Small Lithium Batteries

[RetiredBeanCoun]

Victron Energy just released a new 200ah lithium battery that is 6.00" x 9.33" x 12.63". As far as I can tell this is much smaller than other lithium batteries out there. So I can fit three (600ah), even four (800ah), of these things in my current battery compartment.

Also the Eagle Cap 1160 and 1165 has a hidden space behind a wall next to the cadaver drawer in the rear compartment to fit a 3,000 watt inverter.

So I get all this off grid capability without losing any storage. Pretty amazing! But it will be pricey.

[2oldman]

jimh425 wrote:
Just be careful about adding batteries where they aren’t designed to go inside compartments. They weigh a lot and can tear the compartment apart.

This is about Li batteries.

[jimh406]

Just be careful about adding batteries where they aren’t designed to go inside compartments. They weigh a lot and can tear the compartment apart.

[Steverino54]

Thanks - didn't know about the basement drawer for 2020. I've already removed the RH panel for other reasons so I know the extra space you mean. I am hoping to design/install (or have installed?) solar and electrical upgrades this winter - still need to decide if lithium will work for our WY cold weather camping life - thought about moving them from batt compartment into the heated basement under the slide controllers, or duct some heat into the batt compartment. The smaller Victrons may open up options. Only money, eh?

[RetiredBeanCoun]

Steverino54 wrote:
R...B...C..., how about a photo of the available space for the inverter, or, a better description of which drawer you are calling "cadaver drawer"? Thanks in advance.

The cadaver drawer is the long metal tray that slides out the rear basement. Host has offered them, as an option, for a long time. Eagle Cap in 2020 started putting them in as standard equipment, so your 2018 EC1165 would not have one.

But if you crawl into the basement hole and remove the thin paneling on the right, you can admire your black tank. Also there is additional space to put an inverter, or the scotch and cigars you do not want your wife to know about.

I would take pictures, but my cadaver drawer is currently removed for an electrical upgrade.

[Steverino54]

R...B...C..., how about a photo of the available space for the inverter, or, a better description of which drawer you are calling "cadaver drawer"? Thanks in advance.

[Kayteg1]

RetiredBeanCounter wrote:
Death Valley, CA weathering 110 degrees every day. ..

Think again. Was there 2 weeks ago. Nice campsite with full hookups, but only taken site had passenger car on it with rooftop coller test running.
I was the only RV there, but new Ford F350 can take the temperatures.

[RetiredBeanCoun]

work2much wrote:



I wanted a big battery but I didn't want to spend $1,000/100Ah of power so I went with a DIY battery for about half the price. If you have a generator as a back up even 200AH of lithium should serve you fine. That should allow for 200AH or so discharge rate, enough to run the coffee pot or microwave oven. If you need more start the genset. I built my system as a replacement for a generator so I wanted enough reserve for multiple cloudy days or camping in a shady forest. We have run the air conditioner but out typical MO is to move when it gets uncomfortably warm.

That explains it. With that much solar and lithium, I assumed you must be living in Death Valley, CA weathering 110 degrees every day. But at half the cost, I would jump on that much also. It is too bad I do not have the skills to build my own. In fact, I will be pushing it just wiring together the lithium, solar, inverter, charge controller, battery monitor, and color control GX.

If you do not hear from me again, assume I accidentally touched the positive and negative with my feet in a water bucket.

[work2much]

RetiredBeanCounter wrote:


So do I want to spend the extra dollars for AC? Unlike work2much, I still have my generator, so overloading on solar/lithium is not as critical. But it is sure tempting to buy the big system knowing that, with these small batteries, I can fit it without disrupting storage.

I wanted a big battery but I didn't want to spend $1,000/100Ah of power so I went with a DIY battery for about half the price. If you have a generator as a back up even 200AH of lithium should serve you fine. That should allow for 200AH or so discharge rate, enough to run the coffee pot or microwave oven. If you need more start the genset. I built my system as a replacement for a generator so I wanted enough reserve for multiple cloudy days or camping in a shady forest. We have run the air conditioner but out typical MO is to move when it gets uncomfortably warm.

[RetiredBeanCoun]

Upfront lithium decisions are tough since experts indicate that you should not add new batteries to an existing bank, so the right choice needs to be made before you really know. I have 570 watts of solar, to which I do not want to add, since I need room on the roof for kayaks, gravity chairs and such. My analysis indicates that I can get by with 300ah of lithium for everything but air conditioning. And even with this I would have about two hours of AC.

So do I want to spend the extra dollars for AC? Unlike work2much, I still have my generator, so overloading on solar/lithium is not as critical. But it is sure tempting to buy the big system knowing that, with these small batteries, I can fit it without disrupting storage.

[time2roll]

800 LI Ah is probably equivalent to 1300 FLA Ah.

[work2much]

Looks interesting. It shares the same case as their 150ah battery. I don't think they are using different technology so they must have found a better way to compress the components like the wiring, cells and BMS board. Hopefully heat dissipation won't be affected.

If memory serves Victron has a proprietary BMS system that can control multiple batteries to work together. Something most drop ins don't so if you go that route you may want to invest in complete system, solar charger, inverter charger, color control panel etc. to optimize the performance and convenience of use.

Yes they are pricey but you will have a very nice system. Our battery bank resides in the compartment where the generator would have been had we ordered it. That was large enough for 600ah bank of (24) 3.2v/100ah cells.

[maddog348]

HHMnnnnn !!

[2oldman]

Cadaver drawer ? A link or picture might be good. (of the battery, not the cadaver)