I Bought a CHEAP Lithium Batteries on AMAZON for Living in a Van
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- Are cheap lithium batteries worth it?
These 2 Lithium batteries have an affordable price tag, especially since they're rated to last at least 4,000-8,000 cycles. That means you can use them for about 14 years, every day, without replacing them. Compare that to lead acid batteries that last only about 400 cycles, or 2-6.
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Thanks for watching!
Following Will Prowes, I was able to put solar in my 40' 5th wheel and everything works...my plug in's, my full size house fridge freezer, my Wynter freezer, abd my smaller appliances and all at once...I am a retired female living alone....in Colorado.. Thank u SOOO much Will...u r my hero, I have 265 in solar and 4 agm batteries...going lithium in 2023...😁😁😁
⁰
will prowes is wonderful
@666J6R6M6666 Very few DIY solar products are UL/HOA approved. If you want a 100% code-friendly system, you need a professional installer. If you have the skill/confidence and lax codes in your area, DIY solar/battery systems can save a huge amount of money over professional installtions.
Hmm, retired female... Colorado... alone, could use a handy gentleman, who's self sustaining...
Ummm, yeah, my name's Garry, I'm a retired Judge/craftsman, pleasure to make your acquaintance Donna. What books are you looking at now?
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sorry, I'm totally joking 😅.
I couldn't resist, the world needs far more humor!
;
You can also get a solar charge controller that has low temperature disconnect and use that with lithium batteries that don't have a BMS with low-temperature disconnect
Awesome information 😊
It also works out to be 1/3 the price.
Thanks Ausia
I have the SOK 206 amp hour battery and it was the best $1029 I ever spent. I run ICECO 65, lights, TV, DVD player, computer and it never drops below 90% with one 175 watt solar even on rainy days
That's incredible
@@michellelaclair yes it is. I started with two 6 volt batteries and killed them in one year.
@@LJ-jq8og I think my SOK 206 weighs around 55lbs if i remember correctly
I follow Will, too. I recently purchased my first LiFePo4 battery in components an d assembled it myself. 280 amp hours for $750. I learned a lot by doing it this way.
I wish I had the confidence to try that. I bought 2 Battleborn. I got 2 100ah for almost $2000. Ridiculous.
John what exactly did you buy
@666J6R6M6666 Why not use your name so we can know the source?
@666J6R6M6666 HOA's??? RV use is what we are talking about here. Not home usage.
You probably hear this all the time, but you really are a great guy Bob. You have helped so many people who you will probably never meet, and I am one of them. Lived in my truck and teardrop for many years and used to watch your videos a lot, made me feel like I wasn't so alone. Anyhow, I've had housing for a while now, but may be losing it soon. But at least now, I know that I can do it and will not be crippled with fear by the thought of doing it once again. Just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my Heart for being the genuine man that you are.
Good video. I have had my SOKs for 2 yrs. Love them. I can go 4 days without having to skimp on my usage with my two 100AH SOKs. One thing you may want to mention, if the viewer is currently running lead acid, they will also need to upgrade their battery charger/converter or at least change the settings.
Did you get them in the US
@@waynejoseph1603 I ordered them and had them delivered to my US address.
good point we went with 2 BB then SOK came out and got 2 they play very well together I should also mention the LiFePO4 battery Isolation manager if you plan on using your Alternator LiFePO4 will burn up an Alternator
@@zeeb6 Interesting - Battle Born came out with a video saying that their batteries are "Plug and play" for those who currently have lead acid batteries - that nothing in the charging system or the alternator needs to be changed (due to the onboard BMS)
What is the difference in the lithium battery charger?
Just a friendly reminder: Take off all jewelry before working with batteries. If you have a metal ring, and it manages to short out the battery, your finger will be amputated. If you have a watch with a metal band and bezel, the bezel will be welded in place. Even an ordinary lead battery can do this!
Just remember that if you have a motorhome or campervan, etc. - any vehicle which charges the "house batteries" along with the chassis battery (most do) that there MAY BE additional up-front expenses and changes you need to make. It's not as simple as plopping the new lithium batteries in and expecting them to work perfectly.
Lithium batteries have a much different "charging profile" than your old lead acid batteries. If you simply swap out your lead acid for lithium without any other changes, your new lithium batteries will never fully charge - due to the different charging profile. You will need a "battery isolation manager" - a small $175 device (usually mounted in your engine bay) which keeps your chassis battery AND your house batteries charged using the proper current. Of course if your house batteries are completely isolated, and you never charge your house batteries off the engine alternator, a battery isolation manager isn't necessary. BUT... having that additional charging option it is a HUGE convenience.
In addition, you will need a solar charge controller which is "lithium compatible", which simply means a selectable charge profile optimum for lithium batteries. So... when tallying up your total "lithium conversion" cost, remember to consider these "gotchas". It's often possible to have an additional $300 over and above the cost of the batteries alone.
Good to know I had forgotten about that so thanks.
Easily once you ad all the hardware and accessories running to your converter,your Mppt charge controller,your BMS, a shunt etc etc there is a lot more than just throwing a battery in and calling it a day. If you want it done properly you won't skip all the stuff to manage and watch your batteries as they're not cheap when you stsrt buying bigger banks running 24v or 48v banks things get real expensive real fast.
Thank you, Bob Wells, always leading the way to bring RVers the latest and best information and equipment reviews.
Will Prowse is absolutely amazing to watch and he demonstrates and explains all things electrical, so well.
The two of you make a great support team.
I got the Ampere Time 200ah-Plus that allows for a full 200 amp discharge if it needs it. It was around $950 at the time last year. I spoke with the manufacturer in China about my method to heat it if it needs it. I told them that somebody makes a 12v heating blanket for RV water tanks. That's good enough. I ventilate the mechanical room where the batteries go. A small 12v computer fan pulls living space air out through the mechanical room where that warmer air can keep the plumbing and the batteries warm enough to charge. If I get cold I can turn on the heat blanket for the Lifepo4 battery. In summer, three more ducted computer fans can be turned on independently to move hot air out of the van, including the mechanical room. Batteries can get too hot to charge also. My Charge controller has a temperature sensor that watches out for too much heat and shuts things off if it gets too hot. The Ampere Time has a protection circuit built in for too hot also. Great stuff Bob.
Thankyou bob!!!
That's smart, tank heaters would be perfect and cheap.
We put solar on our house but SCE suddenly began messing with us and has turned off power to our end of the street 4x this year. So we are looking at batteries & this is really helpful info. Thank you Bob!
Hello Bob, I've lived off road over 20 years. And watching your videos as enlightened my life. Finding better ways to chill my food power my home. I never been able to afford the higher price batteries on my budget. But I see there are better batteries now. Thanks so much
Will Prowse is a great recommendation. He is one of the most knowledgeable CZcamsrs when it comes to Solar, Batteries, Power Stations and more. Everytime I watch one of your videos I understand why I trust you because of the people you associate with. Thank You for all you do.
Was just out camping and my 6 year old lead acid battery on my trailer was struggling. I am going to go with an SOK. I watch Will Prowse's channel. Will take his recommendation and buy used panels for the solar. My current solar setup is not permanent. Afraid the portable panel may walk away some day.
Bought my 230 W panels from SanTan Solar for less than $90 each. Very happy with them- in service about 10 months, now.
I tried to watch Will but he is so technical for a person like me, I just didn’t get what he was saying....but that’s just me.... I think he’s a great teacher for someone with previous knowledge on electrical stuff
There are a lot of videos out there that explain solar very basic.
Go back and watch his earlier videos.
The more you watch the more you learn.
Keep that mindset that "I can do this "!
I always go with your recommendations. I went with a Bluetti AC200P and I love it. One of the reasons I went with it was because I wanted a product that would last a long time. A solar generator worked best for me because of my situation. I appreciate you and the information you share.
Four months too late for us, but great advice and video! I had 2 top end AGMs installed in January rather than Battle Born. It’s all a learning process and your videos are so helpful! Making many notes preparing for our next rig. Thank you Bob.
Great comment, this is a rapidly changing market, batteries are way cheaper than they were a year ago, and probably more expensive than they will be a year from now. Buy what you need when you need it and not before. I just bought 412 Ah of SOK batteries for about $2200. Happy, but I won't follow the price after they're in use, it'll drive me crazy.
? 7th 8
@@Relaxed161 Ontario
Battleborn makes a good product but it's absolutely overpriced by over double.
Good point about premium acid battery being the same as the low-end lithium battery; so the Lifepro ($389.00-...10/17/-22) is the best for my situation. Your channel is the best as you cover many possibilities of RV traveling/living. Thank you 🙏
Thank you, Bob. Huge gratitude for this marvelous, game changing, life changing good news. So well presented, easy to understand. Love that Will Prowse fella, you introduced. Wishing you, team and all, happy trails. 🙏🏼🐾🎶
Building out a van next month and this is exactly the info I need! Thanks for everything Bob!
Haha buddy I'm an Alaskan bush rat born in Kodiak and from the Mentasta area South West of Tok and every Die Hard battery I ever had did just that!! Froze n busted wide open. ( But not the gel cells under the cowlings of my Super Cub) or under my bed in my current cabin in the NE mountains of Washington State. I have 14 Long duration 100 amp gel cells under my bunk. Perfect match foot print. At $550 each then warranted for 5 years. They are currently 18 years old and still charging and doing their job. But like me they're old and tired. Still doing the job. I'm knocking on 80 and still doing the job --- but tired. Haha Best $7,000+ I ever spent. Thinking bout these new style batteries?? But --- if it ain't broke don't fix it.?? Maybe not . Dandahermit
I agree! If you don't need it why buy it!
Bought the SOK 206 ah when it first came out. Put it in a small plastic cooler with a $15 reptile aquarium pad heater and paired it up with the Renogy DCC50S MPPT charge controller which charges from solar or alternator or both at the same time. Got 2x 200watt solar panels and run everything through a 3000-watt inverter. Keep in mind the max continuous amp discharge of your battery (100 amps=1200 watts w/this model) I always double up on my needed inverter's spec'd wattage output to prolong its lifetime. I'm a happy camper! Great battery and the company stand behind their products.
Hi Bob. Most just say “Lithium battery” but it’s actually a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. The scientific symbols for those three elements are Li (Lithium), Fe (Iron), and P04 (Phosphate). This is where “LiFeP04” comes from.
Also described as LP04, lfp, lithium iron,
And CATL have just introduced one with Manganese added to the mix to improve performance which adds an M into the abreviation.
We read Will’s book on building a solar system. Easy to follow and we now have three Battleborns in our rig. Awesome because I never worry about running out of power. The only time they do not charge is in thick smoke.
Glad to see you finally went to Lithium’s. I’ve been on them since Jan 2019 and love them! Well worth the money.
Thank you so much for doing these videos. They've helped us a lot in deciding what to get. I did buy two 100 amp hour lithium batteries for $365 a piece. So far they work great. I'm betting that by the time these batteries die that I'll be able to replace them for half of what these original batteries cost so I really didn't want to spend five or $600 per battery at this time.
Those batteries should last well over 10years.
Will is definitely the go-to guy for anything related to solar. You can also buy beehive heaters and take them to your batteries to keep them warm. To have them come on automatically you would have to connect them to an electronic thermostat or a switch if you know the temperatures going to fall down below or close to freezing I wouldn't go past 40° personally
Thank You Bob I will need to upgrade my Batteries in about a year. I believe. Using First Interstate deep cell and they are AGM however haven’t missed a lick.
Another option to keep your lithium batteries from freezing. Just add a solar hot water system to warm tanks of antifreeze in the same room as the batteries! Need circulation for a hotwater panel use an older photo voltaic panel to run a pump when the panel reaches X tempature all running on older PB or LI batteries
Great job Bob! Thanks for all you do. I follow Will Prowes and he is the gurus when it comes to solar.
I hit that 👍 Bob! It was awesome to meet you at the RTR! Thank you for another great informative video!!! 👍
I flipped over to Amazon and noticed a 300AH that is same size as the original RV coach battery. Would love a review. Although expensive it is less expensive than buying 3 100AH batteries
Have you checked Will Prowse's channel for a review? He regularly dissects and reviews batteries as they hit the market.
@@TrevorBoughtABus I have not seen Will on the 300AH but will double check. I rarely miss one of his videos. Thanks
I installed two of these in February. Love them. Added heater and Victron temp sense.
In sure the 300 is just as good as the 100ah ones. I would buy it if it was cheaper per amp hour.
I have two 200 amp hour Ampere time batteries in my Toyota Dolphin which work with my 1040 watts of solar to help power a small air conditioner and my fridge etc. bc of the worry of cold (I am in Florida currently and there were a few days earlier this year it did get cold) so my friend who set up my system had me get a heating pad and we plugged the Rv in those few nights. I had to go out every few hrs to restart the heating pad (for safety reasons it shuts off on a timer) but he helped save my batteries. I don’t want to stay in cold places anyway but having those heating pads definitely came in handy. I like the idea of the temp gauge. Will ask my friend abt that as well. Thank u for this video!
Lithium has really changed being able to live comfortably in the boonies without those awful generators in the last couple of years:) Yes, Will Prowse is the man for solar and lithium technology. Good point about not having use of the battery and damage if it freezes and then try to charge! Freezing is ok, but trying to charge while frozen is terrible. Yeah SOK to protect the cold battery. It has a low temp guage and will cut off if too cold. . SOK has a bluetooth with heater to charge. 630. Love the smaller size too.
Love your videos Bob... Been watching Will Prowse for years, very smart.
LOL!! 9:52 A miniature person inside! 😀😃🤣🤣😁😄
I have had my two SOK 12v 206ah batteries with Bluetooth since January 2023. This battery charges faster than my lead acid batteries, more capacity and are lighter. This was the best battery upgrade and well worth the $1k/battery. I call them my Super OK batteries.
being on a very fixed income and building my solar system piece- meal I went with the 12V-100AH AGM as it was just under $200.00. A Life-po 4 at 390.00 is just out of reach. I still need to buy one more 100 watt panel, to efficiently charge the battery for the 1500 watt inverter. And this is all in the hopes that sometime this summer we will buy a new to us travel trailer. So that additional hundred bucks is alot. Love your videos thanks for keeping us all well informed and entertained.
Always check Craigslist & Facebook marketplace.used batteries one up sometimes
I will be ordering 2ea. SOK batteries with heaters to install in our Full time travel trailer. Because of my health condition and needing AC during the heat of the day we will be charging via generator and not always solar but lithium is still the way to go. It appears I can charge the batteries by generator in 3 hours daily which in turn will give us 21 hours of quiet, clean power daily. Differently a win win situation for our Nomad life!
Love watching you Bob, you are a wealth of knowledge.Very helpful x
Ok since he asked, here's my 2 cents. I switched to lithium last summer when I found a 200ah on sale for 600 and was having trouble yet again with my marine battery, which I had less than 2 years. It was 135 ah and I could never keep it charged it the winter enough to keep running my fridge even with 200 watts of solar. Well now I'm through the winter with my lithium and let me tell you it never dropped below 13 volts, even when I used my instant pot a bit. I found an article of a guy who had tested different types of batteries and lifepo4 outperformed even the expensive agms by a long way. None of the lead acid batteries even performed to the 50% capacity for which they were rated, which you ont want to go below anyway because it will cause damage. I'm guessing I killed a lead acid battery every winter thinking I could go down to 50% even though I never did.
I'm in southern Colorado, plenty of sun, but yeh I've had a really hard time trying to figure out how much I needed in wnter
You have such a gift for explaining things, nice job..
Best videos on CZcams.
Brings to viewing audience the answers to questions most are wondering about.
Well done to Bob Wells, you and your outstanding team have made life living as a nomad informed and outfitted by top resourceful brands.
Shout out to Will Prowse the brand guru.
💕living & learning vicariosly with Cheap RV Living 🌵🌞🌵.
I own both the Enjoybot Chins 300ah and Signature Solar Eg4. Both great batteries at an affordable price. Will also recommends them. Eg4 has low temperature cut off but the Chins does not but they also have a heated model as well. I think the Chins is a renamed Ampretime or made in the same factory. Also $20 cheaper when I purchased mine.
Don't forget this one, DJLBERMPW Lithium battery,12V 300AH LiFePO4 Battery Deep Cycle Battery
We just bought 3 206amp hour SOK batteries. We also went off Will Prowse's recommendations. We have 9 100 watt HQST's and put them in an array and have installed them on the top using our ladder racks. We are only at the beginning stages of our build. We have a 2011 E-250. Hopefully we will have nothing but the best of luck with these.
Thanks for the info. When I buy battery's it will be the SOK. In the 1980s I installed large home solar systems and the major flaw they all had was the lead acid battery's, they were expensive required routine Maintenace very heavy and potentially explosive. They would last about 5-6 years and replacing them cost as much as half of the electricity the system made. The systems only made sense when commercial electricity was not available.
Selco thermal switch
I have an SOK 12V 206AH LiFePO4 Battery that I bought just before Christmas for $909.00 with free shipping and no Sales Tax. It absolutely Rocks.
Point A is to go 24v with your system uses half the current as 12v which=less amp/hrs reserve to do the same job and B keep them inside your unit=zero possibility of freezing!
I bought 3 of the SOK's for my rig from the get go. 300 AH of Lithpo4 for $1790, I'm beyond happy with them. I'm from Minnesota and still stay in cold areas, so having the BMS that protects the batteries was worth the extra cost. Add that to the lifespan of these batteries, and I think it was money well spent. Great video!
I'M STICKING WITH WALMART'S BEST LEAD ACID BATTERIES BECAUSE THEY WILL REPLACE THEM AT THE DROP OF A HAT AND I KNOW THAT CUZ I'VE HAD TO DO THAT SEVERAL TIMES AND EVERY TIME THEY WERE REPLACED THE WARRANTY STARTED OVER
I would definitely suggest buying the lithium batteries. For the price difference the reduced weight and discharging abilities make all the difference. I have two 100 amp hour batteries. We run lights fans and refrigerator constantly and the batteries have never dropped below 90% charge even on shady days.
Can you get them in the US??
Running what you do, would have been okay with a single 100 amp hour battery, you think? I'm trying to figure out if I could get away with just one.
@@waynejoseph1603 I got mine from amazon for 300 dollars. redodo was the brand name.
Great info. Definitely watch Will for some great knowledge about solar and battery systems
I am still with golf cart batteries and think dollar for dollar they are still unrivaled. In a condition of constently moving around LifePo 4 batteries certainly have the advantage of less weight and more energy storage density.
I do however believe their longevity at this point is over hyped. There is also still a pretty big initial buy in price difference.
I have never had any lithium battery in any device last ten years! Not in a cell phone and not in my laptop. You can see them failing in EV's also before ten years.
I stay stationary in Golden Valley Arizona. It gets hot here but not as bad as Bullhead or Havasu. You have to have a system strong enough at the very least to run an evap cooler. Again it becomes an issue of being able to buy what you can afford. I can't afford the best, newest, shiniest! I can only afford what works at the lowest possible cost.
Thank you for this information!
Lisa, lithium battery in your phone are not the same as LiFePo4(lithium iron phosphate) batteries. They are a completely different makeup and have different qualities. One of those being the longevity.
I have lithium batteries that I bought prior to 2010 that I use every day in my flashlights and a few other devices and I charge them up on a regular basis they will still go up to 99.95% charge and I routinely take them down to 20% and sometimes 15%. So thats over 12 years of usage. They are the small 18650 cells which are actually what’s been used in the Teslas just a tonne of them lol. I also have some batteries called eneloop rechargeables in AA and AAA sizes that say that can go 1800 cycles at that rate I will probably never run them all the way down to dead lol. I guess I’ll put them in my will lol
Different strokes for different folks!
In my case, I'll live in Finland, where it's getting cold easily, I live in a wan, don't have a fridge, basically just using the power for the diesel heater and charging my phone. And I'm usually traveling the winter and leaving the car parked over the winter for 3 to 6 months.
I have two led battery's in the car, one is connected all the time to the electrich system, and then I have a really connecting the start battery in the system when I'll key oon the car, it means that there always going to be enough power to start even if the hobby battery gets flat.
Other things is that I don't need to do anything specific with the charging system, the stock output voltage is 14.2v from the alternator and that's enough to charge but not fast, I might mod the alternator regulator to be manually adjustable to get faster charging in some point.
For me it's still the cheapest way, and if something break's I'm not down on a lot off investment
At first I thought "Who IS this guy?!" INSTANTLY liked your content. Thanks!!!
I've not decided what I'm going to do regarding solar, other than keep my AGM battery as long as possible.
Enjoybot is the manufacturer for Ampere Time, Chins, Redodo(formally Zooms) batteries. If you can wait for a sale, you can buy them for as low as $319. I have 12 of them and the highest I paid was $339.
I'm heading into my second year and I have had no problems with any of them. Next time the price drops I'm buying another 4 of them. .
Good you mentioned the cold climate issues with lithium batteries in general, if in a camper take them out in cold weather especially for charging. A great product with limitations.
Suggestion if you going to buy one of these 100 amp hour batteries, you might want to buy 2. Helps with larger loads,charge at high rate.I have chins (same maker as ampere time)300amp hour battery works pretty well for my needs. Runs 2 12volt frigs, 700 watt instapot, computer. Struggles with 900watt coffee maker.
Bob you bring the best product reviews and recommendations on CZcams. Thank you.
Just got a pair £400 each 100A lithiums for my mobility scooter. Saved 20lbs over lead. Goes 3x as far per charge. Thanks for the “Don’t charge when freezing tip!”
Thanks Bob. Hello from Australia. I am learning very slowly about solar so I appreciate your insight.
I feel like right now we are at a sweet spot in the market - It really isn't at a point where it makes sense to get rid of lead-acid that still have good life in them, but if someone needs to upgrade, then LiFePO4 is the way to go, especially with cold-temp protection and good on-board BMS systems.
The two issues I see in LiFePO4 are 1) the low-temp charge - if someone is off-grid and freezing with a dead battery, that could spell disaster
2) LiFePO4 are expensive if you find one that has starting power as well.
Personally, I bought new Lead-Acid last year because at the time, thats what I could do, but I think that in a few years when these finally kick the bucket, LiFePO4 will have caught up more on price and CCA's for starting.
Unless we get into a war (or a cold war) with China....
This is the first vid I've seen on this channel. I hot 'subscribe' within the first two minutes. Great stuff.
Great video bob. I watch wills channel alot. The SOK also comes with a 10 year warranty and I think the ampere time is only a 3 year warranty
My Ampertime has 10 y warranty
I have been full time rv for 6+ years now and started with lithium before commercially batteries were available. So i had to build my 360 Ah battery from components. The cells are Chinese Calb batteries and my Charger/ BMS is made by a guy in Canada. The BMS has wifi so I can monitor charge and temperature. I run a 10.7 cu foot refrigerator and all lights TV ect. I recently measured battery capacity and it has not degraded by a measurable amount in 6 years. There is no power sag with lithium, so when you run microwave there is no light dimming at all. Never once in 6 years have we needed to run battery to 50 percent. The lowest we saw after 3 days of rain with no solar input. Without a doubt Lifepo is the future of battery tech.
I bought four SOK 206Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries after watching Will's review of them a few months ago. I haven't had a chance to set them up yet. Each battery had twice the amp hours as the battleborn.
@@gufredd9675 BattleBorn makes great batteries, however if you can find an individual 200 ah battery they are $1898 for BB vs $1029 for SOK, A lot of folks can't afford that kind of $
HEY BOB, IVE BEEN LIVING IN MY VEHICLES FOR ABOUT 16YRS NOW AND NEVER HAD SOLAR OR BATTERIES, I REALLY WANT THEM BUT JUST COULD NEVER REALLY AFFORD TO MAKE THE JUMP....
NOW I REALLY THINKING OF DOING IT, IM SAVING MY MONEY AND IM ABSOLUTELY INTERESTED IN A GOOD SYSTEM.....
THANK U FOR ALL U DO, BEEN WATCHING U FOR MANY YEARS AND ACTUALLY TRY AND GET SOME OF THE PRODUCTS YOU SUGGEST, KEEP UP WHAT UR DOING, UR HELPING US OLD FOLKS GET BY....
I use a stack of Lead Acid batteries I got from wrecking yards. They can be wired together to produce your preferred voltage and many amps.
Your videos are great 👍
I have 2 SOK battery's in my minivan for boondocking and I am very happy with them
One 100ah was used for 2 cpaps and a fan all night and still enough juice to power a fan all day. If you can afford the SOK battery, do yourself a favor and buy these.
Since I live on battery power, I'm so glad I came across this video.
My travel trailer came with a small solar system. 160 watts and agm batteries. The system works well for what it is. I would love to upgrade to lithium, but I’ll wait until the current batteries need replacement.
My travel trailer’s battery (one of two) blew up the other day and I need to replace it, of course, but I am confused about the difference between these batteries that run the lights in the trailer and the AGM batteries that I have in my van that connect to Solar and run fridge, lights, everything. The trailer does not have solar yet and is now hooked up to electricity but I don’t know what I will need when I travel with it. So my question is, since I have to replace the batteries anyway, should I go with lithium? I don’t plan on installing solar on the trailer. Or would it be smarter to replace the van batteries with lithium instead? I could possibly run the trailer power off of that with an extension cord.
I never knew all that about lithium batteries. That will be my next update to my system.
I love my Ampere time 200ah batteries. I put 2 of them in parallel, and have 400ah. I put a Victron Battery sense on my Ampere time 200ah, Which I also have on a Victron charge controller, That will not allow charging under set temps. Plus it has a Bluetooth dongle, so I can see what’s happening, and the temp of the batteries All from it he comforts of inside.
All items purchased on EBAY
Excellent advice. I am in my prebuild/planning phase and this video taught me some very good things.
Just bought a 12V 100ah lithium for $320. A company on NewEgg had a $400 lithium on some 3-day promo and I bought it. It's amazing. I was able to run my 12V 50-amp trolling motor at full speed a very long way and only went from 12.8V to 12.6V under load. When not under load, it was still at 13V, which is only down from the 13.3V it started out at. Before I bought this battery, I had to use two 75ah AGMs wired in parallel, which cost just as much as this battery but x2, weigh significantly more, and up more than 2x the space. Most 12V 100ah lithium fit in Group D24 battery cases, which are cheap and plentiful, and recommended for batteries that are exposed to the weather.
Will prowess is amazing like you Bob.
I went with HQST Solar 100ah lifepo4, $378. What makes it superior to the other budget lifepo4 batteries? Functional cold temperature cut-off protection. Ampere Time doesn't have cold temperature cut-off protection. I have only been using them for a few months, but I am highly impressed. Currently running 300ah of bank connected to 480w of solar suitcase panels, through a 40a MPPT controller.
You can use a Ampere Time below 32f, you just can't charge them.
@@danshively5253 same can be said with every lifepo4 battery on the market, without cold temperature cut-off protection or self heating function. Being able to charge below 32 degrees F is very important to many customers.
wow, haven't watched Bob in many years. What a difference! Plus over 600k subs.
Thanks for the review and info about the SOK - I too watch Will Prowse and have for eons. I've watched you many years ago when I thought I was going to sell my condo and go full time RVing but that never happened. I still love watching you though. You have a very interesting CZcams channel and I still love it. Keep up the good work.
Great Video Bob!!..Very well explained and since I'm now just getting into solar on my Class C, I find all, and I mean all, of your videos and opinions greatly appreciated and very helpful. Will probably go with the less expensive battery for my application, but the superior battery choice would be well worth the investment. Keep up the great work my friend..we all appreciate you very much! Stay safe and enjoy your living! Hope to meet you someday..Bill in Las Vegas..
Thank you for this. Danny had me looking at the links tonight. Have a great rest of the week.
Like you, Bob , I have two Battle Born batteries. They are great! When the SOK came out, I wanted to add them to the BB. DON’T DO IT. The battery management systems will not work together. Great video👍👍
I scored 8 100a SOK's for my solar setup, lots to learn in this game
Main points for these batteries:
AGM is cheap, but you have more weight, can only use 50% of the charge, and a lot less charge quantity. But, you can get more cold cranking amps and charge it at low temperatures. I paid $156 at Walmart with a 4 year warranty.
Lithium can't charge when cold or hot, usually only 100A max output, weighs less, you can use 90% of the charge, more charges over its life, expensive, not usually local for a good price.
If you won't use it daily, maybe monthly or rarely, AGM might work for you. I use mine to jump start my van by hooking up a high amperage switch. That's what works for me.
Just a side note, I bought a TimeUSB 100ah 12.8v battery. I was reading trig the manual, and they are made by Ampere Time. And they are much cheaper.
Hi Bob
Been watching you for years. Retired brought a campervan years ago because of you and your channel. Then had health problems. Finally about to take a trip out west to Ca. Hope to meet you at the BYOV
Just traveling through.
Skennedy..
Don't mind helping out.
It always is a pleasure to see you describing the everyday items you choose and use. Thanks
A/c is a must in hot weather
I'm just amazed at how little wind noise your mic picked up with all that bluster. Whichever setup you're using, it's doing GREAT!
I think SOK is the best value for your money. It may cost more up front, but the others cost more over time. SOK seems to be the best investment.
Some have suggested that one get an extra tank heater pad for the batteries & add it to your tank heater's circuit so that keeping your tanks from freezing also keeps your batteries from freezing as well.
Great advice and Will is the man when it comes to solar systems and Lipo batteries!
I got my LiFePO4 several years back and it was a game changer. Sooooooo much better than lead acid, which I used for about 4 years prior. There is a ton less to worry about. Anyway, I'm sure he wouldn't show these if they weren't of good quality. That said, keep in mind that the quality and pricing on these fluctuate a bit with some companies. Make sure you do your homework before buying. One good place to start for up to date information is a channel called, "diy solar power with will prowse". He does extensive tests on many of these as they show up on the market. He even rips them apart. If you have already bought one, I wouldn't worry too much. Almost any LiFePO4 is going to be better than lead acid.
I would get 2 apere time batteries and 2 heat covers for them. Thank you for your advice you are great.
Finally, Will convinced LifePO4 battery manufacturers to make a BMS & Cell servicable battery. In our Litigious nation. Just for that alone, the SOK is worth the extra $200.
I am aspiring to be a Newbie @70 1/2 yes young! The $580.00 is my choice in my truck van no build for 2023. Quality matters / security / thanks for the educational videos. My white van named Bob ( smiles) yes inspired nomad part time starting 2023***** will test my nerves, happy place, van ability to house me , especially a lady of color... Reality matters, most folks so cool. Than there are some times not.
Bob, the indepeth information you share is invaluable. Thank you Dear Sir.
There is a video on cold temps effect on AGM and Lithium batteries, with charging and discharging. Lithium batteries had no issues at all.
Lithium is the way to go !