Dog Gone Motorhome
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Lesuire battery
- Thread starter Dog Gone Motorhome
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davidrtd
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If you are changing to lithium from lead/acid or agm then you will also need to change the charging method. Charging voltages and rates are different and unless these settings can be discovered and met then early failure may happen - they will need a setable battery to battery charger and appropriate 'smart' mains charger for use on hook up. It is not just a 'swop' and 'drop in' solution. The wrong charging regime may result in early battery failure.
You will save weight and as the battery can be run down to 20% rather than the 50% of lead acid a smaller battery may be fitted. I do not have the full knowledge of detail but from reading discussions on another forum with knowledgeable people I suggest full research is carried out before making what may be an expensive mistake.
You will save weight and as the battery can be run down to 20% rather than the 50% of lead acid a smaller battery may be fitted. I do not have the full knowledge of detail but from reading discussions on another forum with knowledgeable people I suggest full research is carried out before making what may be an expensive mistake.
snapster
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Depends on your onboard charger and alternator. ( and solar setup if you have one)
Lithium batteries don’t like smart alternators apparently.
We have a Poweroad Infinity sub zero 100ah lithium battery. We don’t have a smart alternator and our onboard charger is an Elektroblock EBL 119. We also have solar panels with a Victron mppt controller that has a Lifepo4 charging profile. The battery performs perfectly without any modifications, I only used mains hook up once to fully charge the battery when I bought it.
I bought the battery from Alpha. They seem very knowledgeable and if you are considering using them, then a quick email to them ( or your proposed retailer) would be useful to see if your set up would be suitable or if not, any mods that might be required.
Lithium batteries don’t like smart alternators apparently.
We have a Poweroad Infinity sub zero 100ah lithium battery. We don’t have a smart alternator and our onboard charger is an Elektroblock EBL 119. We also have solar panels with a Victron mppt controller that has a Lifepo4 charging profile. The battery performs perfectly without any modifications, I only used mains hook up once to fully charge the battery when I bought it.
I bought the battery from Alpha. They seem very knowledgeable and if you are considering using them, then a quick email to them ( or your proposed retailer) would be useful to see if your set up would be suitable or if not, any mods that might be required.
Dog Gone Motorhome
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Thanks for your replies, between asking and reading replies I had a goose online and found it wasn't a simple "swap n drop" as I'd perhaps hoped, I have no idea what snapster wrote and even google translate didn't help! 
So think that alone proves we need to do much more research and have a better understanding into how our setup runs, we've had tourers and day vans etc, but this is our first m'home
So think that alone proves we need to do much more research and have a better understanding into how our setup runs, we've had tourers and day vans etc, but this is our first m'home
wildebus
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If the battery manufacturers detailed what is really needed instead of saying "it's a drop in", it would put so many people off they wouldn't sell any of the buggers
So in truth Lithium Batteries are quite different to Lead Acid, and are more complex (geeze, they effectively have a computer inside each battery!), but they can be retro-fitted inside just about any motorhome with the appropriate support products
e.g. Chargers that work with Lithium (which may mean a different charger, but may mean just a change in settings, depending what is currently installed);
And a way to keep an eye on the battery state of charge (SoC).
Most Motorhome setups just tell you the battery voltage level on a control panel. This gives a passable way to check your Lead-Acid batteries but is no use for a Lithium Battery. You need either to fit a separate State of Charge Battery Monitor, or get a Lithium Battery with a built in SoC Monitor.
So in truth Lithium Batteries are quite different to Lead Acid, and are more complex (geeze, they effectively have a computer inside each battery!), but they can be retro-fitted inside just about any motorhome with the appropriate support products
e.g. Chargers that work with Lithium (which may mean a different charger, but may mean just a change in settings, depending what is currently installed);
And a way to keep an eye on the battery state of charge (SoC).
Most Motorhome setups just tell you the battery voltage level on a control panel. This gives a passable way to check your Lead-Acid batteries but is no use for a Lithium Battery. You need either to fit a separate State of Charge Battery Monitor, or get a Lithium Battery with a built in SoC Monitor.
snapster
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Thanks for your replies, between asking and reading replies I had a goose online and found it wasn't a simple "swap n drop" as I'd perhaps hoped, I have no idea what snapster wrote and even google translate didn't help!
So think that alone proves we need to do much more research and have a better understanding into how our setup runs, we've had tourers and day vans etc, but this is our first m'home
We may be able to help more if you give us further info about your van and set up.
It would help knowing how old your van is and what onboard charging system/power supply you have.