Battery Drain

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   Another downside to Lithium is that in systems with multiple charging options, some of those charging options may not work easily with Lithium batteries.  A couple examples have been brought up in this thread already.  As an additional example, I have a 2nd alternator in my van for charging, it works well for lead-acid but since Lithium batteries (which I have in my van) hold voltage high very deep in the discharge, the regulator on that alternator won't charge until the battery is quite low already, I can't really idle the engine with a half full battery and top it off, the regulator still sees high voltage and won't charge.

Lithium does win vs lead acid on - 

Weight per Ah
Usable Ah for a given total capacity as they can be more deeply discharged (one might club this with weight per amp hour and not think of it as a separate thing)
Installation flexibility since the don't out-gas and can be installed inside the cabin without venting concern (nice for keeping them warmer)

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Grinkle192 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 15 Oct 2022 Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Post Options Post Reply Quote Grinkle192 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Battery Drain Posted: 03 Dec 2022 at 10:53am
	Another downside to Lithium is that in systems with multiple charging options, some of those charging options may not work easily with Lithium batteries. A couple examples have been brought up in this thread already. As an additional example, I have a 2nd alternator in my van for charging, it works well for lead-acid but since Lithium batteries (which I have in my van) hold voltage high very deep in the discharge, the regulator on that alternator won't charge until the battery is quite low already, I can't really idle the engine with a half full battery and top it off, the regulator still sees high voltage and won't charge. Lithium does win vs lead acid on - Weight per Ah Usable Ah for a given total capacity as they can be more deeply discharged (one might club this with weight per amp hour and not think of it as a separate thing) Installation flexibility since the don't out-gas and can be installed inside the cabin without venting concern (nice for keeping them warmer)

Linda&Gino Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 04 Jun 2017 Location: New Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 32	Post Options Post Reply Quote Linda&Gino Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2022 at 11:19am
	It really comes down to what works for your use case and what your willing to spend. If flooded or AGM batteries work and you are willing to deal with venting, weight and only being able to use 50% of the available Ah, then more power to you(no pun intended). I can say that an 11 year old flooded DC battery is an outlier based on my experience with them and I am meticulous about battery maintenance. Most folks are lucky to get the 3-5 years our of them. For me the lithium setup is the way to go and was our long term plan for our Rpod before we decided to upgrade to another RV. They charge faster, deliver almost 90% of their capacity without damage, are lighter and can be stored in the coach without venting. I was going to move my battery bank to the storage area under the bed in the 179, install a DC to DC converter, and replace the onboard converter/charger. Finally, install a plastic tool box on the tongue that would more than make up for the storage lost in the storage bay.
	gpokluda 2017 Rpod R179 SOLD! 2022 Escape 5.0 TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 EB3.5 Triumph T120 Bonneville

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Dec 2022 at 12:58pm
	For anyone thinking about converting to lithium batteries that is reasonably handy electrically consider purchasing 4 standard 280 amphour 3.2V prismatic LiPO cells and a BMS and building your own. Those cells are down in the $170 range and an appropriate BMS is about $40, giving you a 280 ah 12V battery for around $700. You don't have to order from on Alibaba either, the materials are available from us stock on Amazon , Ebay etc. If you do the math that's cheaper per usable amp hour than lead acid. At that kind of cost the only reason not to go with Li is the charging system conversion costs as others have mentioned.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold