battle Born’s element switches on at an internal temperature of about 35°F whenever the heat function is enabled, whether or not anything is charging.
Battle Born lists 28W in the BB10012/BB10012H manual. At that draw for a full 24 hours, the arithmetic is 672Wh, or about 52.5Ah at an illustrative 12.8V. This is a continuous-draw calculation, not a prediction for a particular night. Earlier daily-use examples are not retained here because their conditions could not be confirmed from the current linked datasheet. Budget for the actual heater runtime and check the installed system’s consumption.
The same manual conflicts on battery temperature limits. Its charging instructions specify 32–131°F; heating must bring the cells into their permitted window, rather than make charging cold cells acceptable.
Dakota does not publish an equivalent figure. That is not evidence its heater is worse — it is evidence you cannot plan around it the way you can with Battle Born’s. If you winter camp seriously, that is a real difference; the full treatment is in charging RV lithium batteries in cold weather.
| Model | Group size | Weight (lb) | Heating | Peak discharge | Warranty | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Lithium 100Ah Heated | Group 24 | 27.6 | Yes | 200A for 10 seconds | 11 years | $$$$ | Check price(opens in a new tab) |
| Battle Born BB10012 | Replaces Group 27 and Group 31 | 31 | No | 200A for 30 seconds | 10 years | $$$$$ | Check price(opens in a new tab) |
| Battle Born BB10012H | Replaces Group 27 and Group 31 | 31 | Yes | 200A for 30 seconds | 10 years | $$$$$ | Check price(opens in a new tab) |
The fitment argument, which usually decides it
The current Dakota Group 24 table lists 10.24 × 6.65 × 8.66 inches including terminals, at 27.6 lb. Its case alone is 8.46 inches high. Older listings give slightly different dimensions, so confirm the supplied version. Battle Born’s BB10012/BB10012H manual lists 12.76 × 6.86 × 8.95 inches, at 31 lb.
Top views of the published length × width, drawn at one shared scale. These rectangles are bounding envelopes, not terminal layouts or exact case contours.
Dakota Lithium 100Ah
Group 24 reference
8.66 in published height · 27.6 lb
Battle Born BB10012
Group 27/31 replacement
8.95 in published height · 31 lb
Battle Born’s envelope is 2.52 in longer and 0.21 in wider. Its published height is 0.29 in greater. Dakota lists 8.46 in case height and 8.66 in including terminals; use the latter before adding required cable and lid clearance.
- Measure usable length and width, including lips, posts and the hold-down.
- Check terminal height, polarity, cable reach and bend space under the lid.
- Use the correct restraint and verify the tray’s load rating. A smaller case still needs secure mounting.
Group labels are dimensional references, not universal fit guarantees. Confirm the exact supplied model and installation instructions. The BB10012H shares the published envelope, but adds heater wiring to account for.
Dimensions checked 6 November 2026: Dakota’s current Group 24 table and Battle Born’s BB10012/BB10012H manual. Older Dakota listings use slightly different dimensions.
Battle Born needs 2.52 inches more case length. Neither direction of swap is automatic: a smaller battery still needs an approved restraint, cable connections must reach without strain, and the enclosure must clear the terminals and lugs. Measure the usable interior and consult the battery and RV installation instructions.
For four more cases drawn to the same scale, see what size lithium battery do I need.
Measure the tray, then stop at the first line that applies.
-
The measured space and connection clearances suit Dakota but are too short for Battle Born
Dakota Lithium
Confirm the supplied Dakota dimensions, terminal layout, restraint and load rating before ordering.
-
Both installations fit, and you need the longer published surge duration
Battle Born
Battle Born specifies 200A for 30 seconds versus Dakota’s 10 seconds; also check the inverter and wiring limits.
-
You charge below freezing and the budget is the constraint
Dakota Lithium
Heating is included rather than a more expensive separate model.
-
You run an inverter with a heavy startup surge, or you need the Class 1 Division 2 listing
Battle Born
200A for 30 seconds against 200A for 10. Note the hazardous-location listing applies to the standard model only, not the heated one.
Documentation, and why it is a specification
Battle Born documents absorption and float voltages, BMS behavior, terminal torque, certifications and heater power. More detail does not mean every figure agrees: the current BB10012/BB10012H manual’s temperature table conflicts with its charging instructions. The narrower instructions are the provisional basis used here; ask the maker to confirm the limits for the supplied battery.
Dakota’s current Group 24 table confirms internal heating and low-temperature charge protection. It lists the discharge range without a separate cell-charge window or heater power figure. Neither brand’s discharge range is permission to charge cells at those same temperatures.
Dakota is also the more candid of the two in one specific way: it states plainly that a lead-acid charger will work but will only fill the battery to about 80% of capacity. That is a manufacturer warning you about a problem most owners discover months later, and it is the reason your converter matters as much as your battery.
One figure worth noticing in that list: Dakota’s 15V maximum charge voltage is higher than Battle Born’s 14.7V BMS high-voltage protection. If you are running a charger you configured yourself, set it for the battery you actually own.
Where they are genuinely the same
Most of the specification, which is why this decision is not as fraught as the brand loyalty around it suggests:
- 100Ah at 12V, LiFePO4
- 100A continuous discharge — 1,280W DC at an illustrative 12.8V, with less AC output after inverter losses
- 50A maximum charge current — equal limits do not guarantee equal recharge times
- Deep cycle only; both makers state they are not engine-starting batteries
- Both need a charging profile suited to lithium, not the converter your RV probably came with
These shared ratings do not make their heating, surge duration or charging behavior identical. Use the complete model specifications.
The verdict
Dakota Lithium, when its smaller envelope fits your measured installation and you want heating included. Confirm the supplied model’s charging and heater instructions, which the current product table does not fully specify.
Battle Born, when the installation fits and you need an inverter that pulls a real surge for longer than ten seconds, a hazardous location listing to satisfy, or a preference for a documented heater power rating. Confirm the temperature limits for the exact model and measure actual overnight heater energy in your installation.
What should not decide it: the extra year of warranty, or the cycle-life figures, which are quoted against different tests and are not comparable as printed.
Related guides
- Best RV lithium batteries — both of these alongside four others, compared on charge temperature and BMS current.
- Charging lithium in cold weather — every published charge threshold, and what a heater costs per night.
- Best RV converter for lithium batteries — whichever you buy, the converter decides whether it ever reaches 100%.
- Best RV surge protectors — protecting the most expensive thing in your electrical system from the pedestal.
- The electrical section collects everything published so far.
For how products on this site are selected and what we do not claim about them, see the editorial policy.
Questions worth answering
Which is better, Battle Born or Dakota Lithium?
Dakota offers a smaller Group 24 reference case and included heating. Battle Born offers a longer published surge duration and more documented installation specifications. Measure the complete installation space and check the exact model's instructions before choosing; a group label alone does not establish fit.
Is Dakota Lithium's 11-year warranty really better than Battle Born's 10?
Marginally, and read what both actually are. Dakota describes an eleven-year manufacturer defect warranty; Battle Born states ten years. Neither is a capacity-retention guarantee — that is a different promise that neither brand makes. A year of difference on a defect warranty is worth less than the physical fit or the heating.
Does Battle Born make a heated version?
Yes, the BB10012H, sold as a separate heated model rather than built into the standard model. It is the more expensive route to the same capability, but of these two makers Battle Born publishes a heater power figure: 28W. Power is not daily energy: 28W drawn for a full 24 hours would be 672Wh. Actual overnight use needs the heater's operating time and conditions.
Will a Dakota Lithium fit where my Battle Born went, or the reverse?
Dakota's published envelope is smaller, but that alone does not guarantee installation fit. Check usable tray length and width, height including terminals, lid clearance, cable reach and bend space, polarity, hold-downs and load ratings. Battle Born needs 2.52 inches more case length on the current figures; measure the actual enclosure in either direction.
Which charges faster?
Both publish a 50A maximum charge current. That is a current limit, not a guarantee of equal recharge time: charger settings, temperature, state of charge and heating can change the result.