Lithium Batteries???

[BruceEA]

I'm considering switching to Lithium Ion batteries. I have been looking at two brands, Battle Born and ExpertPower. I want two 100ah or one 200ah.

The reviews on the Battle Born brand says that the case tends to be "brittle".

Any suggestions or recommendations from those of you who have switched to Lithium Ion batteries?

Would you do it again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[roadglide]

Originally Posted by BruceEA

I'm considering switching to Lithium Ion batteries. I have been looking at two brands, Battle Born and ExpertPower. I want two 100ah or one 200ah.

The reviews on the Battle Born brand says that the case tends to be "brittle".

Any suggestions or recommendations from those of you who have switched to Lithium Ion batteries?

Would you do it again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Interesting subject. Why Lithium batteries other then weigh is there advantage over AGM batteries?

[JRTJH]

Lithium batteries are still $800-1000 for a size comparable to a $100 lead acid battery. Other than weight, for most RV applications, there's no distinct advantage to lithium technology.... Unless you're attempting to install a "mega watt capacity", then using two or four "deep cycle GC2 golf cart batteries" will probably deliver comparable results....

Don't forget, that if you do change to lithium batteries, your current WFCO converter is probably not compatible with the charging protocols for the new batteries and you'll need to also replace your converter.

[BruceEA]

Lithium batteries last 8 - 10 years, can be discharged down to 15% without shortening the life of the battery, they have less than 300% longer self life and charge in 1/3 the time.

The main draw backs are price and the fact that they can't be charged when the weather gets below freezing.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by BruceEA

Lithium batteries last 8 - 10 years, can be discharged down to 15% without shortening the life of the battery, they have less than 300% longer self life and charge in 1/3 the time.

The main draw backs are price and the fact that they can't be charged when the weather gets below freezing.

My Dura Cell GC2 batteries from Sam's Club are now 7 years old and still "going Ever ready strong"... True "deep cycle batteries" don't have the "2-3 year lifespan that you get on a hybrid FLA battery".... Lithium can be "discharged deeper without damage" but usable, available energy from four GC2 batteries in series/parallel (cost $380) will be similar to two Lithium 100 amp batteries (cost $1600-2000). The "distinct disadvantage" for GC2 golf cart batteries is they weight roughly 260 pounds (about 65 each) vs the lithium that would weigh about 45 pounds total.

My GC2's last through the winter without being recharged. I remove them from the trailer and store them in the garage on a shelf. The temperature where they're stored is around 40-50F most of the winter. When I'm bored, with nothing to do, I do put a battery charger on them for 3 or 4 hours, but from what I can tell, the years I've ignored them completely, their "spring charge state" is about the same as it is in the years I recharge them periodically.... It's not the same with my boat batteries (hybrid technology) which will lose a charge in about 45-60 days of storage without charging. I can't say that for the lithium batteries in my "booster/starter". The lithium battery in that device discharges in about 90 days of storage, even with ZERO use. I found that "disadvantage" on a snowmobile trailer when my DW left her hand warmers on and had the ignition in ACC rather than OFF. We reverted to the old style "jumper cable" start without the aid of that "high dollar lithium booster/starter"....

Ultimately, everyone needs to decide which is "best for their application"... For most, the cost of lithium batteries far exceeds any "user benefit" for the average RV'er. For a few, the additional benefits may outweigh the initial cost, but typically, it boils down to "bragging rights" more than economical battery power..... YMMV

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by BruceEA

Lithium batteries last 8 - 10 years, can be discharged down to 15% without shortening the life of the battery, they have less than 300% longer self life and charge in 1/3 the time.

The main draw backs are price and the fact that they can't be charged when the weather gets below freezing.

Still don't get the advantage??
They last twice as long age wish, but cost 10 times as much, plus you spend another few hundred dollars on a converter to charge them.
From my experience with lithium battery powered tools there's no indication as to getting low, they just quit. Do they work the same for rv use?
Cost wise it figures I could replace the AGM or lead acid batteries for 50 years, use my factory charging system & still be $$ ahead.
But I don't boondock, not even overnight, don't have need for solar or a generator, always stay in parks with FHUs, which is apparently why this extra cost seems extreme to me.

[BruceEA]

It's good to hear that the "True" deep cycle batteries are giving you that long of life cycle. My guess is that I probably only have about another 8 years of RVing left in my life, 10 at the most.
My main concern is the weight as I'm right at 90% of my max weight with two Group 24, 75 amp Duracell dual purpose battery that came with my trailer. I would like to have at least 200ah of battery storage. I can do that for $1500 and save about 50# AND have no maint. That's a big deal here in Arizona. I have to top off my wet cell batteries every 2-3 weeks when we have this 110 - 118 degree weather that we have had for eight weeks now.
When the weather cools down, I want to start doing some boon-docking and want to be prepared in advance. I appreciate you opinion and advise. I might be able to find some weight I can get rid of to allow for the extra battery weight.

[chuckster57]

Check the dimensions of the lithium batteries. Friday we had a customer show up with a pair of 100aH lithium batteries, and found out they wouldn’t fit in the factory box mounted on the A frame designed for a pair of batteries. It was 22 1/2” wide and the new battery’s required 24”.

[JRTJH]

We dry camp regularly in "remote areas with no campground/no campsite/no utilities". Our average stay is 5-6 days. We've found that with two GC2 batteries, in temperatures where we don't need the furnace or vent fans, our limiting factor is water and waste water storage, not battery power. We do carry a 2000 watt Champion generator ($400) and a 2.5 gallon gas can, for a total weight addition of around 50 pounds: 40 for the generator and 10 for the gas can. That will extend our dry camping indefinitely as long as our holding tanks last or if we tow to a dump station to empty them.

For you, a pair of GC2 batteries (120 pounds and $170) should power your rig for 3 or 4 days of "indescriminate DC power use) without dropping your battery charge state to less than 60%. Adding a "suitcase inverter generator" for $400 would still put you at less than a third of the price of a pair of lithium batteries and will allow you to continue to use your WFCO converter. When you add the cost of a new converter/charger to the lithium battery price, a pair of GC2's and a generator would cost about 1/4 as much and offer better sustainability... Remember that without a generator, no matter what kind of batteries you have, when they are discharged, your camping trip ends.... With a generator, you can recharge indefinitely and as long as you have water and waste water storage, you can stay "until the cows come home"....

[ChuckS]

Quite frankly for the money you’d have to invest for the batteries and upgraded converter you could bu6 a pair of GC2 batteries and have plenty of money left in the bank for an awesome trip...

I currently run two Costco GC2 batteries in my Alpine.. even with the four fans that run on the RM1350 fridge when dry camping in hot weather I have zero issues.. the stock WFCO 75 amp converter charges and maintains them nicely...

They stay plugged into shore power year rotund being maintained by the stock converter... electrolyte level requires topping off maybe once a year...

My cost was $175 for two GC2 batteries....just saying

[BruceEA]

The expert power brand 100ah is 13" long and the 200ah is 20.675 long.
I have a 5er with lots of room in the front compartment so space is not the issue. My issue is weight.
Thanks for your input.

[Hugo-H]

Li PO batteries do have a serious advantage over other batteries... not only they weigh less, but they last much longer too... if kept maintained correctly, they can have a life-span of 10-15 years...

Besides this, they are less sensitive to deeper discharges... they can handle discharges of 80% without getting broken, while other batteries needs to be charged when their charges reaches 50%..

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Hugo-H

Li PO batteries do have a serious advantage over other batteries... not only they weigh less, but they last much longer too... if kept maintained correctly, they can have a life-span of 10-15 years...

Besides this, they are less sensitive to deeper discharges... they can handle discharges of 80% without getting broken, while other batteries needs to be charged when their charges reaches 50%..

The question becomes whether the price (4 times more than conventional batteries) is worth that 30% added charge availability...

Only someone who is "about to buy them" can make the decision on whether it's a good investment for their situation... ALL of the advantages and ALL of the disadvantages have to be considered by each person who is considering buying them. If they "fit your use needs and there are more "checks in the + side" then it becomes when, not if.... For those with more "checks in the-- side" the decision would be much more difficult (in the affirmative) and much easier (in the negative)....

[Jim2366]

If you have lithium batteries it's something you don't want to brag about. The compartment lock is the easiest for a thief to get into and it would be bad if its someone that over heard you talking about it.

[Jim2366]

By the way I don't have a lithium battery, I actually keep my pet rattlers in that compartment. Ha

[kampfitt]

Check out Lion Energy Batts. they're only 10.2" long and 23lbs for 100 ahrs!!

[BruceEA]

What Batteries??? :-))

[Stircrazy]

should be using the WFCO converter incompatability as an facter. that is the firt thing you should get rid of no matter what kind of batteries you have.

I have 6V GC batteries that are still working after 12 years, but I know they are on borrowed time . you can get this longjevity out of them by having enought that you are only shallow discharging them, I dont think mine have ever been under 70% between the solar system and energy saving things I do.

would I want Li, sure. they are smaller, lighter, twice the usable power pretty much . I have 470 AH right now but only 235 ah of usable power with out shortinging the life of the batteries, I could build a 280 ah Li bank for about 700.00 and have more usable power, If I build two well then...

Li charges way faster, can handle large discharge rates and can be used in non vented areas. the only downside is the price right now, but that will come down as more people start buying them. the price on Cells to diy has been droping dramaticly a little over a year ago it would have cost me over 1000 to build a 100AH 12v battery now I think I can do a 280AH 12V for about 700 including the shipping which is more than the price of the cells .......

Steve

[BruceEA]

Thanks, great info. What converter would you recommend?

[KimNTerry]

Originally Posted by BruceEA

Thanks, great info. What converter would you recommend?

Interesting test by Ray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJtD...&index=16&t=0s