Heat is the real battery killer. You just notice the drain in cold weather when you need the cold cranking amps. On-board chargers and charging as soon as you get home are the way to go for sure. Even the cheapest battery will last several years if maintained properly.
Couldn't agree with you more. Maintenance is the key to battery life. first thing I do is charge the batteries after a trip. I seem to get 5+ yrs. out of all batteries I have ever had regardless of the brand.