li fe po4 battery upgrade?
I am considering upgrading to lithium batteries has anyone here don that. I am looking at installing 3 100Ah batteries in parallel and using a PD 9160 converter to recharge them when my Outback solar...
Forum Discussion
We have three years experience with a 9 kW-hr LFP (48V nominal) in 34' 5th wheel and one year experience with 4.5 kW-hr LFP (12 V nominal) in Roadtrek). We primarly boondock and generally do not plug in for the few instances when power was available.
Just spent 14 weeks in Labrador/Newfoundland and then another 14 weeks in Mexico (Yucatán, Chiapas l, Morelia, and West Coast) and did not plug in the last five weeks. This was done in Roadtrek since there are places you cannot take a fifth wheel - and if you do, you may not get back out). 5th wheel was left at son's place at 7500' in northern NM where temperatures got down to -20 F but battery suite was disconnected. The Roadtrek battery suite is 125 pounds and would require almost 500 pounds for equivalent lead acid battery suit
Cris at Technomadia was quite candid about heat damage to his LFP bank. Their bus was in for repair in Arizona in summer and was sitting on asphalt. The battery bank and inverter were in the same non-vented compartment where the temperature could easily be excess of 130 F. They made mistakes as the pioneers in LFP for RVs. We have paid attention to their mistakes as well as to their innovations
Our battery bank and 4kW PSWI of 5th wheel are in front bay where three panels can be opened for cross ventilation and is in shade of front overhang. Put our outside remote thermometer in front bay on summer days and have never had temperature above ambient with panels open. We do have two 12 V outlets for fans if it were to get hotter. Also have 110 V outlets for light bulbs to heat compartment were it to get to cold.
The battery bank and 2.5 kW PSWI in Roadtrek are below bed. Son put in fan and thermostat to draw air from cabin to cool battery bank and PSWI above about 95 F.
Reed and Elaine
Just spent 14 weeks in Labrador/Newfoundland and then another 14 weeks in Mexico (Yucatán, Chiapas l, Morelia, and West Coast) and did not plug in the last five weeks. This was done in Roadtrek since there are places you cannot take a fifth wheel - and if you do, you may not get back out). 5th wheel was left at son's place at 7500' in northern NM where temperatures got down to -20 F but battery suite was disconnected. The Roadtrek battery suite is 125 pounds and would require almost 500 pounds for equivalent lead acid battery suit
Cris at Technomadia was quite candid about heat damage to his LFP bank. Their bus was in for repair in Arizona in summer and was sitting on asphalt. The battery bank and inverter were in the same non-vented compartment where the temperature could easily be excess of 130 F. They made mistakes as the pioneers in LFP for RVs. We have paid attention to their mistakes as well as to their innovations
Our battery bank and 4kW PSWI of 5th wheel are in front bay where three panels can be opened for cross ventilation and is in shade of front overhang. Put our outside remote thermometer in front bay on summer days and have never had temperature above ambient with panels open. We do have two 12 V outlets for fans if it were to get hotter. Also have 110 V outlets for light bulbs to heat compartment were it to get to cold.
The battery bank and 2.5 kW PSWI in Roadtrek are below bed. Son put in fan and thermostat to draw air from cabin to cool battery bank and PSWI above about 95 F.
Reed and Elaine
