FYI Interesting situation with LiFePO4 batteries and freezing temps today

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Our BMS is roughly 10 years old and I don’t believe it has cold temp protection. Instead I have to monitor and provide extra heating source to ensure battery temps remain above freezing, or if getting too cold, will shut down the charging system overnight.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Hey Kevin, Tech Channels tell folks to check before purchasing. If you do a search on Amazon (See Link Below), some of them don't list protection against low temps. I think the competition amongst manufactures is heating up so in the future they probably all will. I Like watching the videos where they test the different makes and models, Some of them actually take the batteries apart and show you were the manufactures cut corners. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lithium+rv+battery+12v&crid=2SYSTS2FYLOPV&sprefix=lithium+rv,aps,150&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_10&tag=rvf01-20

Ok! I can't believe such an important safeguard is not a standard! Another reason to double down and not invest in a Roman candle!!!

 

[Richpatty]

Ok! I can't believe such an important safeguard is not a standard! Another reason to double down and not invest in a Roman candle!!!

Gee, I am glad we are not over reacting....

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Gee, I am glad we are not over reacting....

I wasn't.

 

[House Husband]

Kevin, I'm of the same battery frame of mind as you. Our old 32' Bounder does quite well on 4 GC2 batteries and 860 watts of solar. No weather worries. No converting to Li needs. Guess those 82 candles I blew out this year, keeps me in the old school. GRIN!

Richard

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Kevin, I'm of the same battery frame of mind as you. Our old 32' Bounder does quite well on 4 GC2 batteries and 860 watts of solar. No weather worries. No converting to Li needs. Guess those 82 candles I blew out this year, keeps me in the old school. GRIN!

Richard

82? What does that look like?

 

[House Husband]

82? What does that look like?

Hard to tell what 82 looks like with my old eyes.
I guess I still do OK. I can still throw our 2 Segways in the rear of the CRV.
I rebuilt the engine and transmission of the MH 2 years ago. Have a nice concrete RV pad beside the house.

Richard

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Hard to tell what 82 looks like with my old eyes.
I guess I still do OK. I can still throw our 2 Segways in the rear of the CRV.
I rebuilt the engine and transmission of the MH 2 years ago. Have a nice concrete RV pad beside the house.

Richard

Oh! No!!! I was taking about the candles!

 

[House Husband]

Oh! No!!! I was taking about the candles!

They kind of looked like the fires in LA County.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

They kind of looked like the fires in LA County.

So you're thinking the LA fires were hyped up! or you couldn't read what was on the cake through the smoke?

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

How did we get from using LiFePo4 in freezing temperatures to getting smoke in your eyes?

 

[RollingManCave]

IMHO: I am not a expert on batteries by any means but I like the newer form of lithium batteries in less quantities than EV but gas cars blow up too. Same with lead acid, Many articles like this one: Lead Acid Battery Explosions: Causes, Risks, And Essential Safety Measures [Updated On- 2025] show their dangers as well. I am learning more about the solid state, I was way off in my guess on how they are made, I was thinking hundreds of capacitors in each cell .

 

[Richpatty]

In addition, I am sure the lithium skeptics on here have propane fridges, which have their own risks, but they are still more fearful of the less dangerous lithium batteries. We see lots of RVing fires on social media and the majority of them can be attributed to propane in some way.

Everything has risks, so everyone has to assess them in their lives.

Has anyone heard of an rv burning down to lithium batteries? I have not.

 

[Neal]

Lithium batteries are the craze now, many are moving to them with the prices lower than ever. Some don't realize there are different types of Lithium from Lithium Ion to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) which the latter is the safer and the one used in RV's. Anything electrical, especially if not installed properly has risks, as does fuel, propane, etc. My OASIS hydronic heater has shorted several times now due to a poor installation which I had to redo, that's the closest I've come to a problem. Imagine if that burner burns through!

I am more fearful of tire blowouts than any of the above.

 

[Richpatty]

I am more fearful of tire blowouts than any of the above.

I agree! I do worry more about blowouts than my lithium’s. Which is why I have Retrobands on my front tires….

And I agree on the oasis. I also recently had a wire burnout where the hi limit aquastat connect to the relays (inside the unit). I noticed it when one of the electric elements was not pulling the usual amperage…opened it up to see the burned wires. I had to order new aquastats and replace them.