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Post Info TOPIC: Lithium batteries


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I am going to buy a new van with 2 x 100 amp lithium batteries 3x 160 amp solar running a 220 litre 2 way fridge and will be mainly camping off the grid . if anyone has a similar setup will the batteries have enough storage for times of not so much sun or would it be better to have 300 amps thanks

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Dont have Lith batteries . We had approx what it has and did ok . We have gone over 400AH since .. Mainly due to battery state of charge .. From what I understand with lith batteries ? This is LESS of an issue !!! But with most things it depends on usage, current draw..

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Why complicate things with 2 x 100Ah and not 1 at 200Ah, as it would simplify cell balancing.

Alan



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etravelyounger wrote:

I am going to buy a new van with 2 x 100 amp lithium batteries 3x 160 amp solar running a 220 litre 2 way fridge and will be mainly camping off the grid . if anyone has a similar setup will the batteries have enough storage for times of not so much sun or would it be better to have 300 amps thanks


 Not an expert,but I would suggest that 2x100ah Lithium batteries would be more than enough for fridge etc. I have 540ah Lithium,and EVERYTHING in my van runs off batteries.....microwave,electric fry pan,airfryer,TV,slow cooker,hot water jug,AND I can run my 2.5kw reverse cycle AC 24/7 with no problems.During testing I set the AC at 18 degrees overnight,and at 6am the batteries still were on 94% charged.By 7am they were back to 100%.You have 480 watts (?) Solar which I think is easily enough for 200ah of batteries......I believe that the minimum is something like 150 watts Solar/100ah batteries.As I said,I am NOT an expert on this,but perhaps my input is of some help to you? Cheers.



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Too much talk about batteries and not enough talk about where that power comes from.
Batteries are for storing power now for use later. You can't do that unless you have more power available than you need now, so get the solar to be more than adequate first and then you won't need so much battery capacity.
If you have lots and lots of solar, you only need enough batteries to last you for your over night power consumption which is generally not much, and any battery type can do that.
Cheers,
Peter

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travelyounger wrote:

I am going to buy a new van with 2 x 100 amp lithium batteries 3x 160 amp solar running a 220 litre 2 way fridge and will be mainly camping off the grid . if anyone has a similar setup will the batteries have enough storage for times of not so much sun or would it be better to have 300 amps thanks


480w of solar, enough to power a fridge plus a few other items and even minimal use of an inverter. Two separate 100Ah batteries work as lead acid batteries, sort of, but it will be the recipe for a very expensive failure in under 2 yrs if you attempt it with lithium batteries.

Built as a 200Ah 12v battery, as has already been suggested, combined with a proper BMS system that does monitor and react to cell voltages rather than battery voltage, will serve you well for many yrs to come.

The better the quality of the cell manufacture, the better the BMS system, the longer you can expect trouble free operation.

We have system over 8yrs old now being used 24/7 on the road and still doing what they did when new and have tested, at the manufacturers specified load, to still have more than the advertised capacity.

I only add that bit to show that a properly designed system will last well beyond your expectations and out perform and lead acid battery system.

 

T1 Terry   



-- Edited by T1 Terry on Saturday 15th of June 2019 01:00:15 PM

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Hi Terry The van I am looking at is a jb scorpion 2018 new it has 2 x100 amp lithium with red arc 30 amp bms the 2019 model comes with 1 x200 amp lithium and 40 amp enerdrive bms . I dont want to have to replace or have dramas with the batteries I have been using agm in my current van with no problems thanks

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Chris (Enerdrive) builds a good set up for the OEM caravan builders and I'm guessing there is a valid reason why the manufacturer has moved from the 2 battery system and Redarc to the all from the same supplier Enerdrive system. No passing the buck as to who is to blame if the system all comes from the one mob. I believe Chris takes over the whole battery etc warranty from the caravan manufacturer so any issues are soon sorted.
Is there a price difference between the 2 x 100Ah and redarc system and the Enerdrive system?

T1 Terry


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Thanks Terry for the info I will check with JB on the price difference

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one thing to watch out for with lithium is to check how much they can discharge at once. I know you only want it for fridge, but later you may add inverter to run jug, microwave, toaster, laptop, etc. Some lithiums will not do that.

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stoney123 wrote:

one thing to watch out for with lithium is to check how much they can discharge at once. I know you only want it for fridge, but later you may add inverter to run jug, microwave, toaster, laptop, etc. Some lithiums will not do that.


The other catch is the continuous discharge rate can not be multiplied by the number of batteries fitted because each battery does not have current limiting.

We did a demo of this problem at Stone The Crows a few mths back, 4 x 100Ah 12v batteries in parallel and a 200 amp load. Theory says the load should be 50 amps from each battery, the test showed the majority came out of the first battery, the remaining came out of the second battery and nothing out of the 3rd and 4th battery. This would have resulted in failure that was not covered by warranty on the drop in type batteries because just about all of them have a continuous max discharge of 50 amps. Basically, the first fails due to overload, then the second, then the third and finally the last battery. A warranty claim and battery inspection reveals each battery was subjected to more than the continuous 50 amp load.

A properly designed and constructed battery pack does not have these limits, a single drop in lithium battery might be fine, but not multiples connected in parallel, it just doesn't work the way the purchaser had hoped.

 

T1 Terry 



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Just wondering Terry what price would it be for a full lithium battery set up compared to a lead acid system of 300 watts on the roof thats doing the job perfectly with two 120 amp agms , to me lithium would be a very very expensive alternative with nothing at all to gain except weight reduction and faster recharge , theres no point in it to me if your agms are doing everything you want,why waste big money on lithium, the price of the two systems compared would be huge to achieve the same results would it not....



-- Edited by Ron-D on Sunday 23rd of June 2019 11:22:16 AM

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Ron, are we comparing a lithium battery to the same useable capacity as a 100Ah AGM battery and the same information about the battery condition and charging/discharging and state of charge you have now? If we are comparing apples with apples I need to know what you have now. Your post already says you have a bias one way, so no matter the price you would be against the change, but it will give others a better idea regarding the real apples to apples costing.

T1 Terry

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Ron-D wrote:

Just wondering Terry what price would it be for a full lithium battery set up compared to a lead acid system of 300 watts on the roof thats doing the job perfectly with two 120 amp agms , to me lithium would be a very very expensive alternative with nothing at all to gain except weight reduction and faster recharge , theres no point in it to me if your agms are doing everything you want,why waste big money on lithium, the price of the two systems compared would be huge to achieve the same results would it not....

-- Edited by Ron-D on Sunday 23rd of June 2019 11:22:16 AM


I would suggest that 300 watts is not enough Solar for 240ah batteries...I have 1700 watts for 540ah Lithium.Cheers 



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Hi yobarr smile

I will make this comment just for the discussion of comparisons as I see it. I do not want to get into heavy discussion.

You have a mighty setup yobarr and should have power to 'burn'  with 1700 watts for 540ah Lithium(90%discharge ?) Good biggrin But at the other end where Ron is at, with  300W for 240ahr AGM(50%discharge ?) he says he is going OK. As a modest user that would be common, and I think plenty of people have about that from what I read. I have less of both !!

But with lead acid batteries it is essential for their long life for them to be regularly recharged to full or their life is reduced. So having plenty of solar is good. If they do not get to full charge through a bad weather event then you must be careful to avoid running them too low. Then when that passes if they will charge fully again it will be OK. But if they do not get fully charged regularly or worse low every day,  they will die early.furious

Perhaps Lithium will be more tolerant of being partly charged regularly. Indeed they might like that. But if you are not charging them fully regularly then you probably do not have  enough solar. But the batteries will not suffer from being at low charge.

So the answer is the same really, LA or Lithium. Make sure you have enough solar (or other power)every normal day, to put back all the power you used and a bit more to top them up full. aww Also make sure you have the low battery cutout setting, or a good BMS to prevent them getting discharged too much or they will be stuffed. 

Jaahn  

   



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Jaahn wrote:

Hi yobarr smile

I will make this comment just for the discussion of comparisons as I see it. I do not want to get into heavy discussion.

You have a mighty setup yobarr and should have power to 'burn'  with 1700 watts for 540ah Lithium(90%discharge ?) Good biggrin But at the other end where Ron is at, with  300W for 240ahr AGM(50%discharge ?) he says he is going OK. As a modest user that would be common, and I think plenty of people have about that from what I read. I have less of both !!

But with lead acid batteries it is essential for their long life for them to be regularly recharged to full or their life is reduced. So having plenty of solar is good. If they do not get to full charge through a bad weather event then you must be careful to avoid running them too low.

 

Also make sure you have the low battery cutout setting, or a good BMS to prevent them getting discharged too much or they will be stuffed. 

Jaahn  

   


Hi Jaahn...you are absolutely correct on both points above,which is why I suggested that 300 watts Solar is not enough for 240ah batteries....my understanding is that you should have AT LEAST 1.5 times  battery capacity as Solar, so 360 watts minimum for 240ah.

Battery cutout...the chap who designed and built my system set the cutout at 10.5,and I have reached that only once,trying to run my reverse cycle all night on 30 degrees C when outside temperature was zero.Failed experiment.....Didnt work,and shut down at 5am.Cheers



-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 24th of June 2019 05:37:01 PM

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T1 Terry wrote:

Ron, are we comparing a lithium battery to the same useable capacity as a 100Ah AGM battery and the same information about the battery condition and charging/discharging and state of charge you have now? If we are comparing apples with apples I need to know what you have now. Your post already says you have a bias one way, so no matter the price you would be against the change, but it will give others a better idea regarding the real apples to apples costing.

T1 Terry


 Not comparing it with lithium Terry all I know with the above set up it does everything we want  very well indeed its a minefield trying to compare it with anyone elses set ups ,but it runs everything we have and need to perfection granted the fridge is on gas,I could throw the whole lot in garbage spend massive amounts of cash on lithium Which would be stupidity at the highest level to gain nothing at all,my friend has just taken delivery of a new van bogey wheels independently suspension same power as mine its all thats needed for most people,his van is fabulous comes it at 70k most lithium eqiped vans are around 120 k and up and up in price,like the bush trackers ect.his van has the agms on the chassis of the van as most do now ,the chassis does not care about battery weight so lithium lose one advantage,it all depends on what you want to spend.as far as our particular situation and most people we hnow the lead acid system works to perfection its more than good enough ,Honestly I could afford the 120k van but I would feel it and for what nothing.....



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Ron-D wrote:


T1 Terry wrote:


Ron, are we comparing a lithium battery to the same useable capacity as a 100Ah AGM battery and the same information about the battery condition and charging/discharging and state of charge you have now? If we are comparing apples with apples I need to know what you have now. Your post already says you have a bias one way, so no matter the price you would be against the change, but it will give others a better idea regarding the real apples to apples costing.

T1 Terry


 ......his van has the agms on the chassis of the van as most do now ,the chassis does not care about battery weight so lithium lose one advantage....


 Hi Ron...as our good friend (?) Pauline would say...please explain.Whether the batteries are Lithium or AGM,surely their weight is transferred to the road via the wheels?(GTM)  Lighter batteries allow more other stuff to be included in the payload.Cheers



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This discussion is heading very downhill again.
Why do people come onto these topics just to start rubbishing Lithium batteries.
Or even to compare AGM with Lithium when the original question asked had nothing to do with the benefits or otherwise?
Why is it necessary for those with no interest or knowledge of the batteries to come on here and start rubbishing those that want to use them.
I would suggest that if you are not interested in Lithium batteries that you would not even bother to open a topic to look at the discussion at all.
Just like I have no Interest in Caravan dynamics, so I don't bother even opening anything on that topic.

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Jaahn wrote:

Hi yobarr smile

I will make this comment just for the discussion of comparisons as I see it. I do not want to get into heavy discussion.

You have a mighty setup yobarr and should have power to 'burn'  with 1700 watts for 540ah Lithium(90%discharge ?) Good biggrin But at the other end where Ron is at, with  300W for 240ahr AGM(50%discharge ?) he says he is going OK. As a modest user that would be common, and I think plenty of people have about that from what I read. I have less of both !!

But with lead acid batteries it is essential for their long life for them to be regularly recharged to full or their life is reduced. So having plenty of solar is good. If they do not get to full charge through a bad weather event then you must be careful to avoid running them too low. Then when that passes if they will charge fully again it will be OK. But if they do not get fully charged regularly or worse low every day,  they will die early.furious

Perhaps Lithium will be more tolerant of being partly charged regularly. Indeed they might like that. But if you are not charging them fully regularly then you probably do not have  enough solar. But the batteries will not suffer from being at low charge.

So the answer is the same really, LA or Lithium. Make sure you have enough solar (or other power)every normal day, to put back all the power you used and a bit more to top them up full. aww Also make sure you have the low battery cutout setting, or a good BMS to prevent them getting discharged too much or they will be stuffed. 

Jaahn  

   


Hi Jaahn, lithium batteries do not degrade if not brought back to fully charged, even if it was for the life cycle of the battery pack. They would need to be returned to 100% SOC after around 3 yrs to regain the full capacity, but that is only important if you ever need to draw them down to 100% Depth of discharge, all the advertised capacity. The only other reason to bring them back to 100% is to clear the accumulated error that the Victron BMV gathers over time. It either reads 100% SOC well before the true 100% is reached, or it starts to read a lower SOC than the battery truly is, the return to a true 100% charged corrects this error as part of the programming available in the Victron BMV.

As far as the low cut out, this should be 2 pronged, at the 5% SOC or cell voltage, just in case the SOC is out of wack compared to the true state of charge (SOC).  

Unfortunately the low cell voltage safety isn't available in a seal battery, be it an AGM or lithium, so only the battery voltage can be used to determine the safe lower level. Works sort of ok for an AGM battery, but can be fatal for a lithium battery. 100% Depth of Discharge and low battery voltage do not correspond the way they do with lead acid batteries, a quality lithium battery can be at 100% Depth of Discharge as measured by the advertised capacity, yet still be at 12.4v or higher. A whole different set of rules apply with lithium batteries.

 

T1 Terry



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Ron-D wrote:
T1 Terry wrote:

Ron, are we comparing a lithium battery to the same useable capacity as a 100Ah AGM battery and the same information about the battery condition and charging/discharging and state of charge you have now? If we are comparing apples with apples I need to know what you have now. Your post already says you have a bias one way, so no matter the price you would be against the change, but it will give others a better idea regarding the real apples to apples costing.

T1 Terry


 Not comparing it with lithium Terry all I know with the above set up it does everything we want  very well indeed its a minefield trying to compare it with anyone elses set ups ,but it runs everything we have and need to perfection granted the fridge is on gas,I could throw the whole lot in garbage spend massive amounts of cash on lithium Which would be stupidity at the highest level to gain nothing at all,my friend has just taken delivery of a new van bogey wheels independently suspension same power as mine its all thats needed for most people,his van is fabulous comes it at 70k most lithium eqiped vans are around 120 k and up and up in price,like the bush trackers ect.his van has the agms on the chassis of the van as most do now ,the chassis does not care about battery weight so lithium lose one advantage,it all depends on what you want to spend.as far as our particular situation and most people we hnow the lead acid system works to perfection its more than good enough ,Honestly I could afford the 120k van but I would feel it and for what nothing.....


OK Ron, so we are looking for a battery that will deliver up to 50% of the capacity of the 2 x 120Ah AGM batteries, or less, maybe only using the top 30% to get a longer life?

If you do use the full 50% available, then a quality 100Ah lithium battery will do that job just fine. I assume you don't have any heavy loads like an inverter and you don't recharge aggressively, so I'd quote you roughly $1,000 for one of our batteries, complete with a minimal BMS system that you can actually see each cell and what each cell voltage is so you know roughly how the battery is going.

We only last week had to quote a van owner for the price of an AGM battery of equal quality to the lithium batteries we sell. Only Rolls and Concorde/Lifeline fit that category and the equivalent Lifeline battery was $700 plus freight x 2  https://www.solaronline.com.au/120ah-concorde-12v-agm-deep-cycle-battery.html The accepted discharge rate for AGM batteries is the C20 rate, fully discharged over 20 hrs.

Yes, you can buy cheaper AGM batteries, but you really do only get what you pay for, lithium is no different. You can pay way too much as well, so you really do need to keep your eyes open when buying any of this sort of product.

 

T1 Terry



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Just curiouse Terry and I would find a lot of people would be interested in this,what would be the cost of a lithium battery set that your fitting to vans including panels and battery management system,I Know people have different requirements but on average a rough ball park figure to give people an Idea on whether the conversion is worth while ,I would imagine the price would be very expensive and not worth it ,considering that in most cases there lead acid systems are doing what they want,if it was remotely affordable it may be a consideration for some people the big question is cost,big dollars for little gain thats whats in peoples minds .

Just a further note Terry let me get this right its just a matter of useing your existing panels and spending a thousand dollars on a lithium battery and a suitable charger to convert to lithium  providing your not running a fridge and lets say your 12volt pump occasionally LEDs of a night and 12 volt tv thats a basic load that people would use ,and lets take this one step further lets get really basic the average person out there with the same base load as described above with just one agm battery and lets say doing very well with there 160 amp portable panel only has to spend 1000 dollars to replace there battery and that price includes a suitable charger it could not be that easy could it..



-- Edited by Ron-D on Tuesday 25th of June 2019 09:10:04 AM



-- Edited by Ron-D on Tuesday 25th of June 2019 09:26:39 AM

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Not quite that simple Ron, we build an interface so the original equipment can still be used with the lithium battery, no need to buy a new anything. The lithium battery will run the pump, it would run a 12v or even a 240vac household fridge and suitable inverter to power it. The 160w portable panel would struggle to look after the needs of the compressor fridge if the weather wasn't great, but charging from the car to make up for the short fall every few days would cover that. The alternative would be to add another panel, but that of course would be dependant on the weather and just how well the user maintained the moving around of the panels. If the lead acid system got by with only 160w of solar then the owner must be very diligent with the panel placement.

As far as your first part of the post:
 Just curiouse Terry and I would find a lot of people would be interested in this,what would be the cost of a lithium battery set that your fitting to vans including panels and battery management system,I Know people have different requirements but on average a rough ball park figure to give people an Idea on whether the conversion is worth while ,I would imagine the price would be very expensive and not worth it ,considering that in most cases there lead acid systems are doing what they want,if it was remotely affordable it may be a consideration for some people the big question is cost,big dollars for little gain thats whats in peoples minds

Let's start with the bit highlighted in red. We wouldn't get any work at all if this was the case, the fact is the lead acid systems are not doing the job they want be looking to do. Stone the Crows at Wagga is a perfect example, the owner is on site for 7 days relying on solar to replace what they use each day/night. After the first 3 to 4 days, out come the gensets and general mass panic erupts. Those with lithium systems do not have a problem, actually some of the systems we have installed actually run out leads for mains chargers so they don't have to suffer the generator noise and smell, there really is that much difference. Sure, these people have upgraded their battery capacity and sometimes their solar capacity but that was generally so they could run their air con when it was hot without the need for a generator as well as run all the appliances the wife used at home. The most common reason "Happy wife is a happy life" If the wife doesn't see travelling in the van as having to do it tough resulting in it not being a holiday for her, she is more likely to want to travel more.

Now, putting that part first shows there is no such thing as a general fit out with lithium. The variable are battery capacity, full battery management where the owner does nothing compared to the owner being the battery management system, solar and DC to DC charger upgrades, inverters wired in so they seamlessly switch between battery/inverter power to shore power through every power point in the van including the air con ..... even as far as switching on the hot water element once the battery is full to use the remaining solar rather than wasting gas.

The latest trend is converting to full electric, doing away with the gas completely and selling off the generator. This was never possible using lead acid batteries but it is using lithium with a properly designed system.

Consider the savings with no caravan park fees, no gas refill costs, no generator and no requirement for special 12v appliances including the fridge/freezer. It doesn't take long for long term traveller to recoup initial outlay, then add in the "Happy Wife" and long cycle life without having to be careful about power use and it isn't hard to see why some choose to convert to a custom built lithium system.

It might not suit you, the wife might even say she doesn't want all that either, but you probably aren't game to risk asking the question wink  but for many it is the perfect set up for them.  

Just a thought regarding the cost outlay, how many people have solar on their roof now and are looking seriously at a battery back up as well, they were willing to take the financial hit for the long term gain.

 

T1 Terry 



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T1 Terry wrote:

Not quite that simple Ron, we build an interface so the original equipment can still be used with the lithium battery, no need to buy a new anything. The lithium battery will run the pump, it would run a 12v or even a 240vac household fridge and suitable inverter to power it. The 160w portable panel would struggle to look after the needs of the compressor fridge if the weather wasn't great, but charging from the car to make up for the short fall every few days would cover that. The alternative would be to add another panel, but that of course would be dependant on the weather and just how well the user maintained the moving around of the panels. If the lead acid system got by with only 160w of solar then the owner must be very diligent with the panel placement.

As far as your first part of the post:
 Just curiouse Terry and I would find a lot of people would be interested in this,what would be the cost of a lithium battery set that your fitting to vans including panels and battery management system,I Know people have different requirements but on average a rough ball park figure to give people an Idea on whether the conversion is worth while ,I would imagine the price would be very expensive and not worth it ,considering that in most cases there lead acid systems are doing what they want,if it was remotely affordable it may be a consideration for some people the big question is cost,big dollars for little gain thats whats in peoples minds

Let's start with the bit highlighted in red. We wouldn't get any work at all if this was the case, the fact is the lead acid systems are not doing the job they want be looking to do. Stone the Crows at Wagga is a perfect example, the owner is on site for 7 days relying on solar to replace what they use each day/night. After the first 3 to 4 days, out come the gensets and general mass panic erupts. Those with lithium systems do not have a problem, actually some of the systems we have installed actually run out leads for mains chargers so they don't have to suffer the generator noise and smell, there really is that much difference. Sure, these people have upgraded their battery capacity and sometimes their solar capacity but that was generally so they could run their air con when it was hot without the need for a generator as well as run all the appliances the wife used at home. The most common reason "Happy wife is a happy life" If the wife doesn't see travelling in the van as having to do it tough resulting in it not being a holiday for her, she is more likely to want to travel more.

Now, putting that part first shows there is no such thing as a general fit out with lithium. The variable are battery capacity, full battery management where the owner does nothing compared to the owner being the battery management system, solar and DC to DC charger upgrades, inverters wired in so they seamlessly switch between battery/inverter power to shore power through every power point in the van including the air con ..... even as far as switching on the hot water element once the battery is full to use the remaining solar rather than wasting gas.

The latest trend is converting to full electric, doing away with the gas completely and selling off the generator. This was never possible using lead acid batteries but it is using lithium with a properly designed system.

Consider the savings with no caravan park fees, no gas refill costs, no generator and no requirement for special 12v appliances including the fridge/freezer. It doesn't take long for long term traveller to recoup initial outlay, then add in the "Happy Wife" and long cycle life without having to be careful about power use and it isn't hard to see why some choose to convert to a custom built lithium system.

It might not suit you, the wife might even say she doesn't want all that either, but you probably aren't game to risk asking the question wink  but for many it is the perfect set up for them.  

Just a thought regarding the cost outlay, how many people have solar on their roof now and are looking seriously at a battery back up as well, they were willing to take the financial hit for the long term gain.

 

T1 Terry 


I dont know how people have managed to survive all the years ,Terry you would not have a clue what caravanning is for most people ,your making out that people without all that lithium gear are doing it rough your not in the real world ,honestly we live and enjoy our van  ,were living in a modern van not laying on dirt floor in a tent ,most new vans on market right now this very minute even ,that dont have lithium are not roughing it ,to imagine that its absolute stupidity lithium has certain advantages for some people thats about it,I noticed you did not quote any prices cant blame you for that its probably a ridiculous amount to gain a more advanced charging system that were easily living without...



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Ron-D wrote:
I dont know how people have managed to survive all the years ,Terry you would not have a clue what caravanning is for most people ,your making out that people without all that lithium gear are doing it rough your not in the real world ,honestly we live and enjoy our van  ,were living in a modern van not laying on dirt floor in a tent ,most new vans on market right now this very minute even ,that dont have lithium are not roughing it ,to imagine that its absolute stupidity lithium has certain advantages for some people thats about it,I noticed you did not quote any prices cant blame you for that its probably a ridiculous amount to gain a more advanced charging system that were easily living without...

  Hi Ron....dare I suggest that Lithium is not an expense,rather an investment.Lets look at figures....caravan park for 365 days/year at $40/day=$14,600/YEAR for full time travellers.And that is just the start! In addition,there is no need to carry a generator,saving both weight and money.(Petrol)AND there is no noise! Then there is no need to carry gas bottles,with the associated expense.(Often highly inflated in remote areas,I believe....at up to $70/bottle?) And there is the 18kg weight saving...the list goes on. Run the reverse cycle AC unit 24/7 at 22-26 degrees, cook in a microwave,electric frypan,slow cooker for stews and casseroles,boil the electric jug,use the airfryer for roasts etc...the list goes on,with a big fridge/freezer,TV,stereo etc.And a diesel heater for heating water, and,if necessary,air. Lithium is an investment,and with 540 litres of water,and pumps on board,I rarely have to worry about stopping in bigger towns.. Cheers



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I do a combination of free/cheap away from power etc and caravan parks and have never felt that I or my wife have gone without any comforts. In my vans I normally have between 300 and 400w of solar and a couple of 100amp wet cell batteries, very basic. Cant see the need for lithium for my needs
cheers
blaze

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blaze wrote:

I do a combination of free/cheap away from power etc and caravan parks and have never felt that I or my wife have gone without any comforts. In my vans I normally have between 300 and 400w of solar and a couple of 100amp wet cell batteries, very basic. Cant see the need for lithium for my needs
cheers
blaze


 Agreed...horses for courses,but there is no way known you would want to be on the mainland,and in temperatures above 40 degrees,without the ability to run an air conditioner? And a couple of 100amp wet cell batteries is not going to do the job! Too old not to do things properly! Cheers



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yobarr wrote:
blaze wrote:

I do a combination of free/cheap away from power etc and caravan parks and have never felt that I or my wife have gone without any comforts. In my vans I normally have between 300 and 400w of solar and a couple of 100amp wet cell batteries, very basic. Cant see the need for lithium for my needs
cheers
blaze


 Agreed...horses for courses,but there is no way known you would want to be on the mainland,and in temperatures above 40 degrees,without the ability to run an air conditioner? And a couple of 100amp wet cell batteries is not going to do the job! Too old not to do things properly! Cheers


 spent a couple of years in Broome including  a couple of wet season, some of it working on the gibb river road living not in a caravan but a bush camp. Wouldn't swap that experience for a million dollars

cheers

blaze

ps never used the aircon in the vehicle much either, just wind down the window



-- Edited by blaze on Tuesday 25th of June 2019 07:58:48 PM

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El Gringo wrote:

This discussion is heading very downhill again.
Why do people come onto these topics just to start rubbishing Lithium batteries.
Or even to compare AGM with Lithium when the original question asked had nothing to do with the benefits or otherwise?
Why is it necessary for those with no interest or knowledge of the batteries to come on here and start rubbishing those that want to use them.
I would suggest that if you are not interested in Lithium batteries that you would not even bother to open a topic to look at the discussion at all.
Just like I have no Interest in Caravan dynamics, so I don't bother even opening anything on that topic.


 

Hahaha

I love it when people say 'I have never had xxx or yyy but ."



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blaze wrote:

 spent a couple of years in Broome including  a couple of wet season, some of it working on the gibb river road living not in a caravan but a bush camp. Wouldn't swap that experience for a million dollars                                                           cheers,blaze.                                                                                                                                                                   ps never used the aircon in the vehicle much either, just wind down the window

-- Edited by blaze on Tuesday 25th of June 2019 07:58:48 PM


 Yeah Robert,been there,done that.The old 4 by 120 air conditioner..........4 windows down,120km/hr,and I have lived in a tent in high temperatures. BUT,surely no sane man would do these things if there were other options? Please do not try to tell me that if you had a choice between sleeping in a tent,on the dirt,in 40 degree temperatures,and sleeping in an air conditioned caraven,you would choose to sleep on the dirt.Cheers



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