Not looking for a big bank or high charge/discharge currents. Don't need charging below freezing. In Canada things become difficult/expensive. Narrowed down to these 2:1)SOK, 100AH, $CAD 975 +$5 S/H. Takes both series and parallel connections. Metal case, 4 plastic-looking cells inside, impressive looking BMS and wiring. Claims "replaceable BMS or cells" - and it is indeed possible to take apart and service only I have no idea where one could get those cells or BMS. Available at amazon.ca straight from China. 7 years warranty. Support reportedly exists. SOK, 100AH2) Renogy, 100AH, $CAD 850, free S/H. Plastic case contains metal enclosure inside with many pouch cells, - so not much serviceable. Takes only parallel connections, but I don't need series anyway. This is a sale, Amazon have it at $CAD 1,200. 7 years warranty. Support exists and is spotty. Renogy make their own solar panels but I doubt they make batteries or electronics, must be a relabeled Chinese product: Renogy, 100 AH.Importing Battleborn from the US at $CAD 1,200 + unknown S/H is out of my range. Assembled from Chinese cells like all others, though they do assembling work in the US. 10 years prorated warranty.There is also Lifeblue at $CAD 975 + unknown S/H, maybe will look into those too - their BT monitoring is a nice feature. No idea what's inside. Lifeblue, 100AH

If I was going to buy a dropin battery it would be Lifeblue. Choice of batteries with or without heating pads, bluetooth, with the ability to see individual cells (prismatic), various AH size of batteries, plus I've read enough good thing of folks using them for a couple years now.

LiFePo4 batteries on Amazonhere is a link for them on amazone, price has droped like crazy reciently. Pianotuna even posted a sub 500 buck one from a place in Sask if I recall right. if you handy and want a bigger capacity you could build them yourself using prismatic cells.Steve

Hi Almot,If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:https://www.ablithium.ca/These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?

Please Steve,Don't lumber folks in SK with a company from Alberta. (that's the home of extreme right wing).They seem to have very little in stock. I think they want an order and deposit before they bring the batteries to Canada.

pianotuna wrote:Hi Almot,If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:https://www.ablithium.ca/These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?Thank you, Don. May I ask why - other than the price which is indeed low, perhaps the lowest I've seen anywhere. I forgot to mention that SOK reportedly have prismatic cells. They don't say this on their website but there was a specs sheet posted by retailer. Renogy pouch cells don't inspire confidence, though they enclosed it in metal box before enclosing the whole thing in plastic black box.

LiFePO4 - SOK or Renogy. | Good Sam Community

StirCrazy
Moderator
May 11, 2021
pianotuna wrote:
Gjac,

Thanks.

If I were younger, I would be planning on Edison Cells which last 30 years. At that point, the electrolyte is changed out--and 30 years more! They are even more expensive than Li.

I have been reading a lot on solid state laitly, still a ways off but looking better.

Steve
Gjac
Explorer III
May 11, 2021
I used to backpack when I was younger and still have a water filter that will filter dirty water. The only problem when dry camping you have to be near a water source to use it.
pianotuna
Nomad III
May 10, 2021
Hi Gjac,

How about one of these?

https://www.sail.ca/en/lifestraw-mission-water-purifier-776683-18-219210001?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1638071213&gclid=Cj0KCQjws-OEBhCkARIsAPhOkIbFXvhF8vUugitNyfoMR-2OSWcs7RClPg-gJlsxVWz_gmRrKNYDK14aAnJ1EALw_wcB
Gjac
Explorer III
May 10, 2021
FWC wrote:
Gjac wrote:
If I understand your post correctly because of a deeper discharge of Li Down to 0 SOC and with 2 6v GC batteries only going down 50% SOC gives only 115 usable AH's. Is that what you are saying?

That, and that if you can go a week on 115Ah, then storage is not your limiting factor. If you had a very small solar system you could easily have indefinite power.
What I really need is a way to regenerate FW, solar would not help me stay any longer unless I could conserve water better or collect it some how. Also where I camp in the NE it is all forest. No sun.
FWC
Explorer
May 10, 2021
pianotuna wrote:
FWC has not allowed 20% which is unusable in the guess for Li. So if you "roll your own" allow for it--or even exceed it. Of course these numbers are limited by what the makers of the individual cells create.

One of the few things I like about battleborn is the batteries are really 120 amp-hours--but are sold as 100 amp-hours. Their battery management system 'shuts down' at 100 amp-hours of discharge.

This is completely untrue. The rated capacity for LiFePO4 (typically 3000 - 4000 cycles) is to 100% DOD, which is what BB, Trojan, ReLion etc all use:

Also check the Trojan Trillium Spec Sheet.

If you need more cycles than this, say 5000, then you might want to stop at 80% DOD. But this is not really relevant to RVs as it would be almost impossible to get even 2000 100% DOD cycles out of your battery before either the RV, you or the battery aged out.

It is also not true that the battleborn BMS 'shuts down' at 100 out of 120Ah. The battleborn BMS shuts down when the voltage hits 10.0V (~0% SOC) just like any other LiFePO4. There is no secret extra 20Ah.
pianotuna
Nomad III
May 10, 2021
FWC has not allowed 20% which is unusable in the guess for Li. So if you "roll your own" allow for it--or even exceed it. Of course these numbers are limited by what the makers of the individual cells create.

One of the few things I like about battleborn is the batteries are really 120 amp-hours--but are sold as 100 amp-hours. Their battery management system 'shuts down' at 100 amp-hours of discharge.
FWC
Explorer
May 10, 2021
Gjac wrote:
If I understand your post correctly because of a deeper discharge of Li Down to 0 SOC and with 2 6v GC batteries only going down 50% SOC gives only 115 usable AH's. Is that what you are saying?

That, and that if you can go a week on 115Ah, then storage is not your limiting factor. If you had a very small solar system you could easily have indefinite power.
Gjac
Explorer III
May 10, 2021
FWC wrote:
Gjac wrote:
FWC wrote:
Gjac wrote:
How much cheaper would it be to build your own? Roughly what would it cost to get the equivalent of 2 6v GC batteries say about 230 ah's?

280Ah is probably the closest 'standard' LiFePO4 cell size. For that you are looking at $600 - $700 for the cells, another $60 - $120 for the BMS and maybe $100 for wiring equipment and some sort of case. I would guess $750 - $900 all up, cheaper if you are wiling to go with Alibaba and wait on freight, more expensive if you want it shipped from the US (amazon or ebay).

This would give you ~3000 cycles at 100% DOD so about 10x the usable Ah than lead acid over the life or the battery (if you plan to use it heavily or keep it a long time).
I guess it comes down to what your electrical requirements are VS cost per AH. I was thinking the price of these batteries would come down to make them competitive with lead acid batteries because of the big push to go to EV cars, but as some report the prices have gone up along with other camping supplies. I dry camp 95% of the time and am conservative when it comes to water and electricity. 230AH batteries last a week before they reach 50% SOC and by then I am out of water. So I guess if you full time or have much greater electrical requirement then $900 might make sense VS $200 for 26v GC batteries. One would think with more batteries being produced the cost will comedown dramatically at some time in the future.

The cost of these has fallen dramatically - the cells themselves are 1/3 - 1/2 the price of what they were three years ago, and drop in batteries can be had for 1/2 the price.

The prices are very competitive with lead acid if you are thinking about the total cost of ownership, rather than just the upfront cost. For your use case a 100Ah LiFePO4 seems like it would be sufficient, which is about $300 for the DIY route or $550 for the drop in route.
If I understand your post correctly because of a deeper discharge of Li Down to 0 SOC and with 2 6v GC batteries only going down 50% SOC gives only 115 usable AH's. Is that what you are saying?
pianotuna
Nomad III
May 10, 2021
Gjac,

Thanks.

If I were younger, I would be planning on Edison Cells which last 30 years. At that point, the electrolyte is changed out--and 30 years more! They are even more expensive than Li.
FWC
Explorer
May 10, 2021
Gjac wrote:
FWC wrote:
Gjac wrote:
How much cheaper would it be to build your own? Roughly what would it cost to get the equivalent of 2 6v GC batteries say about 230 ah's?

280Ah is probably the closest 'standard' LiFePO4 cell size. For that you are looking at $600 - $700 for the cells, another $60 - $120 for the BMS and maybe $100 for wiring equipment and some sort of case. I would guess $750 - $900 all up, cheaper if you are wiling to go with Alibaba and wait on freight, more expensive if you want it shipped from the US (amazon or ebay).

This would give you ~3000 cycles at 100% DOD so about 10x the usable Ah than lead acid over the life or the battery (if you plan to use it heavily or keep it a long time).
I guess it comes down to what your electrical requirements are VS cost per AH. I was thinking the price of these batteries would come down to make them competitive with lead acid batteries because of the big push to go to EV cars, but as some report the prices have gone up along with other camping supplies. I dry camp 95% of the time and am conservative when it comes to water and electricity. 230AH batteries last a week before they reach 50% SOC and by then I am out of water. So I guess if you full time or have much greater electrical requirement then $900 might make sense VS $200 for 26v GC batteries. One would think with more batteries being produced the cost will comedown dramatically at some time in the future.

The cost of these has fallen dramatically - the cells themselves are 1/3 - 1/2 the price of what they were three years ago, and drop in batteries can be had for 1/2 the price.

The prices are very competitive with lead acid if you are thinking about the total cost of ownership, rather than just the upfront cost. For your use case a 100Ah LiFePO4 seems like it would be sufficient, which is about $300 for the DIY route or $550 for the drop in route.