Battleborn vs dragonfly lithium

[jasin1]

So they are the same company…dragonfly is the oem purchase side for rv manufacturers …battleborn said they are the same battery’s but dragonfly only has a 5 year warranty instead of a 10 year for battleborn.

Are they the same price? When you order the package from keystone?

Wonder if you can order the package without the batteries …it says batteries not included in solar flex 200 and 400 but thought I read somewhere they supply the batteries as well

[lonerider98]

My 2022 with the 400i did not come with the dragonfly batteries. just got the old acid batteries. Dealer said they were a option for more money. Figured I'd wait to see how much boondocking I will actually do.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by lonerider98

My 2022 with the 400i did not come with the dragonfly batteries. just got the old acid batteries. Dealer said they were a option for more money. Figured I'd wait to see how much boondocking I will actually do.

Your dealer is right. The SolarFlex 400i system does not come with batteries. You can verify that at this link: https://www.keystonerv.com/solarflex-400i-overview

The last "bullet statement" in the Components is: "Batteries not included"

Like you, before spending "megabucks" on high priced batteries that you're not sure if you'll even fully use, I'd start with a couple of FLA batteries and see how things go. If you "delay the switch to alternative batteries long enough, hopefully the price will come down to something most people can justify. Right now, $1000 for a "brand name battery" is "beyond justifiable" for most new (and many long time) RV owners.

For me, would it be nice to have them? Yes... Can I justify the expense based on how I use my trailer? NOPE... (and I boondock about 60-70% of my trailer use)... YMMV

[jasin1]

Well if I got that system I definitely wouldn’t purchase the batt from the dealer because with the 5 year warranty it doesn’t make sense..the battle born are probably around the same price but better warranty.

I’m sure there are more affordable batteries on Amazon from what I’ve read on the forum.

I made the mistake of buying Steiner Navigator binoculars from West Marine for my son when he passed his captains exam..
Everything on the box was Steiner but the fine print said they were an exclusive model for west marine…I paid close to $900 for them and the only difference was the warranty.
Didn’t find out till we had an issue with the lighted compass

[sierraman68]

Yes, Battle Born and Dragonfly are the same company. The video link below states that Dragonfly is only sold through manufacturers and Battle Born is the consumer brand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S4OPgpCtok

[wrvond]

I just went through this with my new 5er purchase last week.
Batteries are not included with any Keystone product. If you purchase the Keystone supplied factory or dealer installed solar package (any of them) and purchase the lithium batteries, you will get the green top Firefly batteries with a ten year warranty - each battery sells for $999.00 from the dealer. If you purchase your own lithium batteries direct you'll get the blue top Battleborn batteries for $799.00 with a five year warranty. These are all 100 AH batteries, BTW.
These batteries have an expected lifespan of ten years and weigh one fifth as much as a lead acid battery of equivalent capacity.
When you figure a lead acid battery can run $150.00 or more for a 90 amp hour unit with a one or two year warranty, you're looking at a possible $750.00 over a ten year period - about $40.00 less than the cost of a 100 amp hour lithium battery without the weight savings.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sierraman68

Yes, Battle Born and Dragonfly are the same company. The video link below states that Dragonfly is only sold through manufacturers and Battle Born is the consumer brand.

Yes that’s how I started the thread ..I wouldn’t get the dragonfly unless they were quite a bit less expensive (thru the rv dealer) then the battleborn..I originally watched that video prior to the post.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by wrvond

I just went through this with my new 5er purchase last week.
Batteries are not included with any Keystone product. If you purchase the Keystone supplied factory or dealer installed solar package (any of them) and purchase the lithium batteries, you will get the green top Firefly batteries with a ten year warranty - each battery sells for $999.00 from the dealer. If you purchase your own lithium batteries direct you'll get the blue top Battleborn batteries for $799.00 with a five year warranty. These are all 100 AH batteries, BTW.
These batteries have an expected lifespan of ten years and weigh one fifth as much as a lead acid battery of equivalent capacity.
When you figure a lead acid battery can run $150.00 or more for a 90 amp hour unit with a one or two year warranty, you're looking at a possible $750.00 over a ten year period - about $40.00 less than the cost of a 100 amp hour lithium battery without the weight savings.

I think you have it backwards..the battle born are the 10 year warranty..they are considered the premium version and the dragonfly ( only available thru rv dealer) or other oem …is 5…but battleborn are 10

[jetalkington]

I have been doing a lithium battery install on MH I am restoring. As usual it is taking longer than I expected.

When I first started looking at lithium there were only a hand full of quality batteries on the market for DIY. The top of the pile were Battle Born, LifeBlue, Relion and maybe a one or two more.

I went with Lifeblue because I live in the north and they were the only one, at the time, who had a built in heater. It has a bms that monitors battery temp and will kick on the heater if the battery is below 32 and then turn on charging when the battery got above 32. Now many lithium batteries have it.

However, they also offered a 10 year warranty. That warranty became the talk, at the time, on DIY solar installs in vanlife and a few other followings.

A short time later Battle Born upped their warranty to 10 and I believe in direct competition to LifeBlue. I believe this because Battle born also began offering a heater kit for their batteries. But, it was $200 above the cost of the battery. Lifeblue low temp battery was only $50 higher than the regular battery. The DIY market has changed significantly in the past 5 years. Dragonfly never really entered the DIY market and have left their Battle Born side to do that.

Now, in the DIY and Vanlife following Battle Born is the goto battery as they have embraced the DIY people and offer tremendous support and aid to that market. But, I think the market is evolving a little more as some of the Chinese MFG are wiseing up to the American DIY market and have started producing good quality batteries for much less, but also much less support. That support is not really free. SOK is a battery that is a good battery if you do not need the aid, and know what your doing. For others, like me, It is nice to have someone to call when things are not working quite like you think they should. Plus, Battle Born are assembled here in the states. I am not sure where Dragonfly is made or assembled.

[wevernon]

I just purchased (through the dealer) two DragonFly batteries for my 400i solar system. They were more expensive, but did come with a ten year warranty.

[peanut]

If you are paying cash for your RV than you can definitely save some money by buying a good quality battery somewhere else. If, like me, you would be financing your RV, then including one or two in the purchase agreement thru the dealer wouldn't be that big of a deal for a high quality battery with no hassle - - it/they are already in there when you pick it up from the dealer. I can get 3.99% financing from my credit union. An extra $2k for a 10-12 year contract would only be $20 (or less) per month. Not a deal breaker - - at least for me.


Dragonfly, like Battleborn, are made in USA. (Well, at least assembled here - probably from Chinese components)

[wevernon]

We were told that our 2022 Outback 328RL came with two batteries. They were NAPA Marine batteries. I upgraded to DragonFly for a decent price. I made them deduct the trade in for the two NAPA batteries. Got them for just under $800 a piece. I thought that was fair. With the SolarFlex 400i, I wanted the performance of the Lithium batteries. And when combined in the overall cost of the camper, it seemed to be a good deal.

[pasayten]

I bought my Battleborn's on Cyber Monday last November...

100Ah 12V BB10012 Heated Battery Kit... $730... $1,460 for two...

Great price... :-)

I would also suggest calling them before ordering online to see if they will cut you a deal... I got 20% off on the battery monitor shunt. They also give discounts on batteries sometimes.

[Krich]

Our 2022 Cougar 5th wheel came with the 400i solar package. We transferred our Battleborn batteries to this new RV. Learned a few things…the Xantrax inverter is not a charger. The Keystone design uses the RV’s converter/charger to charge the batteries. The installed converter does not fully charge lithium batteries. We really struggled with the 400i setup and ended up replacing and upgrading the solar panels, adding another victron charge controller, transfer switch and replacing the trailer’s converter/charger (recommended and purchased through Battleborn). We really appreciated the Battleborn customer service department. Wonderful group of folks.

[pasayten]

Yes, our 2021 Cougar 26rbs came stock with a WFCO WF-9855 coverter charger... We upgraded to 2 x 12v 100ah Battleborn heated batteries... They make the same size/wiring charger model WF-9855LiS which has a jumper option to properly charge lithium batteries. Easy swap out... Keystone should use this version as stock equipment so owners could just change the jumper and wouldn't have to change the units.

[Krich]

We changed converter models as recommended by Battleborn. It is a known problem. So strange that considering Keystone’s partnership with Dragonfly they didn’t install the correct model.

[Np2650]

Originally Posted by Krich

Our 2022 Cougar 5th wheel came with the 400i solar package. We transferred our Battleborn batteries to this new RV. Learned a few things…the Xantrax inverter is not a charger. The Keystone design uses the RV’s converter/charger to charge the batteries. The installed converter does not fully charge lithium batteries. We really struggled with the 400i setup and ended up replacing and upgrading the solar panels, adding another victron charge controller, transfer switch and replacing the trailer’s converter/charger (recommended and purchased through Battleborn). We really appreciated the Battleborn customer service department. Wonderful group of folks.

We just purchased a new unit with the 400i. We camp off grid a lot, so I was hopeful that the 400i would be a good starting point for us. It would be nice if you could give us some of the details on what your issues were and exactly what you did to upgrade the system. Sounds you replaced almost all of it.

[madweazl]

Originally Posted by pasayten

Yes, our 2021 Cougar 26rbs came stock with a WFCO WF-9855 coverter charger... We upgraded to 2 x 12v 100ah Battleborn heated batteries... They make the same size/wiring charger model WF-9855LiS which has a jumper option to properly charge lithium batteries. Easy swap out... Keystone should use this version as stock equipment so owners could just change the jumper and wouldn't have to change the units.

Thanks for posting the model #. I haven't checked what is in our '22 yet (it's in the shop right now) but it's nice to know what I'll need if ours isn't lithium ready.

I went with a pair of 200ah Enduro Bajas. The company was great to work with and they shipped them out right away (ordered on the 26th and received on the 31st).

[AK Fish]

Per Keystone Website 22MLS build your own (as of 2/27/23): Battery Upgrade option for 2-100ah DFE Heated Lithium Batteries. Includes factory installation & system prep (Note: SolarFlex 600i-L package includes 270Ah Lithium-ion batteries.)

[COST] + $2,700. No idea what system prep or factory "installation" includes. I did not purchase this option or the 400i-L package. We don't boondock that much (less than 10%) so we use FLA batteries. If we did more boondocking, then I would add more solar and look at Li batteries. To each their own type of camping experience.

[markdol1]

last sept i bought a new cougar 33rli travel trailer with the solarflex 400i system and it did come with 2 dragonfly 100ah batteries.