replacing Lead-Acid battery with LiFePo

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   I have a 2022 RP-196. It came with a lead-acid battery. I am considering swapping to LiFePo but trying to determine if I need a special charger. It is "wired for solar" but I believe it is just a regular inverter that charges the lead-acid battery.

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
PDH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 2023 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote PDH Report Post Quote Reply Topic: replacing Lead-Acid battery with LiFePo Posted: 08 Mar 2025 at 10:29am
	I have a 2022 RP-196. It came with a lead-acid battery. I am considering swapping to LiFePo but trying to determine if I need a special charger. It is "wired for solar" but I believe it is just a regular inverter that charges the lead-acid battery.

GlueGuy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2709	Post Options Post Reply Quote GlueGuy Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Mar 2025 at 11:37am
	Check the model number of the power converter. Older Rpods usually had a WFCO power converter installed, and sometime in the last few years they upgraded the charging profile to handle LFP batteries. Since your is a 2022 model Rpod, my guess is that it can manage LFP batteries. https://www.wfcotech.com/
	bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

gpokluda Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Nov 2018 Location: NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Post Options Post Reply Quote gpokluda Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Mar 2025 at 6:35pm
	Our 2015 179 said it was wired for solar. All that meant was it had a port to plug in an external solar panel as long as the solar panel had a solar controller and inline fuse. All the solar panel would do is charge the battery. The marketing definition "wired for solar" may mean something different now.
	Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Mar 2025 at 11:28pm
	Hello PDH, First, for clarification, the power center has a Converter (converts 120V AC to 12V DC), not an Inverter (converts 12V DC to 120V AC). To charge the battery, you need a Converter. Some newer RPods have an Inverter to power the AC outlets, but if your RPod does not have an Inverter, you will need to be plugged in to shore power to have 120V AC and run things like your AC and/or microwave. It may or may not have the automatic Converter that will detect whether it is connected to a lead-acid battery or a LiFePO4 battery and change the charging profiles automatically. Mine had a sticker that stated this capability. If not, then as GlueGuy suggested, check the model number of the power center and, if you can see it after removing the cover, the model number of the converter module. On the WF-8955 power center our RP-179 had, it came with a Converter suited for lead-acid only. It can be changed, and the Converter module needed is the WF 8950L2 MBA. I happen to have one on hand, pulled from the RP-179 in order to convert it back to lead-acid when we traded it for the Cherokee Grey Wolf 24JS we now have. The GW came with an automatic sensing Converter so I do not need the 8950L2 MBA. The auto-sensing unit is this one: WF-8955-AD You can find the WF-8955-AD MBA on Amazon for under $100. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNNX5QJM/ Consider that there are other changes that may need to be made. Your auto/truck alternator is not set up to charge Lithium batteries. I put in a dedicated 12V circuit with a Renogy DC to DC charger so that I would not drive all day to find that the trailer battery had been providing power for the tow vehicle and the alternator was basically just loafing. It is disconcerting to start with a fully charged trailer battery and arrive after a day of driving with it half discharged. I don't want to scare you off of converting. I think it is good to do so. I do want you to be aware that other changes may need to be made for you to successfully make that conversion. Stephen
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

PDH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 2023 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote PDH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Mar 2025 at 9:18am
	Thanks to all. I found my power distribution is a Wf-8735-AD. WFCO says that the AD stands for Auto-Detect and it will automatically know if it is Lead-Acid or Lithium. Sounds like I good to go with replacing the batteries.