Be sure to test it for full capacity. I own one - it only produced 68% of rated cap. after 6 weeks of "Customer Service" they finally sent out a "new" replacement. It only produced 72% of rated capacity. After 5 months of "No reply from customer service" I purchased replacement batteries from SOK. No problems there. I'll use my worthless Big Battery for running a light in my storage shed. It should be able to operate my light a couple of times before recharging. Good Luck with yours, and if you need warranty or customer service all I can say is hope your results are better than mine were.
I have not had any problem. We have been living full time in the van for about two months. The batteries have performed better than expected, I have not needed do anything with our electrical system at all. I use the Victron BMV-712 battery monitor to monitor the state of charge, and have not been below 50%. We are using a ten cubic foot 120 volt refrigerator. I like the design of SOK, and Big Battery because if needed you can open the case are replace the cells or BMS. Big Battery won out since they are in the US with a 10 year warranty. But as always the warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. So, far I have had quick replies to any questions I have had from Big Battery customer service.
@@FrugalFactor Glad to hear it's working out for you. I have been very disappointed and like I said, I have already purchased a replacement. I have had a great experience with SOK. Can't say that for BigBattery
Its cute that you think you will be allowed to have "electricity" in 50 years. That's not how Progressive Communism works in practice. You will have the Green New Deal and you will be happy, in the dark, making Nikes for LeBronys kids in China.
I just bought the owl. Picked it up myself at their Chatsworth facility which was ready in just 2 days. Very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to setting up my van build.
Great review, I really like the adjustable depth on the Anderson connector on the battery case. Thanks for taking the time to make/edit this video. Looking forward to the pull tests in your next video.
Thanks for the review of the Big Battery OWL Max. I bought one of these for our trailer. Fully charged it settles out at 13.28 volts, I used 183 ah and it was at 12.5 volts. Looking forward to future tests of these batteries. Let us know what your fully charged voltage is a couple of days after you charge it.
You made the wire change from #6 to 1/0 wire with the Anderson Connectors, which I would also like to do. My question is after getting the 1/0 wire and the proper size wire end fittings, how would you suggest connecting them together securely with no air leaks? You have a good previous video on adding end connectors to battery cable but these Anderson's are different.
I used 1/0 Anderson Connectors see this video ua-cam.com/video/QE5-G9jDZLQ/v-deo.html These are the connectors amzn.to/3nGSOO1 To eliminate oxygen from the connection I drilled a hole in the lug, filled with solder and used a hammer crimper. Probably more than needed. The electrical and connections have been working well for more than a year now!
I just returned a 72v battery it seemed fine at first but then the switch that worked the voltage meter would not turn off. The hooked it up and it failed to output the amount to work anything.
That video was three years ago. I have added a new battery to the system. This time its an SOK - this video explains why! ua-cam.com/video/vUAHamLjVaA/v-deo.html
I am using a Victron 12 volt, 3000 watt inverter -- amzn.to/3to8rtL It is large than I currently need, (a 2000 watt would have worked) but I like having a larger system now - its cheaper than upgrading the inverter later.
@@FrugalFactor can I ask what you have your charge settings set at in the multiplus 3000? I was having a little trouble with overvoltage and the multipleplus shutting down and restarting when I set the absorption and float to 14.6 V as recommended by big battery.
@@Oneklrvette I have all charge values set to 14.6V there is no benefit to variable charge voltage rates with LiFePO4 batteries. I have not experienced my inverter shutting down and restarting.
I am looking to buy a battery for my truck camper. Primarily for lights and to run my Webasto heater. Maybe I will have a tv and dvd player added to my unit and mostly I am going to use it in the winter time to go skiing. Do you think I should get the 200Ah or the 170 Ah, considering there is a difference of 300 dollars. Thanks for your help.
Either will work. Its how long do you expect to use each item. The Webasto heater is diesel, so that does not take much after initial start. You would need to add up all the items (wattage) and how long you expect to use them (minutes) and calculate if it is work the extra cost - for the extra time.
I am confident with our electrical system. It has worked without any failure for more than a year. I do not have any electrical load that would pull a constant 175 Amps. Yes, this batter is a 12V 202AH battery. We have two connected in Parallel, creating a 12 volt 404AH system.
Thanks for your previous response, it was very helpful. have a second question and maybe you can help me with it. I bought a plug and play battery bigbattery and I want to hook it up to my new truck camper. My truck camper has a led acid battery that I don't want to use. I also bought a lithium battery charger to charge the battery inside the house and just put it in the truck camper when I travel. But in case that I need to charge the lithium battery using the inverter in my truck camper, its is possible to do it? would this hurt the battery? I hope I hear what your thoughts are.
The best method to charge your lithium battery from your vehicle alternator is using a DC to DC charger. Renogy and Victron both make these types of chargers.
@@FrugalFactor Thanks for you quick reply. I bought a charger from bigbattery to charge the 202Ah battery. But do you think if I plug in the charger and charge the battery in my truck in the 110v outlet will charge the battery without hurting the truck electric system? I know if I plug in the bigbattery to the current non lithium inverter tot he bigbattery it won't charge it fully or maybe not charge it correctly. what are your thoughts?
You can buy a 300 amp Amperetime or a 300 amp Chins for the same price or less. Both batteries test at the 300 amps. There is no volt meter but as you say, you won't see the meter any way. Just saying if you are really frugal. you can have 100 amps more free. I just ordered my second Amperetime 300 amp.
The Big Battery case is not sealed, I can take it apart and test or replace the individual cells, and BMS. So, year from now (if needed) I can service the batteries myself. I also, like that these batteries are fused right at the battery. Plus, Big Battery has a 10 year warranty. Also, you also need to figure the physical size and placement in your van. These fit nice above the wheel well, below the bed.
Do you need to change the charging profile of the charging system to accommodate the lithium battery, or does the internal BMS handle that? Any thoughts on using this to replace an existing group 31 AGM battery? (form factor, charging considerations, etc) Thanks for the review!
The charging profile is listed on their website. Check to see if it matches your charger or inverter charger. Suggested charging current 80 Amps, Suggested charge voltage 14.6V. You can email Big Battery, they have been quick to respond to my questions - before and after purchase.
@@FrugalFactor I had seen the 14.6v charging voltage but didn't see anything about a lithium-specific charging profile. I asked about that, and yes, they have been quick to respond.
Just because it’s made in the US don’t make it the best I am now waiting to get the replacement battery. I have hade less problems with the Chinese made stuff.
I am sure all companies have some issues. My experience with their products and support has been excellent. The two batteries in this video have been providing excellent service so far.
Be sure to test it for full capacity. I own one - it only produced 68% of rated cap. after 6 weeks of "Customer Service" they finally sent out a "new" replacement. It only produced 72% of rated capacity. After 5 months of "No reply from customer service" I purchased replacement batteries from SOK. No problems there. I'll use my worthless Big Battery for running a light in my storage shed. It should be able to operate my light a couple of times before recharging. Good Luck with yours, and if you need warranty or customer service all I can say is hope your results are better than mine were.
I have not had any problem. We have been living full time in the van for about two months. The batteries have performed better than expected, I have not needed do anything with our electrical system at all. I use the Victron BMV-712 battery monitor to monitor the state of charge, and have not been below 50%. We are using a ten cubic foot 120 volt refrigerator. I like the design of SOK, and Big Battery because if needed you can open the case are replace the cells or BMS. Big Battery won out since they are in the US with a 10 year warranty. But as always the warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. So, far I have had quick replies to any questions I have had from Big Battery customer service.
@@FrugalFactor Glad to hear it's working out for you. I have been very disappointed and like I said, I have already purchased a replacement. I have had a great experience with SOK. Can't say that for BigBattery
He forgot where is placed the knife...
Happens to me alot..
Nice video.. Thanks for uploading
It feels good to know that in 50 years when I'm ready for van life, these videos will be here to show me the way.
50 years! By then, they'll be deep-sea vans or spaceship vans.
Its cute that you think you will be allowed to have "electricity" in 50 years. That's not how Progressive Communism works in practice. You will have the Green New Deal and you will be happy, in the dark, making Nikes for LeBronys kids in China.
@@mitch_the_-itch Too true. Investing in candles may be the way to do.
Adam, I think I was the only one that understands your reply. I won't be here in 50 years, may UA-cam will still exist in some form.
@@FrugalFactor exactly, the instructions are here whenever i need them
I just bought the owl. Picked it up myself at their Chatsworth facility which was ready in just 2 days. Very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to setting up my van build.
So far these batteries have been working perfectly.
I've gotta Owl & love it !!!!
Great review, I really like the adjustable depth on the Anderson connector on the battery case. Thanks for taking the time to make/edit this video. Looking forward to the pull tests in your next video.
I run a para cord through the hole in the Anderson plug. Makes it easy tp unplug if needed.
Excellent idea!
Thanks for the review of the Big Battery OWL Max. I bought one of these for our trailer. Fully charged it settles out at 13.28 volts, I used 183 ah and it was at 12.5 volts. Looking forward to future tests of these batteries. Let us know what your fully charged voltage is a couple of days after you charge it.
Words of wisdom from my parents: When you forget the thought you had, go back to the room where you left it.
I’m having the same problem when I put my screwdriver or other tool down.
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it - Thank YOU for the comment.
You made the wire change from #6 to 1/0 wire with the Anderson Connectors, which I would also like to do. My question is after getting the 1/0 wire and the proper size wire end fittings, how would you suggest connecting them together securely with no air leaks? You have a good previous video on adding end connectors to battery cable but these Anderson's are different.
I used 1/0 Anderson Connectors see this video ua-cam.com/video/QE5-G9jDZLQ/v-deo.html
These are the connectors amzn.to/3nGSOO1 To eliminate oxygen from the connection I drilled a hole in the lug, filled with solder and used a hammer crimper. Probably more than needed. The electrical and connections have been working well for more than a year now!
I just returned a 72v battery it seemed fine at first but then the switch that worked the voltage meter would not turn off. The hooked it up and it failed to output the amount to work anything.
That video was three years ago. I have added a new battery to the system. This time its an SOK - this video explains why! ua-cam.com/video/vUAHamLjVaA/v-deo.html
What size inverter are you running? I have two of the owl max 2 in route. I also plan on upgrading the cables to 1/0 like you have.
I am using a Victron 12 volt, 3000 watt inverter -- amzn.to/3to8rtL It is large than I currently need, (a 2000 watt would have worked) but I like having a larger system now - its cheaper than upgrading the inverter later.
@@FrugalFactor can I ask what you have your charge settings set at in the multiplus 3000? I was having a little trouble with overvoltage and the multipleplus shutting down and restarting when I set the absorption and float to 14.6 V as recommended by big battery.
@@Oneklrvette I have all charge values set to 14.6V there is no benefit to variable charge voltage rates with LiFePO4 batteries. I have not experienced my inverter shutting down and restarting.
I am looking to buy a battery for my truck camper. Primarily for lights and to run my Webasto heater. Maybe I will have a tv and dvd player added to my unit and mostly I am going to use it in the winter time to go skiing. Do you think I should get the 200Ah or the 170 Ah, considering there is a difference of 300 dollars. Thanks for your help.
Do the math...12 X 170=2000 watts the 202amphr is only about 500 more watts
@@unclejack41 which means? not worth paying 300 extra dollars for 500 extra watts?
Either will work. Its how long do you expect to use each item. The Webasto heater is diesel, so that does not take much after initial start. You would need to add up all the items (wattage) and how long you expect to use them (minutes) and calculate if it is work the extra cost - for the extra time.
Are you confident running 175a through that battery with your 1/0 cable? Is this the 12v version? I have the 12v 120ah. Thanks, great video.
I am confident with our electrical system. It has worked without any failure for more than a year. I do not have any electrical load that would pull a constant 175 Amps. Yes, this batter is a 12V 202AH battery. We have two connected in Parallel, creating a 12 volt 404AH system.
@@FrugalFactor thanks for the reply! Ok I guess if you have two in parallel then they would split the load so neither would see 175a.
Thanks for your previous response, it was very helpful. have a second question and maybe you can help me with it.
I bought a plug and play battery bigbattery and I want to hook it up to my new truck camper. My truck camper has a led acid battery that I don't want to use. I also bought a lithium battery charger to charge the battery inside the house and just put it in the truck camper when I travel. But in case that I need to charge the lithium battery using the inverter in my truck camper, its is possible to do it? would this hurt the battery? I hope I hear what your thoughts are.
The best method to charge your lithium battery from your vehicle alternator is using a DC to DC charger. Renogy and Victron both make these types of chargers.
@@FrugalFactor Thanks for you quick reply. I bought a charger from bigbattery to charge the 202Ah battery. But do you think if I plug in the charger and charge the battery in my truck in the 110v outlet will charge the battery without hurting the truck electric system? I know if I plug in the bigbattery to the current non lithium inverter tot he bigbattery it won't charge it fully or maybe not charge it correctly. what are your thoughts?
You can buy a 300 amp Amperetime or a 300 amp Chins for the same price or less. Both batteries test at the 300 amps. There is no volt meter but as you say, you won't see the meter any way. Just saying if you are really frugal. you can have 100 amps more free. I just ordered my second Amperetime 300 amp.
The Big Battery case is not sealed, I can take it apart and test or replace the individual cells, and BMS. So, year from now (if needed) I can service the batteries myself. I also, like that these batteries are fused right at the battery. Plus, Big Battery has a 10 year warranty. Also, you also need to figure the physical size and placement in your van. These fit nice above the wheel well, below the bed.
how are your batteries working?
Excellent. Both the batteries and solar are working better than expected.
Do you need to change the charging profile of the charging system to accommodate the lithium battery, or does the internal BMS handle that? Any thoughts on using this to replace an existing group 31 AGM battery? (form factor, charging considerations, etc) Thanks for the review!
The charging profile is listed on their website. Check to see if it matches your charger or inverter charger. Suggested charging current 80 Amps, Suggested charge voltage 14.6V. You can email Big Battery, they have been quick to respond to my questions - before and after purchase.
@@FrugalFactor I had seen the 14.6v charging voltage but didn't see anything about a lithium-specific charging profile. I asked about that, and yes, they have been quick to respond.
Wonder how you would like them cases if you dropped one on your bare feet. Maybe next time put some shoes on LOL
I would not. So, no dropping expensive batteries.
Just because it’s made in the US don’t make it the best I am now waiting to get the replacement battery. I have hade less problems with the Chinese made stuff.
A few months ago I added a new SOK battery. ua-cam.com/video/vUAHamLjVaA/v-deo.html I really like its Bluetooth monitoring App.
very bad company, return their battery and they keep promising refund but never seen it, have to call our CC to dispute it.
I am sure all companies have some issues. My experience with their products and support has been excellent. The two batteries in this video have been providing excellent service so far.
Lithium Iron not lithium ion