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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Lithium Battery install ?
    Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 4:27pm
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

 

Okay.. Biggest part of research right now is: How will you stop the WFCO charger? Or will you? 
I've read good points on both sides of the fence on this one...

Okay, I wasn't going to, but I guess I will... jump in the deep end of the pool..

It seems to me that the only reason to swap out the converter/charger is so the LiPo could get to full charge. That is for those that use shore power regularly. Now, for $180, I can switch out and have that opportunity and the unit is adjustable in it's ranges. Meaning, I can use my portable for now and upgrade later. 

As far as the B to B goes, we're looking at a circuit built up from modules that are easily purchased. I'll stop there for now until more is learned and worked through. 

I am also chasing 2 batteries right now. Nov 11th is the sale day for anything purchased out of China. If you know what you want (which I hope I do at that point), watch for a deal! Actually watch that whole week.. splash deals come and go quickly. 
I'm researching the Companies now. 
  
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 3:18pm
Originally posted by offgrid

 
Sounds like you are mostly boon docking, like me. Then maybe skip the ac (WFCO replacement) charger and just use tow vehicle and solar charging?  That's my plan when I convert to Li. One nice thing about Li batts is that it doesn't hurt to leave them at partial SOC for long periods, which can be devastating for PbA's. 

Okay.. Biggest part of research right now is: How will you stop the WFCO charger? Or will you? 
I've read good points on both sides of the fence on this one...
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 9:39am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

Originally posted by offgrid

 Here is one for example that provides a regulated dc output for Li battery charging and has dual inputs, one for solar and one for the TV 12V supply.


Yep, its expensive. The question is, do you really need to convert all three charging sources (TV, grid, and solar) or can you do with one or two? 


Done a bit of research on these B to B units. I have a decent grasp on how they work now. What I'm reading is how well they recharge depends heavily on the SOC at beginning and duration. Certainly not a lone source for recharge.. 

We travel for months. Typically only staying put a few days. Currently (with my PbA's) I can go 3 days of real tough solar gain and catch the batt's up while driving to our next destination. I really don't wish to lose this benefit of TV charging. 



Sounds like you are mostly boon docking, like me. Then maybe skip the ac (WFCO replacement) charger and just use tow vehicle and solar charging?  That's my plan when I convert to Li. One nice thing about Li batts is that it doesn't hurt to leave them at partial SOC for long periods, which can be devastating for PbA's. 
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 9:18am
Originally posted by offgrid

 Here is one for example that provides a regulated dc output for Li battery charging and has dual inputs, one for solar and one for the TV 12V supply.


Yep, its expensive. The question is, do you really need to convert all three charging sources (TV, grid, and solar) or can you do with one or two? 


Done a bit of research on these B to B units. I have a decent grasp on how they work now. What I'm reading is how well they recharge depends heavily on the SOC at beginning and duration. Certainly not a lone source for recharge.. 

We travel for months. Typically only staying put a few days. Currently (with my PbA's) I can go 3 days of real tough solar gain and catch the batt's up while driving to our next destination. I really don't wish to lose this benefit of TV charging. 
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 8:13am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

The question now at hand is how to address the question upon both possible choices how charging form the TV is involved. Will it be compensated accordingly or do I still need to dis-connect?

How shall I ask this?


Neither of those choices have anything to do with tow vehicle charging, they are ac source chargers only. If you want to do tow vehicle charging of a Li battery you will need another device. Here is one for example that provides a regulated dc output for Li battery charging and has dual inputs, one for solar and one for the TV 12V supply.


Yep, its expensive. The question is, do you really need to convert all three charging sources (TV, grid, and solar) or can you do with one or two? 

One point here is that Li battery charging is actually much less complex than PbA battery charging. There is no need for a complex multistage charging sequence. You just need to stay below the max charging voltage for your specific battery, which a dc to dc converter providing a regulated output voltage can do. But it is critical that you do that, there can be serious consequences (eg, fires) if you don't. 

There are any number of folks that have converted to Li house batteries in their RV's, just not so much in rPods. But that doesn't matter, the electrons don't care what kind of RV it is. A Google search will bring up lots of hits for this conversion.
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 2:49pm
Originally posted by StephenH

Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

Is that last DC fuse the input from the battery? 40a fuse?

I always thought it was the reverse polarity fuse, yet now wondering..
The two 40A fuses (behind the front panel) are the reverse polarity protection fuses. You may need to remove the front panel to see them. On mine, they sit to the left of the column of circuit fuses. In the column of fuses, the last (bottom) 30A fuse in mine is for the slide-out motor.

Edit: Since yours is a different model, I would look it up on the WFCO site to get a diagram that shows the location of the reverse polarity protection fuses.

Another edit: I looked and (now that I looked at the correct model), the bottom two fuses should be your reverse polarity protection fuses.


Thank you for the effort. 
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 10:52am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

Is that last DC fuse the input from the battery? 40a fuse?

I always thought it was the reverse polarity fuse, yet now wondering..
The two 40A fuses (behind the front panel) are the reverse polarity protection fuses. You may need to remove the front panel to see them. On mine, they sit to the left of the column of circuit fuses. In the column of fuses, the last (bottom) 30A fuse in mine is for the slide-out motor.

Edit: Since yours is a different model, I would look it up on the WFCO site to get a diagram that shows the location of the reverse polarity protection fuses.

Another edit: I looked and (now that I looked at the correct model), the bottom two fuses should be your reverse polarity protection fuses.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1235230/Wfco-Wf-8735p.html?page=3#manual
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 10:16am
Yeah mine has the 35a WFCO. Works fine for the r-pod 171...no slide...
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 9:58am
Is that last DC fuse the input from the battery? 40a fuse?

I always thought it was the reverse polarity fuse, yet now wondering..
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 7:54am
Originally posted by StephenH

Originally posted by GlueGuy

Originally posted by StephenH

Since the unit that comes with the RPod is a 55A unit, I gave the number for the equivalent PD drop-in replacement. The 'Pod's AC circuitry is 30A, but the DC side is not the same. The 55A output is DC which is over 300A DC. The converter does not draw nearly that in AC amperage to output the 55A DC. Your EE friend should be able to explain this better than I can. 
Other way around Stephen. 55 amps DC pulls about 5.5 amps on the AC side. (that is an approximation)

Thanks. I messed up my calculations when I wrote that. You said what I meant to say. I was thinking that if the 55A were the 120V AC, it would be over 300A DC. It is better to put it in terms of what the actual AC draw is to generate the 55A (maximum) DC output.

Guess have two different WFCO's. Mine's a 35a max. WF8735

My max DC out (by fused circuit) is only 97.5a (dc) or 1219 watts or <11a (ac). These numbers exclude the reverse polarity fuse. Of course there is the potential of 336a DC, yet don't see that ever happening. 
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