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Remember that the alternator has a clutch which is activated by the computer either during braking, or if the battery reaches a low voltage condition. As far as I know this is the only way the battery gets charged. The rest of the time the battery is discharging to keep all the various electronic devices up, including the lights.
Voltage on batteries drops slightly as they age. Voltage and cranking amps also drop during cold temperatures. Voltage also drops during the time the vehicle is parked. In very cold climates it may be a good idea to trickle charge the battery regularly to pump the voltage up to a higher level than it otherwise would get to. Battery warmers are also used in some instances.
Once I figured out that the battery is a deep cycle battery, and that there is a possibility that depending on driving, it may not get fully charged, I began a routine of charging the battery if it seems a little low during cranking, or if the car has been parked for an extended time. Regular battery charging with an automatic trickle charger can extend the life of any battery.
We have a generator at work with an automatic battery charger. I just replaced the Optima batteries I installed 9 years ago simply due to their age. They both still had good voltage and I gave one to a guy at work and the other one I put in an old truck I was selling. The glass-matt batteries can have an incredible life if they are trickle charged on a regular basis.
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