"Kind of a rushed video" - I think it's great; consice, no filler, & funny without forcing it: "Today's tomorrow" 😄 "I'm pretty sure that this is a bad idea & that it will not work but if you're seeing this it worked flawlessly" 😄😄 Thanks for making videos worth watching & not just following the algorithm. 👍
Hey Will...THIS is what I'm very interested in doing. Would never have thought of building a custom bank w/o finding your vids. This sure helped me visualize and expand my idea. cool you follow this account too.
I appreciate your comments on battery safety as many do not understand the currents that can be involved. I was working on a solar system the other day where the battery banks had a short circuit current of 14.5K Amps...not the kind of place you want to drop a metal spanner.
If you still have issues with the batteries moving around without an enclosure maybe you can try a ratchet strap around the whole pack to keep strain off of the bus bars and terminals. I love the solar content, great video!
We just built our own battery bank on our sailboat (we liveaboard) using 180 amp hour, 3.6-volt CALB cells, and a DALY BMS, wiring the cells in a 4s2p orientation. So stoked on the upgrade! We charge our lithiums in 2 different ways. We send the power from our 120 amp Balmar alternator on our engine to our 100 amp-hour sealed lead-acid starter battery. From there a Renogy 60 amp DC-DC charger takes the load from the alternator and puts it in a lithium profile and in turn charges the lithium batteries. It was a fun build!
@@Everlanders Oh for sure! I saw your email and was super super busy. I was even filming until 3 am last night :( Just email me whenever you are around san diego or carlsbad and we could meet up.
Impressive! I'm also a bit envious! Quick word of caution - Take your wedding band off when working around your electrical system to prevent a molten ring of lava from damaging your finger.
Cheese and rice, that must be the biggest Overlander leisure battery out there. You're not far off a small EV traction battery. I was pleased with our 200ah pack. Great work.
@@judd_s5643 • Well, I didn't know that but he certainly has perfected it! Others wade into that pond risking TOTAL embarrassment due to the inevitable comparison. 😎
The work you two do is nothing short of incredible. Just re-watched the one on your mattress spring system that I will order. AND, you are CANADIAN! Eat your heart out, Donald.
Hockey tape, it’s Canadian for duct tape! You totally lucked out on that eBay find in that they were about the same level of “used”, they were cheap, and 12 MOAR fit in there like you designed the space to hold exactly that many. (Did you?) The red lights are totally Vegas, Baby! There is no better intro than “I’m pretty sure this is a bad idea...” to spur interest. Well done, and no schmoo for the lovely assistant to remove this time!
Please keep making videos. Very enjoyable. I like how you preface everything with "as you probably know..." I don't know shit compared to you, but I'm sure a lot of the viewers do. Thanks for explaining it. Cheers from B.C.
Upgrades, I only have 4.1Kw including my Kodiak. Going to rearrange my 3kw cells, into 3 parallel stacks, then series connect them into 4 packs for a total of 12volts.
if you have the ability, packing foam is sold in bags you crack, they then exspand to fit whatever they are packed against and turn into a fairly ridged foam block. this is how they pack prebuilt gameing computers to secure the GPU during transit
Very nice upgrade! Almost too good fit with all them cells, was it planned or was it pure luck? Wish I had that kind of space in my rig, working hard on finding a way to mount 8x100Ah cells for my 24V system. A couple of comments, hope you don't mind even if I (coming from a similar background) can clearly see you know your stuff very well. :) I would like to point out that while the orientation you use is probably ok, mounting that kind of LiFePO4 cell with the large side down is usually advised against by the manufacturer because of the distribution of the electrolyte. Also they should not be mounted with the safety valve facing downwards, for obvious reasons. Having done some work for one of the major Lead Acid stand-by battery manufacturers I would recommend you use a torque wrench for the battery terminal bolts instead of the ugga-dugga. Both because over-torquing and stripping the insert is a horrible experience, and because even a slightly too low clamping force you will make a surprisingly big difference at high current draw. With you using an induction cooktop and a 12V system, well you know... Finally, from bench testing my cells with the fuse mounted the same way you have (between two (blocks of) cells) I had a noticeable voltage drop across the fuse, leading to the BMS believing one of the cells was higher/lower on charge/discharge. This was with an 150A ANL fuse and only a couple of amps current. Have you checked that it won't throw off your cell balancing? Anyway, keep up the good work!
I'm curious how your batteries are working 7 months later. I just bought 16 271Ah 3.2v liFePo4 cells. I was going to hook them up similar to how you've done it with 4 cells in parallel for 1084Ah @ 3.2v then series them into 12v @ 1084Ah. The manufacturer, however, suggested that instead, I make 4 12v @ 271Ah packs and then parallel them into the 1084Ah. This is because with 4 12v packs each with their own BMS I can have better control over each individual 3.2v cell.
You said that the batteries are super firm. Please make sure to leave some space in all directions, because lithium batteries expand over time. This was something Samsung might not have considered with their note 7
Nice job Jason. Appreciate the explanation on why y'all went with more batteries. Clean install. Didn't realize how much I missed your mechanical helper until I was trying to figure out WTH is that. Hi to the Mrs. For me. Russ
Mechanical helper? Is THAT what that weird "hand looking" thing with the shirt sleeve/cuff was????? At first I just thought "oh, he's pointing at something" -- then I looked more closely and thought "WTH is he pointing WITH?" (it kind of put me of the mind of the arm of a monkey that'd been cut off, stuffed and wired to look like a hand." hahaha
I'm thinking of starting a CZcams channel myself, I love how you make a vast amount of knowledge normally only accessible to people in one particular industry available to anyone who is curious and committed enough to take on projects like this. What would be your advise or even your personal process on gathering info and then conveying it on camera with hitting all your points and not missing something?
3 years later, how are those batteries holding up? I'm about to build an LFP battery pack, starting to navigate the wild west of battery cell purchases. And love the red LEDs! I might have to steal that touch. And that use of expanding foam was next level.
@@Everlanders frickin awesome. My 4 Trojan T105's are finally starting to go after 8+ years (not a bad run!), and I'm so looking forward to moving to LFP. May I never have to pour distilled water into a battery bank in a cramped converted generator cabinet again, ha.
@@wrybread 2 years in with a 24V 280Ah pack and seen a slight degradation, less than 5%. It does a full cycle daily though. 6.3 MWh has gone through it.
Very neat install. Love the expanding foam topper 👌🏼. Are you going to install a heating mat on this one? I’m also interested why you just use solar to charge the battery pack. I have a 200Ah Winston pack in my van and charge it from one large solar panel (circa 300W) and a DC-DC battery charger, which outputs just over 60A when the engine is running. It works well for me as we tend to only stay in one place for 2-3 days and the weather in Scotland 🏴 isn’t known for long periods of sunshine ☀️. Keep up the good work, love your videos. Slanj from bonnie Scotland 🏴👍🏼
Thanks, no charging off the engine, Extracting electric power from Diesel costs $1.20 to $1.60/kWh so we charge of the sun from our 1500 watt solar array.
Not for us, we have enough battery to last a long time without solar... And more than enough solar to recharge quickly when we have sun, czcams.com/video/woZH85EiHNY/video.html
how does you BMS work? Mainly curious how you protect them from charging when its too cold, and how you balance and monitor the supper cell voltage? Love the videos, great work
What is that weird "hand looking" thing with the shirt sleeve/cuff depicted around 10:14 in????? At first I just thought "oh, he's pointing at something" -- then I looked more closely and thought "WTH is he pointing WITH?" (it kind of put me of the mind of the arm of a monkey that'd been cut off, stuffed and wired to look like a hand." hahaha. Great job with the video; I always enjoy watching y'alls projects as well as those of Will Prouse (different channel, both very explanatory). Safe travels!
Hey whatsup great job man love the video I watched it a couple timesI'm thinking about doing this one of my projects for next year do you have any thoughts on that can I do this can I do this with a 12-volt system
Are you sure those can be mounted horizontally? I've got 32 calb 180ah and I'm pretty sure the manufacturer docs stated vertical only but I need to double check. Either way, nice to see someone not buying the drop-in batts at ridiculous prices. Good job
Total 112 Kg / 247 Lbs, in case anyone was wondering; I didn’t find this in the comments to date. 5.6 Kg each x #20 (x 2.2 Lb/Kg) Data source: www.calbusainc.com/additional-information/
Using expanding foam as a filler above the battery’s, wow 🙌! That is out of the box thinking right there 👍 I remember you had a Keenovo heat pad in the original battery box, what’s the reason you didn’t install some heating solution in this setup, apart from the obvious lack of space? Or is it because you went south? I think I’ve seen you log som data, did you log if the previous battery heater ever was needed? Great videos as always, I think you are great at sharing your knowledge. It’s a piece of technical art that rig!
The heater worked great when we were in Canada and not living in it full time. But we're full time on the road in Mexico and Central America, and so it won't be needed for the next few years. Since they're inside the envelope of our living space, they stay at room temperature with us.
Love how you did your system you make it look easy. Is there any way you could do a step by step on your solar layout I'm wanting to do a very similar setup in mine that you did in yours as far as the batteries and your solar charge controller. I have room in mind for up to 12 of the 100ah batteries. Trying to get figured out what all I need and could really use some pointers.
Great install and informative video! Bloody great idea with that expansion foam too! One question though - can those prismatic cells be mounted on their side without damaging them? Cheers!
Great video. Very creative way of making a professional installation. I would like to know how you got such clean cuts for your acrylic panel. My cuts always melt the Plexiglas back together behind the cuts.
I didn't have any problem... A good Diablo Blade, pushed hard and fast so it doesn't heat up... If you're still having issues you could try cutting incrementally deeper passes. Alternatively you could cut it 1/8th inch larger than you need it and then trim off that last 1/8th inch in one pass.
@@Everlanders Thank you for the quick reply. Sounds like you used a table saw. Maybe that's the secret. I've always done it with a jig saw with terrible results.
Hey Jason, what was between the hand made bus bar on the lower terminals? Some electrical component, didn't quite catch it. Best regards to you two always.
Thumbs up! Great video! Question: does your charge controller receive power from truck alternator? In other words, can you also charge house system while driving? You may have covered that in a previous video, sorry if redundant. Happy trails!
Our batteries charge while driving, from the solar... Extracting electric power from Diesel costs $1.20 to $1.60/kWh after the outlay of a DC-DC converter, so we chose not to. Instead we spent that money and doubled up on our solar.
i heard this type of battery cell needs significant clamping force on the large flat sides of the battery. I was told that they expand and contract with charge state and that without clamping they would physically be damaged by this. so people install them with 2 boards clamped by all thread to some spec provided by the manufacturer.. is this true??
What is that doing for your springs over time? That's a decent sized load to have on one spring. I think I'm going to split the load per spring. Do you notice one side sloughing because that spring seats faster? Does it change the amount of spring response (bounce) for each side when you're going down a back road or whatever? Loved the Great Stuff in a bag trick! Pure genius! :)
I've noted zero effect on our springs. The Lithium cells only weigh 5.6 kg each, the whole bank is 120 kg or 265 lbs - 50 lbs Lighter than me... Our chassis is rated at 17,500 lbs and we're currently at 13,890 lbs Our springs were custom built to carry 19,000 lbs - so we have tones of headroom. Spring Install Video: czcams.com/video/UxnpCksjRk4/video.html
you are using 5 batteries in parallel for each "cell". Your BMS can not monitor that many cells individually (20 total), so what happens if 1 fails? fire?
How that works is actually pretty uncomplicated: The bms sees each series string as one single cell as functionally that’s all it is. Once you series them, they charge and discharge at the same rate no different than if it was one single giant cell. The cells in series cannot go out of balance. Now, when you parallel those strings together, the bms then monitors the balance of each string to keep them in equilibrium. So, yes he started with 20 individual cells but as far as the finished product goes, once you series/parallel them there are only 5 cells total for the bms to monitor which is pretty standard faire for a bms to do.
These batteries don’t like heat correct? How do you manage to keep them cool when not using the vehicle or are you always using the vehicle? If so what will you do if you have to park it for an extended time frame?
We're living in here and traveling full time, and while the datasheet says 131°f, 55°c the temperature sensor in the bank has yet to read over 35°c it's just a huge thermal mass. But I suppose we could just run the AC if it gets much warmer than that, if we're not in here the solar is doing nothing anyway.
@@Everlanders Not a settle, you have enough for 90% of the time and on those 10 Day stretches you give them a little boost with the genny. I guess if you can afford it then it's awesome, but for the average person who is not able to do everything themselves its a good option. I always consider the comments for other viewers who might be looking for more info and giving them multiple options.
While copper, or nickel-plated copper, would be optimal, aluminum suffices for this application. With some insight into Jason's psyche, we shouldn't be surprised to find matching buss bars at some point in the future. The cells are LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, prismatic cells. So named for their form factor. These cells are different from 18650 cells in that their nominal voltage is 3.2V vs. 3.7V. These cells have a charge voltage cut-off of 3.6V vs. 4.2V for 18650's. Discharge cut-off is the same at 2.5V. The particular cells Jason employed in this application have a capacity of 180Ah/576Wh (nominal). Additionally, LiFePO4 chemistry is known safety and long cycle life. To use these cells, or any LiFePO4 chemistry cells, be sure to purchase equipment (charge controller, etc.) that specifically supports this chemistry. Google "CALB prismatic" for purchase options. Jason purchased his, used, on Ebay for $150 per cell. That's $80 to $100 less than retail price for new cells. Hope this helps.
@@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt Thank you for the detailed comment. New to Lithium batteries somewhat, the purpose of buying second hand cells is the cost savings, and these cells are the building blocks for larger RV lithium batteries that cost thousands that already have battery management systems built in? The DIYers/cost saving approach to having large capacity lithium batteries for 1/2 the price?
Hi there always enjoy your videos very informative I also am a fellow Canadian and I am looking to upgrade to lithium iron phosphate batteries in my rig. Was curious what brand of batteries you have purchased? And were I might be able to purchase or perhaps if the Ebay auction you purchased yours from had more left? Anyways thanks in advance and look forward to your next video, the techy ones are always my favorite.
Too many things in the RV and Automotive world are 12 volts... We're using a pure signwave inverter that's 12 volt, our MaxAir fan is 12 volts, we've needed to boost ourselves twice... 24 is more efficient of course and the solar panels are cheaper...
Po-ta-to pa-ta-to, as they say. As Jason points out, 24V is optimal for a number of reasons, chief among them is simple math. A 4S configuration is needed for an adequate 12V output, while 7S suffices for 24V. Wiring, terminations, etc. are all smaller, less expensive and easier to work with than that which is required for lower voltage. Simply put: Watts (load) = Volts (charge) * Amps (current) So, a given load (W) at a higher voltage requires less current (A), allowing for smaller gauge wire, etc. For these reasons and more, I recommend 24V whenever possible. An added benefit of 24V is constant clean 12V output (via a buck converter) for all your 12V loads. They like this much more than the lower voltages that are possible when discharging below 3.0V (2.5V * 4S = 10V). While most equipment tolerate less than 12V, that pesky math comes into play again, resulting in higher heat from increased current (A) (100W/10V = 10A vs. 100W/12V = 8.3A). Some equipment is more sensitive and either won't run or risks damage if forced to operate. Most importantly, most 120Vac/12Vdc inverters have a low voltage cut-off that effectively limits the usable capacity of a battery pack when supporting AC loads.
@@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt You're using the wrong chemistry, I think. LiFePo are 3.2 volts so they are direct replacement for 12 volts, 4 in series. LiFePo maintain voltage, going from 3.3 volts to a bit below 3 volts near the bottom. Seven is what you use for 18650 chemistries and 24 volts. But those chemistries have broad voltage swings. If I wanted to run a big inverter, I'd go with 24 volts, maybe 48 volts and just convert down some capacity to 12 volts. The video suggests they don't use so much power, just want to have a huge reserve. Not sure why they need 24v or higher. I really like the idea of harvesting the sun when it is around efficiently, but not using massive amounts of power.
Hi, thanks for the nice "Overlanders" + "Technik you need for the Trip" Channel . I was wondering how you monitor the upgraded Cells ( 20x ) now , as the Elektrodcus ist meant for 8s System max and you put the System in 12V ( 4x (5xSuperCells) ) . It looks from the Video that you are cabeling only every "SuperCells" and lack the Monitoring of the SingleCells . Did you experience Problems with that Config as you are not seeing the SingleCells ( Monitoring + Balancing ) any longer . Greetings to the Couple " aus dem Schwarzwald" ;)
There is no problem running cells in parallel, every electric car has done this for years. Also, our "cells" in fact have several cells paralleled inside already... The copper busbars ensure the cells are exactly the same. If any one cell starts to get weak, it will pull the others down with it and the BMS will report that. Then you'd need to single that one bad cell out. (But ours are still at 98% after 4 years of hard use)
Extracting electricity from diesel with a vehicle's alternator will cost $1 to $2 per kilowatt hour, $10 to $20 to charge our batteries... 2. At 50 amps would take 18 hours running the engine to charge completely. 3. The very low resistance of lithium batteries means you would need a dedicated DC to DC charge controller, otherwise the high current demand of these batteries would melt the alternator... I chose to run purely off of solar, in fact we often disconnect our alternators regulator connector and power the chassis electrical demands from our Solar and Lithium Bank. Getting about 15L/100km now...
@@Everlanders I guess I always figured I'd run both just to have the alternator charge while under way, although since watching your videos my solar and battery plans have doubled.
"Kind of a rushed video" - I think it's great; consice, no filler, & funny without forcing it:
"Today's tomorrow" 😄
"I'm pretty sure that this is a bad idea & that it will not work but if you're seeing this it worked flawlessly" 😄😄
Thanks for making videos worth watching & not just following the algorithm. 👍
Comment of the Day 🏆
@@Everlanders YES! 👍
That robotic hand freaked me out man haha I had to fast forward to make sure you werent missing a arm!
Everyone loves that Easter Egg... 😍
same here as an amputee i just had to check ,, batteries and a titanium hand = BOOM !
Hey Will...THIS is what I'm very interested in doing. Would never have thought of building a custom bank w/o finding your vids. This sure helped me visualize and expand my idea.
cool you follow this account too.
@@Everlanders Thank very much for the example. Showed me what Will has been showing us in practice with an actual installation. Helps!
Likewise lol
I appreciate your comments on battery safety as many do not understand the currents that can be involved.
I was working on a solar system the other day where the battery banks had a short circuit current of 14.5K Amps...not the kind of place you want to drop a metal spanner.
Still the Best Self Built Overland YT Channel !
If you still have issues with the batteries moving around without an enclosure maybe you can try a ratchet strap around the whole pack to keep strain off of the bus bars and terminals. I love the solar content, great video!
We just built our own battery bank on our sailboat (we liveaboard) using 180 amp hour, 3.6-volt CALB cells, and a DALY BMS, wiring the cells in a 4s2p orientation. So stoked on the upgrade! We charge our lithiums in 2 different ways. We send the power from our 120 amp Balmar alternator on our engine to our 100 amp-hour sealed lead-acid starter battery. From there a Renogy 60 amp DC-DC charger takes the load from the alternator and puts it in a lithium profile and in turn charges the lithium batteries. It was a fun build!
So you have no solar it's all? It costs about $1.30 to extract a kilowatt of electricity from diesel, even worse for gasoline...
@@Everlanders We do have solar as well
Hell yeah!!!!! thats awesome man! You rock
Thanks William! We really wanted your opinion on our setup, thought we could colab a video on it...
@@Everlanders Oh for sure! I saw your email and was super super busy. I was even filming until 3 am last night :( Just email me whenever you are around san diego or carlsbad and we could meet up.
Impressive! I'm also a bit envious! Quick word of caution - Take your wedding band off when working around your electrical system to prevent a molten ring of lava from damaging your finger.
He needs AVE to give him some of that cool Japanese clear electrical tape, or that pink PTFE. LOL
Before you can be old and wise you have to be young and dumb... and who doesn't want like a Frodo Baggins ring story, YOLO. Just gonna send it!
That is a lot of amp hours in a small spot. Great use of space. and I will have to remember the foam in the garbage bag trick.
Cheese and rice, that must be the biggest Overlander leisure battery out there. You're not far off a small EV traction battery. I was pleased with our 200ah pack. Great work.
It's like watching AVE but without the cussing. Love this channel, and the rig is beefy. Be safe during the mosquito apocalypse up there in Canaderp.
_ Aaaaaahhh yes!
I miss the cussing too. 😃
@@johnbeckman8916 yes more cussing and misprenunced wurds please
AVE has a patent on CZcams cussing! I’ve heard he will license it to others. Grin..
@@judd_s5643 • Well, I didn't know that but he certainly has perfected it! Others wade into that pond risking TOTAL embarrassment due to the inevitable comparison. 😎
Nice work. Clean install. Informative without nonsense filler. Greta job. Got another subscriber because of it.
Using spray foam as a mold in place form was a nice idea, going to steal that one!
That is a lot of powaaar.
Can use mica heaters in every room with that.
Nice robot hand @10:30
Nice install. Love the red LED's to show off the new batteries.
Great job on the parallel vs series explanation. Love the spray foam idea. You guys rock, hope to see you again out at Overland Expo East
Great job with your descriptions. Again built to last! It's the little details you share with us that helps keep us safe. Thank you again.
Thanks - excellent content. Note: each cell is about 5.6 kg
The work you two do is nothing short of incredible. Just re-watched the one on your mattress spring system that I will order. AND, you are CANADIAN! Eat your heart out, Donald.
Now you've got me binge watching your solar videos
Score!!! 💯Points for me!!!
. Again built to last! It's the little details you share with us that helps keep us safe. Thank you again.
You bet! Glad you're enjoying them.
beast mode camper!!! I will be upgrading my 4Kwh to 10 Kwh this year :) thanks for the videos loved it.
Hockey tape, it’s Canadian for duct tape!
You totally lucked out on that eBay find in that they were about the same level of “used”, they were cheap, and 12 MOAR fit in there like you designed the space to hold exactly that many. (Did you?)
The red lights are totally Vegas, Baby!
There is no better intro than “I’m pretty sure this is a bad idea...” to spur interest.
Well done, and no schmoo for the lovely assistant to remove this time!
The batteries fitment was not planned, it just worked out!
@@Everlanders It's nice to see good things happening to good people sometimes!
Please keep making videos. Very enjoyable.
I like how you preface everything with "as you probably know..." I don't know shit compared to you, but I'm sure a lot of the viewers do. Thanks for explaining it.
Cheers from B.C.
Upgrades, I only have 4.1Kw including my Kodiak. Going to rearrange my 3kw cells, into 3 parallel stacks, then series connect them into 4 packs for a total of 12volts.
After @10:14 I had to consider why I hadn't noticed your mechanical hand before!
I've had it for years...
That foam inside a bag is a really awesome idea! Great thinking!
if you have the ability, packing foam is sold in bags you crack, they then exspand to fit whatever they are packed against and turn into a fairly ridged foam block. this is how they pack prebuilt gameing computers to secure the GPU during transit
Awesome! Can't wait to hear how it works out for you.
Fantastic idea with the gap filling foam! Love your rig and videos.
If you have ever taken anything to UPS to have them pack and ship... this is what they do.
Great idea with the foam
You could just tell he is just.plain.smart. Hope I get to meet you one day and shake your hand
Very nice upgrade! Almost too good fit with all them cells, was it planned or was it pure luck? Wish I had that kind of space in my rig, working hard on finding a way to mount 8x100Ah cells for my 24V system.
A couple of comments, hope you don't mind even if I (coming from a similar background) can clearly see you know your stuff very well. :)
I would like to point out that while the orientation you use is probably ok, mounting that kind of LiFePO4 cell with the large side down is usually advised against by the manufacturer because of the distribution of the electrolyte. Also they should not be mounted with the safety valve facing downwards, for obvious reasons.
Having done some work for one of the major Lead Acid stand-by battery manufacturers I would recommend you use a torque wrench for the battery terminal bolts instead of the ugga-dugga. Both because over-torquing and stripping the insert is a horrible experience, and because even a slightly too low clamping force you will make a surprisingly big difference at high current draw. With you using an induction cooktop and a 12V system, well you know...
Finally, from bench testing my cells with the fuse mounted the same way you have (between two (blocks of) cells) I had a noticeable voltage drop across the fuse, leading to the BMS believing one of the cells was higher/lower on charge/discharge. This was with an 150A ANL fuse and only a couple of amps current. Have you checked that it won't throw off your cell balancing?
Anyway, keep up the good work!
Mostly luck...
I'm curious how your batteries are working 7 months later. I just bought 16 271Ah 3.2v liFePo4 cells. I was going to hook them up similar to how you've done it with 4 cells in parallel for 1084Ah @ 3.2v then series them into 12v @ 1084Ah. The manufacturer, however, suggested that instead, I make 4 12v @ 271Ah packs and then parallel them into the 1084Ah. This is because with 4 12v packs each with their own BMS I can have better control over each individual 3.2v cell.
BALLER! I had those batteries on my watch list and one day they were gone. Glad then went to a good home!
Sorry not sorry 😬
You said that the batteries are super firm. Please make sure to leave some space in all directions, because lithium batteries expand over time. This was something Samsung might not have considered with their note 7
You're referring to Lithium Polymer, totally different beast, LiFePo4 are much safer in that regard.
Thanks for this video and the series vs parallel. Subscribed.
put a fan air circulation. the battery dont produce fumes but vent is always good.
No, we won't be installing a vent...
Hahahaha where did that mechanical hand pop up from!! I had to rewind for a sec there as I thought you were an amputee and I hadn't noticed LOLOL
You're welcome! 🤣
Nice job Jason. Appreciate the explanation on why y'all went with more batteries. Clean install. Didn't realize how much I missed your mechanical helper until I was trying to figure out WTH is that. Hi to the Mrs. For me.
Russ
Mechanical helper? Is THAT what that weird "hand looking" thing with the shirt sleeve/cuff was????? At first I just thought "oh, he's pointing at something" -- then I looked more closely and thought "WTH is he pointing WITH?" (it kind of put me of the mind of the arm of a monkey that'd been cut off, stuffed and wired to look like a hand." hahaha
I'm thinking of starting a CZcams channel myself, I love how you make a vast amount of knowledge normally only accessible to people in one particular industry available to anyone who is curious and committed enough to take on projects like this. What would be your advise or even your personal process on gathering info and then conveying it on camera with hitting all your points and not missing something?
3 years later, how are those batteries holding up? I'm about to build an LFP battery pack, starting to navigate the wild west of battery cell purchases. And love the red LEDs! I might have to steal that touch. And that use of expanding foam was next level.
5 Years, 9 Countries, 1.6 Megawatts in and out... 99.6% Capacity Remaining
@@Everlanders frickin awesome. My 4 Trojan T105's are finally starting to go after 8+ years (not a bad run!), and I'm so looking forward to moving to LFP. May I never have to pour distilled water into a battery bank in a cramped converted generator cabinet again, ha.
@@wrybread 2 years in with a 24V 280Ah pack and seen a slight degradation, less than 5%. It does a full cycle daily though. 6.3 MWh has gone through it.
Very neat install. Love the expanding foam topper 👌🏼. Are you going to install a heating mat on this one? I’m also interested why you just use solar to charge the battery pack. I have a 200Ah Winston pack in my van and charge it from one large solar panel (circa 300W) and a DC-DC battery charger, which outputs just over 60A when the engine is running. It works well for me as we tend to only stay in one place for 2-3 days and the weather in Scotland 🏴 isn’t known for long periods of sunshine ☀️. Keep up the good work, love your videos. Slanj from bonnie Scotland 🏴👍🏼
Thanks, no charging off the engine, Extracting electric power from Diesel costs $1.20 to $1.60/kWh so we charge of the sun from our 1500 watt solar array.
Oh, no heater on this one. Living in here fill time, we hope to keep the inside above freezing at all times.
Random thought. For the rainy and dark day would a vertical wind turbine would be great . Just a thought. Love your channel!
Not for us, we have enough battery to last a long time without solar... And more than enough solar to recharge quickly when we have sun, czcams.com/video/woZH85EiHNY/video.html
Awesome idea with the foam!
Yeah, thanks, I was just in there stringing another wire, and it's held up great!
Great video, wish i could get them batteries sent to Ireland, I will have to do with my AGM,s for now ! Keep up your videos, your a good tutor....
great vid always waiting to see what the next project is on truck
As always a very professional finish, thank you
I love this content, every video you post I learn something. Awesome job.
how does you BMS work? Mainly curious how you protect them from charging when its too cold, and how you balance and monitor the supper cell voltage?
Love the videos, great work
The SBMS100 does this all automatically.
@@Everlanders Ah very slick!
What is that weird "hand looking" thing with the shirt sleeve/cuff depicted around 10:14 in????? At first I just thought "oh, he's pointing at something" -- then I looked more closely and thought "WTH is he pointing WITH?" (it kind of put me of the mind of the arm of a monkey that'd been cut off, stuffed and wired to look like a hand." hahaha. Great job with the video; I always enjoy watching y'alls projects as well as those of Will Prouse (different channel, both very explanatory). Safe travels!
I'm a bit self conscious of my looks...😞
foam in a bag, that was a great idea.
Thank you! Cheers!
Loved it mate...watched from start to finish!
man id hate straps for such a big bank , in audio we use bars , some are fancy machined bars with terminals built in and everything
Nice job! No corners cut
Hey whatsup great job man love the video I watched it a couple timesI'm thinking about doing this one of my projects for next year do you have any thoughts on that can I do this can I do this with a 12-volt system
Mine is a 12-volt system... So I don't understand your question.
@@Everlanders I am planning on ordering some cells like those... How much can I connect in parallel..
An infinite number...
Great video, Lol I gave you a thumbs up as soon as I seen you demonstrate the expanding foam in a bag trick, that was a great idea.
Are you sure those can be mounted horizontally? I've got 32 calb 180ah and I'm pretty sure the manufacturer docs stated vertical only but I need to double check. Either way, nice to see someone not buying the drop-in batts at ridiculous prices. Good job
"These lithium rechargeable batteries can be mounted in any direction except upside down"
true craftmenship tanks for the video
Total 112 Kg / 247 Lbs, in case anyone was wondering; I didn’t find this in the comments to date. 5.6 Kg each x #20 (x 2.2 Lb/Kg) Data source: www.calbusainc.com/additional-information/
Using expanding foam as a filler above the battery’s, wow 🙌! That is out of the box thinking right there 👍
I remember you had a Keenovo heat pad in the original battery box, what’s the reason you didn’t install some heating solution in this setup, apart from the obvious lack of space? Or is it because you went south? I think I’ve seen you log som data, did you log if the previous battery heater ever was needed?
Great videos as always, I think you are great at sharing your knowledge. It’s a piece of technical art that rig!
The heater worked great when we were in Canada and not living in it full time. But we're full time on the road in Mexico and Central America, and so it won't be needed for the next few years. Since they're inside the envelope of our living space, they stay at room temperature with us.
Brilliant use of the foam/bag!!
Thanks!
Love how you did your system you make it look easy. Is there any way you could do a step by step on your solar layout I'm wanting to do a very similar setup in mine that you did in yours as far as the batteries and your solar charge controller. I have room in mind for up to 12 of the 100ah batteries. Trying to get figured out what all I need and could really use some pointers.
That's what my Nissan leaf 2013 is holding in capacity right now.
Yup! 😄
Great install and informative video! Bloody great idea with that expansion foam too! One question though - can those prismatic cells be mounted on their side without damaging them? Cheers!
They can be mounted in any direction, but should not be installed up side down, so safety vent works correctly.
Very cool! That's a lot of juice!!
Very nice yes have to work with what you have great job.
welcome back to Canada
Its crazy to think you have over 10kwh of capacity crammed in there!
Hi sir, have u perhaps made a how to tutorial video on how to use a raspberry pi to switch of the invertor at a set voltage or percentage?
Yes, our inverter is switched by the Raspberry Pi based on the state of charge collected from the SBMS, czcams.com/video/SjirUYghQSA/video.html
@@Everlanders thank you sir!!!!!!!!
foam in bag is a good idea
Great video. Very creative way of making a professional installation. I would like to know how you got such clean cuts for your acrylic panel. My cuts always melt the Plexiglas back together behind the cuts.
I didn't have any problem... A good Diablo Blade, pushed hard and fast so it doesn't heat up... If you're still having issues you could try cutting incrementally deeper passes. Alternatively you could cut it 1/8th inch larger than you need it and then trim off that last 1/8th inch in one pass.
@@Everlanders Thank you for the quick reply. Sounds like you used a table saw. Maybe that's the secret. I've always done it with a jig saw with terrible results.
Oh, yes, table saw... Carbide teeth are wider than the blade and thus the blade doesn't rub and heat up the material causing it to melt.
Nice project. Thanks.
How are these cells still holding up? They fit like a glove!
98% tested last month.
do you have a video on how you wired your solar and what components you bought. it looks like the size i would like to make
Our solar and battery install videos are all here: czcams.com/play/PL0uBLqOOwG8hv9HRxGZvnesMBrUVyiQKf.html
Fire retardant expanding foam is also available.
Wind turbine, solar and a big ass 300Amp brushless alternator. But Nuclear is the best.
Hey Jason, what was between the hand made bus bar on the lower terminals? Some electrical component, didn't quite catch it. Best regards to you two always.
The 250 amp fuse that broke.
Thumbs up! Great video!
Question: does your charge controller receive power from truck alternator? In other words, can you also charge house system while driving?
You may have covered that in a previous video, sorry if redundant.
Happy trails!
Our batteries charge while driving, from the solar... Extracting electric power from Diesel costs $1.20 to $1.60/kWh after the outlay of a DC-DC converter, so we chose not to. Instead we spent that money and doubled up on our solar.
Nice job, very informative.
i heard this type of battery cell needs significant clamping force on the large flat sides of the battery. I was told that they expand and contract with charge state and that without clamping they would physically be damaged by this. so people install them with 2 boards clamped by all thread to some spec provided by the manufacturer.. is this true??
No, our cells are in ridged cases and CALB confirmed there is no clamping needed.
What is that doing for your springs over time? That's a decent sized load to have on one spring. I think I'm going to split the load per spring. Do you notice one side sloughing because that spring seats faster? Does it change the amount of spring response (bounce) for each side when you're going down a back road or whatever?
Loved the Great Stuff in a bag trick! Pure genius! :)
I've noted zero effect on our springs. The Lithium cells only weigh 5.6 kg each, the whole bank is 120 kg or 265 lbs - 50 lbs Lighter than me... Our chassis is rated at 17,500 lbs and we're currently at 13,890 lbs
Our springs were custom built to carry 19,000 lbs - so we have tones of headroom. Spring Install Video: czcams.com/video/UxnpCksjRk4/video.html
@@Everlanders Dang, those batteries ARE light! Maybe I won't bother splitting the load once they get here. Thanks for the heads up!
That fuse used as a bus bar in the middle of the battery looks sleek, but won't it explode your SBMS if the fuse ever opens?
Nope, BMS is fine.
Great vid man ,,,,,
you are using 5 batteries in parallel for each "cell". Your BMS can not monitor that many cells individually (20 total), so what happens if 1 fails? fire?
How that works is actually pretty uncomplicated: The bms sees each series string as one single cell as functionally that’s all it is. Once you series them, they charge and discharge at the same rate no different than if it was one single giant cell. The cells in series cannot go out of balance. Now, when you parallel those strings together, the bms then monitors the balance of each string to keep them in equilibrium. So, yes he started with 20 individual cells but as far as the finished product goes, once you series/parallel them there are only 5 cells total for the bms to monitor which is pretty standard faire for a bms to do.
Yup... What he said 👆👆
I think this is of great help, thank you
Where do all the lithium salt boxes come from, and how long do they last without a metal separator but corrosion polymer fine filled ?
These batteries don’t like heat correct? How do you manage to keep them cool when not using the vehicle or are you always using the vehicle? If so what will you do if you have to park it for an extended time frame?
We're living in here and traveling full time, and while the datasheet says 131°f, 55°c the temperature sensor in the bank has yet to read over 35°c it's just a huge thermal mass. But I suppose we could just run the AC if it gets much warmer than that, if we're not in here the solar is doing nothing anyway.
Very nice still in Mexico how about a battery update?
No Change, Capacity tests still show 11.24kW - Dumping excess solar into the water heater... czcams.com/video/_u0URusLxnk/video.html
Sweet, it seems you have a lot of confidence when working with these systems, I am curious if you have a bms? thanks
Of course, it would be foolish to run LiFePo4 without one.
Awesome Job!
$150 per cell.... Just spend $450 on a Genny.
Spray foam and bag, this dude impresses me each time.
No... Would never settle for a generator...
@@Everlanders Not a settle, you have enough for 90% of the time and on those 10 Day stretches you give them a little boost with the genny.
I guess if you can afford it then it's awesome, but for the average person who is not able to do everything themselves its a good option.
I always consider the comments for other viewers who might be looking for more info and giving them multiple options.
Needs to be copper not aluminum. Can I ask please, what are those cells and where do you get them? thanks
While copper, or nickel-plated copper, would be optimal, aluminum suffices for this application. With some insight into Jason's psyche, we shouldn't be surprised to find matching buss bars at some point in the future.
The cells are LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, prismatic cells. So named for their form factor. These cells are different from 18650 cells in that their nominal voltage is 3.2V vs. 3.7V. These cells have a charge voltage cut-off of 3.6V vs. 4.2V for 18650's. Discharge cut-off is the same at 2.5V.
The particular cells Jason employed in this application have a capacity of 180Ah/576Wh (nominal). Additionally, LiFePO4 chemistry is known safety and long cycle life.
To use these cells, or any LiFePO4 chemistry cells, be sure to purchase equipment (charge controller, etc.) that specifically supports this chemistry.
Google "CALB prismatic" for purchase options. Jason purchased his, used, on Ebay for $150 per cell. That's $80 to $100 less than retail price for new cells.
Hope this helps.
John, Thanks for the great comments, we're going to need to put you on staff as a comment moderator!
@@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt Thank you for the detailed comment. New to Lithium batteries somewhat, the purpose of buying second hand cells is the cost savings, and these cells are the building blocks for larger RV lithium batteries that cost thousands that already have battery management systems built in? The DIYers/cost saving approach to having large capacity lithium batteries for 1/2 the price?
I'm from AU and one company has them (back order only) at $288AUD each which is $200USD. none on ebay. Jason did well.
@@Everlanders My pleasure. Just hoping to be helpful.
Hey love the Video.
I am getting my hands on some pretty cheap Calb 200Ah batteries do you recommend Calb?
thanks.
Hi there always enjoy your videos very informative I also am a fellow Canadian and I am looking to upgrade to lithium iron phosphate batteries in my rig. Was curious what brand of batteries you have purchased? And were I might be able to purchase or perhaps if the Ebay auction you purchased yours from had more left? Anyways thanks in advance and look forward to your next video, the techy ones are always my favorite.
I don't see the listing anymore... I emailed the seller and he confirmed they are all sold from this batch.
@@Everlanders ok well thanks, what brand are they or should I just search 180ah lethium iron photsphate?
Awesome job. What were the major considerations leading you to a 12V system versus 24V if you don't mind me asking?
Too many things in the RV and Automotive world are 12 volts... We're using a pure signwave inverter that's 12 volt, our MaxAir fan is 12 volts, we've needed to boost ourselves twice... 24 is more efficient of course and the solar panels are cheaper...
Po-ta-to pa-ta-to, as they say. As Jason points out, 24V is optimal for a number of reasons, chief among them is simple math. A 4S configuration is needed for an adequate 12V output, while 7S suffices for 24V. Wiring, terminations, etc. are all smaller, less expensive and easier to work with than that which is required for lower voltage. Simply put:
Watts (load) = Volts (charge) * Amps (current)
So, a given load (W) at a higher voltage requires less current (A), allowing for smaller gauge wire, etc.
For these reasons and more, I recommend 24V whenever possible. An added benefit of 24V is constant clean 12V output (via a buck converter) for all your 12V loads. They like this much more than the lower voltages that are possible when discharging below 3.0V (2.5V * 4S = 10V). While most equipment tolerate less than 12V, that pesky math comes into play again, resulting in higher heat from increased current (A) (100W/10V = 10A vs. 100W/12V = 8.3A). Some equipment is more sensitive and either won't run or risks damage if forced to operate. Most importantly, most 120Vac/12Vdc inverters have a low voltage cut-off that effectively limits the usable capacity of a battery pack when supporting AC loads.
@@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt You're using the wrong chemistry, I think. LiFePo are 3.2 volts so they are direct replacement for 12 volts, 4 in series. LiFePo maintain voltage, going from 3.3 volts to a bit below 3 volts near the bottom. Seven is what you use for 18650 chemistries and 24 volts. But those chemistries have broad voltage swings. If I wanted to run a big inverter, I'd go with 24 volts, maybe 48 volts and just convert down some capacity to 12 volts. The video suggests they don't use so much power, just want to have a huge reserve. Not sure why they need 24v or higher. I really like the idea of harvesting the sun when it is around efficiently, but not using massive amounts of power.
When the battery discharges they get hot. When putting all these cells together, wouldn't be a problem? Thanks
False... Lithium batteries do not get hot when charged or discharged, the temperature changes by one degree even under very high loads.
Hi, thanks for the nice "Overlanders" + "Technik you need for the Trip" Channel .
I was wondering how you monitor the upgraded Cells ( 20x ) now , as the Elektrodcus ist meant for 8s System max and you put the System in 12V ( 4x (5xSuperCells) ) . It looks from the Video that you are cabeling only every "SuperCells" and lack the Monitoring of the SingleCells . Did you experience Problems with that Config as you are not seeing the SingleCells ( Monitoring + Balancing ) any longer .
Greetings to the Couple " aus dem Schwarzwald" ;)
There is no problem running cells in parallel, every electric car has done this for years. Also, our "cells" in fact have several cells paralleled inside already... The copper busbars ensure the cells are exactly the same. If any one cell starts to get weak, it will pull the others down with it and the BMS will report that. Then you'd need to single that one bad cell out. (But ours are still at 98% after 4 years of hard use)
1.21gigawatts!!!!⚡️
Thanks for the update! I was wondering if you’d upgrade batteries. Your storage vs your capture capacity was a bit low.
I intended to slip one of these in there somewhere, didn't make it ...😁
Jigawatts... And never mind that lightning carries minimal amperage...
David Clark I know it was said Jigawatts, But was actually spelled gigawatts in script. And mispronounced. 😆⚡️🤪
@@alexworks9659 well that worked out well in the end!
Would you care to share why you opted not to tie into the alternator as a charging option?
Extracting electricity from diesel with a vehicle's alternator will cost $1 to $2 per kilowatt hour, $10 to $20 to charge our batteries...
2. At 50 amps would take 18 hours running the engine to charge completely.
3. The very low resistance of lithium batteries means you would need a dedicated DC to DC charge controller, otherwise the high current demand of these batteries would melt the alternator...
I chose to run purely off of solar, in fact we often disconnect our alternators regulator connector and power the chassis electrical demands from our Solar and Lithium Bank. Getting about 15L/100km now...
@@Everlanders I guess I always figured I'd run both just to have the alternator charge while under way, although since watching your videos my solar and battery plans have doubled.