Part 2: Forest River E-Pro Lithium Battery Upgrade
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2021
- This is part 2 of my electrical upgrades in our 2021 Forest River E-Pro 20bhs. In this video I go through the process of removing the 2- 75ah lead aside batteries and replace them with a single 200ah Lithium battery! This upgrade almost triples my battery capacity and pairs much better with the solar panels I installed in the last video. Lithium batteries charge at a much faster rate than lead acid and allow for nearly 100% of their capacity without damage so this was a no brainer for an upgrade.
Since the time this video was taken, the bathroom fan and the 12v refrigerator has been running 24/7 solely on solar and the lithium battery...barely going less than 90% even on rainy days!
LINKS:
Lossigy 200ah Lithium Battery: tinyurl.com/2rcderz9
Rich Solar 170w panels: tinyurl.com/s4ayvw97
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DISCLAIMER:
This video is meant for entertainment purposes only. Charactor Club, LLC assumes no liability or responsibility for property damages or injury incurred as a result of any information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Charactor Club, LLC recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and/or with tools seen in this video. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Charactor Club, LLC. Please be safe and when in doubt, consult a licensed professional.
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Hello
I have 2022 GeoPro 15TB and also replaced the single lead acid battery with 200Ah LiFePo4. I installed battery monitor to have better control of the charge and state of the battery. If you just rely on the factory installed solar cherge controller make sure you switch it to LiFePo4 type, otherwise it will show you 100% with 13.3V as in this video. 13.3V is far from 100% on this battery type! I also added another 190W solar panel (parallel) fot total of 380W.
I'm happy to report that the I can stay off grid forever as long as there is 2-3 hours of sunshine each day or 4-6 every other day.
(Southern Ontario in May-June)
Otherwise, the battery will keep us going for 7-8 days from full charge if no sun is shining.
We no longer hookup at the campgrounds.
Thanks for the great video series. So many of these conversion videos get into inverter swaps and other items that I have zero use for. Heck, I don’t even watch TV at home so that’s the last thing I need. I was just looking for a simple lithium battery and solar upgrade to support my 12v fridge while boondocking or at NFS campgrounds. (curse not having a gas fridge!) and yours was exactly what I wanted. Nice work! Thanks.
Awesome, glad you liked it!!! 🙌
I just completed a similar battery modification by removing my 2 6-volt lead acid batteries from the tongue and placing a 400AH Lithium battery under the rear dinette of my 2019 E-Pro 19BH. I also upgraded to a Victron 100/30 charge controller. I thought I MAY need to upgrade my converter but after conducting some tests over night (to eliminate the current from the solar panel), my battery charged to 100% from the converter while on shore power. A pleasant surprise. Your video was very helpful during this process.
Awesome to hear. yeah in hindsight I would not have upgraded the controller and instead the solar charger
Great video, thanks. I'm doing the same thing to my GeoPro. I'm going with Renogy since it has a low temp cutoff. I live in Colorado. I will do the converter upgrade also.
Awesome, good luck on the upgrades!
Did the same upgrade on my 2022 GD Momentum. Did the converter LIS mod. Went with (2) Battle Born batteries and move mine off the tongue and inside the RV. Suspect your interior battery monitor will always show 100% with lithium. Almost right before it dies. I also swapped out my solar charge controller to victron and added a solar disconnect breaker.
Very cool Mark! The solar controller definitely needs to get upgraded but it's done very well so far and always shows pretty accurate data...never had an issue with the battery just dying as I constantly monitor the levels compared to usage.
Great job, Thanks for the video. I just purchased a used 2021 Geo Pro 19 FBS. I'm doing my upgrade the reverse of yours. I purchase a Li Time 230ah Life battery that also is a direct drop in to the double battery box. Now I'm going to change the charge controller to an MPPT charge controller.
Thanks, my pleasure! In hindsight I would have done exactly that and not changed the AC DC converter.
Thanks for this! I’m doing the same conversion to my 2022 20BHS GeoPro. Looking forward to video 3, that’s the last piece of the puzzle. Please post soon! Great work.
Awesome, thanks for watching/commenting! I was working on the video today and will have it out sometime this week. 🙌
Check your converter on your 22…mine came factory with the upgraded converter.
Great Video, I too am in the same boat and looking to do the converter swap and your helpful play by play :)
@@admorris11 Question: I ordered a Geo Pro 20BHS last Aug (2021).... Is there a chance the converter in mine (once it gets delivered) will be the newer version (LiFePo friendly)?
@@leokriegdog I would say a very good chance
Perfection, teaching.
Great video and I’d love to hear the year later update on that battery. The only thing I would have done differently is to change out the two corroded bolts holding your battery box in place. Sorry…it’s an OCD thing!
We also had the 8735 converter in our Jayco, we also ended up replacing the whole panel converter with a progressive dynamics mighty mini. It stinks to do all that repairing , but will totally be worth it
I have a GeoPro 19FBS thank you so much for your video, I'm doing the same but I need part 3 to help me
Hopefully I'll get part 3 out soon.
I want to do the same but I only have an 80w solar panel. At max output it would take 30 hours to charge the battery LOL. My converter is lithium ready. Standard in 2022 above models. I think I might do this upgrade regardless as my trailer stays in storage in the sun and my battery would be charged before heading out camping. We dont camp more than 4 days at a time anyway.
Great video, looking at doing the same sort of upgrade to my Forest River TT. Question about the converter upgrade. What model did you get and where did you get it from? Was it difficult to replace?
you cannot go off of VOLTAGE for how much capacity you have. LiFePO4, if not over taxed, will be 3.2v per cell until the capacity is used (12.8v nominal in a 4 cell in series battery). You need a capacity use meter to know what you have used verses what you have left. Trust in what I say. I've been doing Lithium conversions for over 12 years and I understand the different Lithium chemistries and how they operate. Nonetheless, nice upgrade :) LiFePO4 will hold their voltage and then once the capacity is used, the voltage will drop off like a CLIFF ;) Take care.... :)
What is a good capacity to use for a travel trailer set up?
I am doing the exact same upgrades as you. These videos are fantastic. Do you know what part number you had to upgrade your charger converter to? Does the current charger charge your lithium battery?
Thanks for the info and time dedicated for video we own rockwood trailer with same solar set up two deep cycle marine batteries and 190w go power kit,
Same problem batteries down to 11.5v-12.v next morning just with the 12v fridge running over night I wish they come with two way fridge ,
Major problem are batteries and solar charge controller which is great quality but old PWM technology charges on average 13.V losses 30%-50% ,
Upgraded my shed with Epevar MPPT solar charge controller and difference is night and day you get to actually see 14.V-14.4V and faster charging.
Yeah in hindsight upgrading the solar charge controller would be first on the list...glad it worked out for you! Did you add any panels or just got better results from the controller?
@@drawersystems results are much better faster charging up to 14.5v and under the load huge differences.
@@drawersystems same 2×100w panels two deep cycle interstate(costco) batteries
Be aware, these Lossigy batteries do not have low temp charging protection built into the BMS. The Amazon ad is misleading. I confirmed it through the seller this week after receiving two of them. The product manual includes only mentions high temp protection, thus making me reach out to them. I’m returning mine for that reason
Thanks for the heads up...l'm in south florida so no worries about low temps here. Good to know in case we take it on a trip up north...I'll end up fitting a heated pad under the battery if we do. :)
What did you end up getting. Living in cold climate, this is a concern for me. Thanks!
@@MONEYZ123 Im going with Renogy 200ah, with low temp cutoff.
Did the lithium batteries, now I'm going to do the other upgrade. Was very hard to find the thing that goes under the fridge. Ordered it weeks ago, and still hasn't shown up.
Cool….honestly if I had it to do over again I would skip upgrading the converter and just upgrade the solar charge controller. If you go with something like a Victron solar controller it will top off the lithium without the hassle of upgrading the converter.
I would recommend you upgrade the PWM solar controller that comes with the trailer to a MPPT solar controller. Your charging time will improve by over 20% due to the inefficiencies of a PWM style unit.
Absolutely agreed and is in the plans!
@@drawersystems is it just the geo pro 2021 that needs the inverter from ac to dc to be upgraded, I'm looking at the 2023 Geo pro 20bhs the sister company, sales guys telling me the controller doesn't need to be upgraded and that they switched it out so that it excepts AGM batteries and Lithium, is their any way to find out if they have, im in the process to purchase, but want to make sure what I need to do Befrore I purchase it.
@@drawersystems The problem with PWM is the PV voltage is limited ~25volts, MPPT ~100Volts, (series wiring).
MPPT allows longer off-peak charging, early morning and late afternoon.
+ smaller wire size, $.
Thank you! Great video - we are doing exactly the same project with the same battery on a Rockwood Mini lite. Would love to see your install on the controller/charger. I dont see that on your video list. Am i missing something? Thanks again!!
Thanks Nancy! The converter video is coming soon. :)
Hi, Any feedback about long term use? Is it still fulfilling your needs?
Hey have you thought about incorporating wind turbines to your system as to charge batteries during the night.for complete off grid.its what im thinking
I have a 2021 Geo Pro 19FD, which being a similar Forest River product, probably shares a lot of components with yours. Mine came with one 190W solar panel on the roof and a Go Power solar charge controller, and some crappy AGM batteries that I have replaced with lithium batteries. I called Go Power and spoke with someone who advised me the solar charge controller AND the wiring in the walls behind the controller, are rated for a maximum of 485W. I was going to add two more panels like you did, but now I'm only planning on one for the driver's side of the trailer. Amazon has a 210W panel for a little over $200, so that will give me an even 400W up top. Did you check with anyone before you put 600W on your roof?
Hi David, I had the same panel and probably the same solar charger....I actually just looked up the specs on the controller and found that it was rated up to 30 amps. Taking that into consideration, I added 2 - 170 watt panels for a total of 530 watts which theoretically was under 30 amps. At full sun in the summer I was pulling around 25-30 amps and had no issues with charging. Definitely wouldn't go any higher than that without upgrading the controller and/or wiring though.
We have same trailer. Did the Lossigy fit your factory battery box?
I have the same camper. Looking to do a similar upgrade. Any advice or review on these components now that you've had this for a while?
Awesome! So far everything has worked very well. If I did it over, I would probably not change the AC/DC converter and instead just change the solar charge controller to a Victron. Other than that so far so good!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am new at this and need to upgrade my battery to a Lithium one. I have a question. Do you still like this brand of battery? Is it still working as expected? Thank you
We sold the camper but last I checked with the new owner, everything was going strong!
I really like this replacement. Did you replace your converter yet and if yes are you going to post a video . How difficult?
Video coming soon on the swap...it was not an easy project but then again not difficult...just very tedious and a lot of room for error if you aren't paying attention.
Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Question - does your tow vehicle have a DC-DC charger for the lithium? Is that needed for LIFO batteries so you don't damage your alternator? Maybe not needed for 1 battery but just curious if you put in DC-DC charger or not and if you've noticed anything with your alternator?
Thanks! My vehicle does not have a DC to DC charger but had no issues towing and charging while driving as the onboard charger for the camper pulls around 5-10 amps if I remember correctly.
@@drawersystems That is interesting. I am getting ready to do a lithium upgrade with 4 battle born 100 amp hour batteries. I was told I need to install a DC to DC charger for the tow vehicle or I will not have the ability to charge while towing. I will have to dig into it more. You confirmed you are charging while hooked to the truck? Is it charging at the same rate as the lead acid did?
There’s a voltage mismatch between the lithium battery and the voltage coming off the alternator, and for that reason some people choose to install a DC to DC converter if they want to charge lithium off the alternator. However, if you have solar on the camper probably not an issue.
Is part 3 available? I hope so. Installed the same battery in my WInnebago TT.
Coming soon!
Your unit has solar panels and a solar charge controller (with a lithium setting). This will top up your lithium batteries. No need for a new converter.
Agreed….I didn’t realize this until after I already made the swap. Hindsight is 20-20. 🤦♂️
Always, always, always .. buy batteries in pairs. If anything ever happens to the one single battery, regardless of its capacity, you will be screwed. At least with two, you can still use the other one. So what can go bad on a Lithium battery? The BMS (battery management system).
That makes sense if you have the budget for it...i did not
What ac/converter did you purchase?
Do you have any plans to upgrade the inverter? I'm thinking about upgrading the whole power system in mine to run a high efficiency mini split. What do you think about that? Also, how much solar would you say you could fit on your E-Pro?
Great question! Honestly the roof space is limited and cramped so my guess would be you would max out around 700 watts or so if you squeezed in a panel in every area. I don't think you would be able to run AC for very long if you maxed it out...my opinion is if you have the budget and ability to do it, why not give it a go!
I plan to do this same upgrade to my new 2022 that I am picking up next week. I did not look to see what battery connections mine had but other trailers I have owned had a number of smaller positive and negative connections wired to the same battery terminals. Did you do something to modify yours so you only have one negative and one positive going to the battery or did it come that way from the factory?
mine only came with one battery and thus one main positive and one main negative battery cable...if there are any other smaller cables, it's probably something like the trailer harness or a battery charger.
Just wondering how the lithium battery has worked for you , I am looking to use the same setup.thanks for the detailed install
Battery has done well so far. Fingers crossed on long term.
How is the battery holding up a year later?
Was the solar wiring pre installed mine was o. My rpod. Said I could only have 300 watts of solar. Did you put in new wiring for your 600 watts? Thanks
The wiring on mine was pre-run with 10 gauge wire so considering the length of the run, it was enough for the added solar. In hindsight I would have changed the charge controller to a Victron.
When will you post part 3?
Hi Very nice video , so I want to buy a RV like yours and change the batteries and add solar panel, I will follow your instruction. Thank you. Question did you change your converter and do you have a video ? Excuse my English fault I'm learning. Andre from Montreal Canada
hi! honestly if I was going to do it over, i would have just upgraded the solar charge controller and left the converter as is.
Somewhat off topic but what hinges did you use for that countertop extension you made?
I have used variations of this bracket on different projects: amzn.to/3R8d849
Have you made a part 3 video on the Convertor conversion?
Sorry not yet...I have yet to figure out how to make it into a watchable video...hoping to figure it out and post something soon
I have the GeoPro 20BHS and want to do exactly what you have done to your camper. Are you worried about freezing temps with the lithium battery? I am using ours dry right now because the temps are below freezing. Also... Are you also going to film the installation of the new charger? Your videos are awesome!
Very cool and thanks for the compliment! So far they were all good upgrades and definitely worth the time and cost. Living in South Florida, I don't worry about the temps...lol. If you are going to go lithium, I believe they make 'battery warmers' which help keep the temps up. Yes! Going to post part 3 soon to show how I swapped out the AC/DC converter. Stay tuned ;)
Hi just get a battery that has low temp charge cutoff. It will still give you power but shutoff all power coming in until above freezing. Weize makes a 100ah that is currently $400. They likely have a 200ah but haven’t looked. If you’re going to actually camp in freezing temps for long you’d need to bring them into the heat or get a battery with built in warmer so you can still charge.
Hope you post another video about your lithium set up. Are you still pleased with the Lossigy? Looking at this for the same reason, fits the box.
So far so good with the Lossigy battery. As someone else mentioned, it doesn't have a 'low temp cutoff' so take that into consideration if you live or travel to a cold climate.
@@drawersystems After watching your video I was thinking of purchasing the same battery. In the "questions and answers" it does say it has a low temp cutoff. I believe all LiFo batteries require such and the reason the BMS is mandatory when they sell it. I could be wrong, but I remember reading about the BMS in LiFo batteries somewhere. I believe you're good with low temp.
Here's what's stated, "Charging state: low temperature cut-off is 32 ° F, high temperature cut-off is 113 ° F". If that's the case, I'm buying one also. 5 year warranty to boot, it's a no brainer. Can't even buy 1 BattleBorn 100ah for that price and kind of defeats their 10 year warranty. I could buy 2 of these in 10 years versus 2 BattleBorn 100ah and still be saving money. Nice find!
Great vid, very informative.
Great video,I too have a E-pro 2021. It’s time to update from my 2 lead acid Batterys. I looked at my converter and I believe it’s the same model as yours WF-8735P. The specs on this model has a output of 14.4 so isn’t that good enough for a 200 amp lithium battery? Thanks for your time,look forward to your next video.
Thanks!! Thinking about it 'after the fact'...since the solar charger is rated for Lithium, technically it would top things off when connected to shore power. If I had to do it over again I probably would just do the battery and solar upgrades and then wait to see how it worked before doing the converter upgrade...which was the hardest part of all 3 upgrades.
Trying to figure this out guys… so no need to change out converter? If i just plug and play this battery, my equipment should be good? 2021 ePro 19FD. Thanks!
@@pennstaterav4 yea, no need to change out the converter if you have solar using a lithium capable controller. The sun will charge you battery. If you don't have solar the factory converter should charge it to 90% or higher but will take a few days.
Actually you may be increasing your capacity by over double if the new one is more efficient and can be discharged farther. Now that you have had your Lossigy 12v200ah LiFePO4 for almost 5 months, can you give a review? How is it doing? Have you been using it this winter?
Hi Susan! Yes correct, the Lossigy lithium pulled in a charge MUCH faster than the factory deep cycle batteries. As reference, I leave the fridge running 24/7 and my batteries are back up to 100% every day by around 12 noon. I live in Miami so winter here is not a factor, lol.
What Bluetooth Managment system is that?
Where did you get that battery box? No mention of it in the description
the battery box came with the trailer
What’s the brand of the battery tray? I’m looking to do the same but I have two individual trays.
It was the tray that came with the camper.
Why do you need to upgrade the camper converter to charge the battery? Wouldn't the solar panels finish the charge?
Hindsight is 20/20...I would have just upgraded the solar charger instead
How's the battery been working out? I can't find another 200ah that will fit on the front of my Micro Minnie so I hope this one is a good one. Did you ever make the Part 3 with the charge converter install? I've been putting that job off for awhile and it looks like your E-Pro is pretty similar to my Winnebago. Thanks for the helpful vids!
The battery has been great so far! I haven’t put out part 3 yet….the job to replace the converter was definitely tedious.
@@drawersystems Also looking forward to part 3! Though I can't find the converter anywhere online. Might have to suck it up and buy from a dealer 😧😩
@@drawersystems just finished the replacement myself, except I haven't shimmed the opening yet. To bad it wasn't exact same dimensions. Did you have a jumper off the converter circuit 120 side that went to nothing?
Question on 'is it worth the change of the converter, if the solar panel gets the battery up to 14.4 volts'?
Something you should investigate: Here in middle GA, in May no less, not even "hot weather" yet, discovered that the black LP tank cover is COOKING my tanks! Only a couple hours of sun exposure and the LP tanks are at 125°F. That means the liquid gas in the tanks is at near 225 PSI which is only a few pounds less than the blowout safety plug. Spray painted the cover white, now same sun exposure has the tanks at about 85 - 90°F. Much better.
Honestly I think if you have a solid solar panel/controller that will charge lithium batteries, it should be enough to top off the new battery. I'd probably skip this step if doing it over again.
Do you think a propane tank cover would be helpful in reducing the temps to the tanks? I have seen them advertised but did not really think about what they were for.
@@roadtripwarriors7458 Might be possible if tank cover was white and you left the lid up when parked. That would create some 'shade' for the tanks & allow air flow to keep them cool. The main difference with no cover is the tanks may be more prone to weathering, getting rusty, etc. without one.
Hello , did you had to change the chargeur below de fridge?
I changed it but in hindsight would not have….I would have changed the solar charge controller to MPPT
I apologize in advance for the simple question. Can I simply replace my lead acid battery with a Lithium Iron battery and operate as before?
Hi Greg, yes you can just swap out the battery and it will work but a couple things to consider though. 1) do you have solar on the camper, if yes, does the solar charger support lithium batteries? 2) if no, I recommend changing the solar controller to something like a Victron that supports lithium…this will allow your battery to fully charge via solar. It’s also much easier than swapping out the AC/DC converter 3) the shore power built in converter charger likely doesn’t support charging lithium batteries which really means that it doesn’t provide a high enough voltage to get the lithium to 100%.
I just bought a 2022 E Pro 19bh. Lossigy has a 300ah 12v that I am thinking about putting in it. How well is your battery holding up so far? Did you do the converter swap yet? I need to check and see which converter mine has in it. Where did you order your converter from?
You have some very good videos also! I'm going to add some extra panels as well.
Awesome, congrats on the new camper! The battery has been great so far and yes I did the converter but in hindsight, would not do it again...I would definitely upgrade the solar charge controller to a Victron. If you go with the 300ah, make sure it will fit in the battery box, otherwise you could install it in the front storage cabinet. :)
@@drawersystems Thanks for your awesome video on this! I am looking to upgrade the charge controller in my 2019 E-Pro 19BH to a Victron MPPT. I currently have the same Go Power solar charge controller that you display in the video except mine does NOT have Bluetooth. I have heard these Go Power controllers included in E-Pros/Geo-Pros (and probably lots of other manufacturers) are kind of crappy.
Will you have to take the battery out for winter or does it handle the cold, seeing that you installed a Lithium outside?
It's a Florida camper
So first we are part time camping retirement people in Arizona, I have 4 100Ah batterys plus a generator and some solar for boondocking , I was able to fit a 1 foot wide tray i made on the front of our travel trailer enough room for batteries, a inverter and generator all on the tray, video on UA-cam
lithium doesn't need ventilation they are more temperature sensitive
Where did you buy the part to switch out the fuse box area for the lithium battery?
I think I bought it on Etrailer.com....in hindsight, i would not change it...instead I would change the solar charge controller to a Victron MPPT: amzn.to/3Tho9BS
@@drawersystems I am looking at Victron controllers also. Do you realize that the one in your link is NOT Bluetooth enabled? You would need to spend another $30 or so to add Bluetooth. The Victron SMARTsolar products include Bluetooth. The BLUESoalr products do not (seems kind of misleading).
What happened to the Part 1 video? I can no longer find it anywhere :-(
ua-cam.com/video/SvY2MHYKx6g/v-deo.htmlsi=PSeYORNkssLsFZ3F
Do you have a link for the converter? Install video?
sorry, I didn't put out that video. looking back on it, I would not have changed the converter and instead upgrade the solar controller to a MPPT one from Victron. Solar controller is capable of fully charging the lithium batteries basically eliminating the need for changing the converter. It was also a colossal headache to change it.
Can you upload a video for the converter upgrade?
It's coming soon!
Now that you've had some time to use the battery, would you do anything different? I'm thinking of buying this exact battery for my E-Pro 2021 20FBS. Thanks for the video.
Hi Garrett, so far the battery has been great and I would not do anything different at this point. Solar and battery is perfect for our families needs.
@@drawersystems I went ahead and bought the battery also.. So far, so good. I bought a 200W suitcase solar panel and it's been great when I tested it at home.
@@garrett7101 oh cool! Do you have solar on the roof as well?
@@drawersystems Yes, I do have 190w on the roof, but it's parked in my driveway with the solar tilted to the north so it's not picking up much solar only putting in about 0.5A in that position. Bought a 30 foot extension cord for the suitcase and can put it anywhere. It was putting in 12.2A earlier today.
@@garrett7101 yeah it’s especially tough right now in the winter with the sun coming in on very low angle but that’s great to hear. In the summer here in FL and with my 3 panels I regularly get around 20-30 amps! I hardly ever connect the EPro to AC power when parked at my house and the fridge is running 24-7.
I thought the stock solar controller was only good for 400 watts of panels?
The stock controller was rated up to 30 amps of solar input...with all 3 panels in the summer I was pulling in right around 30 amps and no issues at all with charging
Do you find the 200ah will give you lights overnight running water pump etc?
The 200 ah battery along with the solar panels pretty much gave us indefinite power. On off grid camp trips we had the lights going, water pump, TV and charging devices all night which only dropped the battery to about 40-50% the next morning. Our fridge is also powered by 12v but with the solar panels, the battery would be topped off by around 12 - 1pm the next day...on sunny days. Obviously if we had bad weather during the day, this would affect recharging but overall my opinion is that 200ah is the minimum amount of battery you want for a camper or van. A good balance of battery and solar will allow you to do a lot.
@CharactorClub Perfect. What about using the furnace/hester? By chance have you tried it overnight on 200ah?
Great Video but I would have went 2x 100ah batteries myself. Almost all these LifePO4 batteries only have 100amp max discharge BMS's. Using 2x 100ah batteries you would have 200 amps on tap for the Inverter.
Definitely solid advice... I factored all the electrical components being used and wouldn't even come close to 100ah.
@@drawersystems So, based on this comment, would you suggest 2 100ah lithium batteries over one 200ah?
do you have the converter upgrade video ?
Coming soon!
Is it plug and play, did you have to program anything
It was pretty much plug and play...I did have to change the settings in the Solar Charge controller to Lithium though.
You are towing with a Land Rover Discovery?! You are certifiably insane. 🤣
Hahaha, you'd be surprised at how well it tows. 🍻
@@drawersystems - I had a Range Rover, 2 tows, 20+ shop visits, 2 transmission replacements (was going on a third when I sold it), 2 alternators, 1 water pump, 1 belt, and a bunch of nuisance electrical issues, wipers failed, dash lights, window motor, seat motor, it got to the point where I was scared to drive it. All this in less than 47k miles in two years. I loved it, it’s off-road prowess was remarkable, however as a daily driver it was a total failure. And I’m sure it tows great! It’s the constant issues that bugged the tar outta me. LOL!
@@Erin-Thor you got a lemon.
@@fattzsgamingchannel3729 - Maybe, maybe not. The salesman, then the finance guy recommended an aftermarket warranty at the time of purchase. The salesman even called me a few weeks after I bought it, oddly suggesting the aftermarket warranty again, saying he really, really recommended it, saying it wasn’t too late. In hindsight, he knew about the reliability issues. After the first few shop visits, I began to understand why. Not to mention the dealership was packed every morning with customers, many repeat like me, I got to know several by name. I’ve owned a few cars in my life, and besides a Ford or Dodge/RAM dealership, never seen one as bust as a Land Rover dealership.
@@drawersystems What is it's tow capacity?
Did you ever post video 3 on the upgrades?
Not yet...the video didn't come out great and in hindsight I would have just upgraded the solar charge controller instead
@@drawersystems Which solar controller did you end up using?
Update please.... would you buy it again?
Yes so far so good!
Any update on this battery? Has it failed or done well?
So far so good!
@@drawersystems Awesome, thank you.
I was waiting for a comment on low bms
Does that mean a temp of 0 when camping I could never get my wife below 30
Please respond
Sorry for the late reply...lithium batteries can easily operate at 0* however they should not be charged if it's that cold. In the event of winter camping and needing to charge lithium, I would recommend adding a 12v heating pad made for batteries or water tanks.
When is part 3 coming out?
Soon!
No BMS (battery management system)?
Just via the solar controller...it was just a battery swap and not a full system upgrade.
This is something they do not tell you about lead acid batteries VS lithium batteries.
Lead acid batteries can only safely discharge around 50% of their capacity, while Lithium batteries can discharge around 90% to near 100% of their capacity. Lithium batteries are also more efficient with the cycle.
In short charge and discharge alone if you have a 100Ah lead acid and a 100Ah lithium battery, the lithium battery can seem to get nearly 2X the energy as the lead acid battery.
That is not exactly true, you will significantly reduce the longevity of Lithium ion batteries if you continually discharge them to 20% or less.
@@rcud1 lithium ion you are correct but lithium phosphate can do that efficiently.
100% you saw like one of the comments said is not accurate, 13.3V is not full, 14V is close to full. if the battery goes down to 12V it is empty and anything below 13V is pretty much around 20% so you can see that 20% to 80% the voltage only changes 1/10th of a volt but from 0-100% it is 12V-14V so all the voltage movement is when empty or full in-between pretty much the same... this means to know how much you have between 20-80% you need a shunt that measures the actual juice going from and to the battery which is pretty cheap at around $40, I like the simple round ones that only show % volt and Amp/Ah on Amazon... hope this helps! knowing how much you have left is important if you want to make it trough the night on more load.
When you use the refrigerator boondocking, what mode of the frig do you use. Alternating Current(120vAC), LP gas, or 12vDC direct current?
When i am building a van or overland rig, I always go with a 12vDC capable fridge. Something like a Dometic, Iceco or Alpicool
Why don't you just use your table for counter space? That's what I do.
With 3 kids, the table is usually full of games, toys and you name it, leaving no room to prep for cooking…the flip up table is awesome and helps a ton.
2x 75 = 150Ah. The LiPeO4 is 200Ah. That is only a 33% increase.... not double
AGM, Wet or SLA batteries only have a 'usable' capacity of 50%...if you deplete more than 50%, you could damage the battery and it will definitely not last as long. Thus 150ah is only 75ah of usable capacity. Lithium batteries can be depleted down to 0 without issue, hence doubling the capacity.
Hi..🇨🇷
No need to upgrade the charger, your solar will do all the extra charging your lithium battery needs.
Agreed. In hindsight I would have just upgraded the solar charge controller instead.
Why not use a 300ah
It would not fit...this 200 ah was the only one that I could find with the correct dimensions
Lead-acid batteries are only good for 50% usage, a 100ah battery is actually a 50ah battery, so your 75ah batteries were actually 35ah each. You just installed a true 200ah battery
Wait till he finds out that his car's alternator won't charge to 14.4 either.
Of course I know…the charge coming from the vehicle is only a trickle charger especially for a 200ah battery. I have 530 watts of solar on the roof which charges at 14.4-6 and tops the battery off each day by noon. The charge from the vehicle is just supplemental.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries don't need to breathe...