upgrading battery ?

[Andrew262BH]

hi all-
262bh 2021

I am wanting to upgrade my "rv battery" to a lithium and I have been told that I may need to upgrade the charging circuit that is in the Giggy box

i have also been told that the charger that is currently installed is sufficient to make sure that my lithium battery stays charged

I am not sure which way to look due to the conflicting information

any suggestions?

[JRTJH]

First, there is no "charging circuit" in the Giggy Box. All that is in there is wiring connectors, 12 volt DC mini-breakers and an off/on switch. All the "charging circuitry" is in either the solar system components and in the WFCO converter/charger.

As for whether "YOUR" converter/charger is fully compatible, partly compatible or not compatible with lithium battery charging configurations is only going to be found by knowing "EXACTLY" which WFCO converter/charger is installed in your trailer and by going to the WFCO website to either research that converter/charger "by part number/model number" or by contacting WFCO tech support with that information and asking them for answers to your specific questions.

Here's the link to the WFCO website: https://wfcoelectronics.com/

On that site is a section called: "LITHIUM SOLUTIONS" https://wfcoelectronics.com/pastgeneration17/

Many of your questions would be better answered by the WFCO engineers rather than by "armchair experts on a forum"....

That said, once you get the WFCO answers and want to know if anyone has used the converter/charger that is in YOUR trailer, then you can get the personal experience of users of your specific converter/charger.

Your "open ended question" "will my trailer support lithium batteries" will get you everything from "WFCO builds junk" to "Buy a Progressive converter/charger and you'll be fine" to "my solar system keeps mine charged, I don't even know where my converter/charger is located"....

I'm not "passing the buck" by not answering your question, rather suggesting that without knowing WHICH converter/charger you have and what kind of system you want to build, it's impossible to say that your converter/charger will or won't work.

[Andrew262BH]

thanks-
this is precisely the information that I am looking for -

[Jofar33]

Before you decide on a lithium battery for your RV----read up on all the fires that have started by lithium batteries. Plus the new EV car fires---lithium batteries. Is it worth the risk?

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Jofar33

Before you decide on a lithium battery for your RV----read up on all the fires that have started by lithium batteries. Plus the new EV car fires---lithium batteries. Is it worth the risk?

There is a huge difference between a LiFePO battery and a Li-ion battery, both chemistry wise and safety wise. LiFePO, or LFP batteries are much safer and a very low hazard as far as risk of fire. Normally a LFP battery will also outlast a Li-ion battery many times over. You really need to research them before you post mis-information.

[Jofar33]

Ok, but the battery mentioned was the Lithium one. Perhaps not too many people are familiar with there being several different types. Not too much is discussed about the other one.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Jofar33

Ok, but the battery mentioned was the Lithium one. Perhaps not too many people are familiar with there being several different types. Not too much is discussed about the other one.

Yea, there are probably 8 or 9....maybe more Lithium based batteries out there for public use, but the one that is almost extensively used in RV/Camper vehicles and trailers is the LiFePO (LFP) battery.

[peanut]

Originally Posted by Jofar33

Ok, but the battery mentioned was the Lithium one. Perhaps not too many people are familiar with there being several different types. Not too much is discussed about the other one.

The trouble is that the term 'lithium' has become interchangeable. People use it to mean both lithium-ion AND lithium iron phosphate (or any other flavor of lithium - there are more varieties than just Li-ion and LiFePO4). It's much like people use the term 'kleenex' when talking about ANY tissue.

Every google search I have ever done for 'lithium battery' or 'lithium rv battery' has taken me to links for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries (LiFePO4). I think you will find it hard, hard, hard to find any kind of 12V, drop in lithium battery that is not LiFePO4.

Li-ion and LiFePO4 have different chemistries and characteristics and are intended for different applications.
https://lithiumhub.com/lifepo4-batte...eyre-the-best/

Anyone conptemplating lithium (see, I do it too) needs to research their needs. Caveat emptor.

[ScottA]

Hopefully this is useful for someone.


Lithium Iron has a nominal cell voltage of 3.6 volts.
4 cells in series: 4 x 3.6 = 14.4v
When fully charged this will take it over 15v which is a threshold that can damage many 12v devices.
3 cells in series: 3 x 3.6 = 10.8v
This is in the too low territory for many devices and will increase the amps required for high draw devices shortening their life.


Lithium Iron Phosphate has a nominal cell voltage of 3.2 volts.
4 cell in series: 4 x 3.2 = 12.8v
Almost a perfect drop in replacement for equipment designed for lead acid. It is a little higher voltage which is actually good for most devices but not high enough to get into the danger zone.

Why is higher voltage better? A higher voltage will use less amps to do the same amount of work. Less amps means less heat which is mostly what eventually kills electrical devices.


For reference the nominal cell voltage for lead acid is 2 volts.
6 cells in series: 6 x 2 = 12 volts.


Lead acid charging profiles generally work fine for LiFePO batteries. Only issue is that they will only charge to about 80% state of charge. If you have solar you can probably depend on that to get it up to 100%. If you don't have solar you might want to look at changing out your converter to one that has a lithium charge profile.