Initial thoughts on LifePO4 (Lithium) battery conversion in my 2017 Newmar Ventana

[TheLooks]

Victron was pushed hard by the school as the guru they all follow works for Victron. I learned that the batteries are just Chinese cells put in a box. The ones pushed by the school, and made by the head guy at the school, are made to take apart and service. Victron seems to be the best right now.

 

[Neal]

Interesting learning more about LifePO4's and the videos YouTube keeps putting in my feed. Seems to prove that they are the same internal batteries with much of the money being paid for name and packaging. You still have to trust your batteries and not burn the house down but it's eye opening as you learn more about this field of batteries.

 

[Neal]

I'm discovering that you shouldn't dive in to LifePO4 so fast. There are so many competitors on the market now including the option of building your own. A YouTube video popped up today educating me on SOK LifePO4 batteries such as the one below which is half the cost of battleborn.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B94PBKS6/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[TheLooks]

Prices will drop most likely. But if I was boondocking and using the system, I would buy some ones now. Nice to be able to wait....

 

[Neal]

Yeah, my next adventure out west to do some boondocking may be winter 2023 or after so it may be better to wait. My house batteries test fine now but the learning has started for when it's time for replacement.

 

[Gizmo]

I hate to think this but my decision came down to how much longer I will own the coach. We are 73 years young and with a 10-year warranty, I would be 83 years young if would we still be RVing. I hope so but our current feeling is we going to buy a park model for snowbirding at the age of 75 years young and hang up our keys or maybe share our Class C with our son for shorter trips.

Added: At some age you should hang up your keys and not be driving a 40 foot 38,000 pound Class A and the age is different for different people. Our limit looks like it going 75 or so where I seen others in their 80's still can handle a Class A coach. I'm sure we seen people that should be driving a Class A at any age. I had surgery on both eyes and one eye has very limited sight and the other eye is 20/25 so my wife does 99 percent of the driving of the coach. Just have know when to quite.

 

[Buly]

Gizmo,
I had the same line of thinking when deciding on new batteries.
I’m 74 y old, I don’t buy green bananas anymore . Why should I buy super expensive batteries with 10 years lifespan, plus the expense of someone installing them?
So I got 8 Trojan AGM’s and installed them myself.

 

[Neal]

I don't think you buy batteries based on YOUR age but instead YOUR use. For me LifePO4's have nothing to do with warranty period (and there are catches to that 10 year warranty, it's not what you think it is). My use is to enjoy my solar to the best of the systems' ability and force myself to RV off grid more and really enjoy nature and the scenery beyond RV parking lots. If you haven't been to Quartzsite I highly recommend that experience as an intro to off grid camping. I can't wait to go back, there is something really special about it.

 

[Gizmo]

People have been boondocking at Quartzsite long before Lithium batteries and I would venture to guess that most people at Quartzsite don't have Lithium batteries. I set my AGS to charge my batteries when they hit 11.9 volts seems to work just fine with my AGM batteries.
I was going to add solar and the installer told me to do a energy audit I found that most of the time I'm boondocking there is at least some AC usage that would require a huge battery bank or again setting my AGS to run the AC when temps get above 75 degrees which also keeps my battery charged. I guess the most important accessory for boondocking for me would be a generator with AGS.

 

[TheLooks]

You have boiled the argument down to brass tacks Gizmo. These are the same arguments I had with solar guru's at school. The counter arguments are having enough gas and propane to boondock for long durations. Everything is a tradeoff. Pick you poison.

 

[Neal]

Since installing solar I have rarely used or needed it. Would I do it again? Maybe, or maybe to a more limited extend with storage or service centers in mind (parked in a parking lot for a week unplugged). Our GEN's are awesome and in my mind under used (and utilized). People seem to think as their GEN hour meter goes up value goes down. I'd beg to differ, I've spent more money on things not working from non use than being used or even over used.

So if you have solar and have some desire to enjoy harvesting the power the sun provides then you'll want to pair that with proper batteries. Enjoying pure peace and quiet but also enjoying that you made the energy you used through solar is a "hobby" and not necessity. So yeah, solar, LifePO4's all not required. Reducing front axle weight is a bonus.

 

[Gizmo]

You have boiled the argument down to brass tacks Gizmo. These are the same arguments I had with solar guru's at school. The counter arguments are having enough gas and propane to boondock for long durations. Everything is a tradeoff. Pick you poison.

First, Neal, I agree.

Ah, the old fuel argument. This is my take on that. The Wife and I must be full of it because we seem to have to dump our black tanks every 5 to 7 days and hard to conserve water when you have macerating toilets other than setting the water level to low. If I'm truly boondocking there isn't a dump site near so a blue boy is not an option. I go dump my tanks, refill water and get some fuel about every 5 to 7 days. I base my generator's fuel consumption on 50 gallons out of my 100-gallon tank and the full load on the generator burns .75 gallons per hour. I get about 67 hours of generator use or about 8 hours per day gives me an easy 8 days for planning purposes.

I understand Neil's comment that making your own electricity can be a hobby but I don't need another expensive hobby.

 

[Mama Wolf]

If you are going to be winter camping, get the heated lithium batteries