Thumbs up, comment for algorithm (sp?). So, for $500 & a bit of effort, you now have 280 genuine AH on board. It's cheaper than AGM, Dan! Very nice project & modestly priced.
Dan, I wandered around a bit & really, really like the Intern'tl charging solution using a wall wart & Victron solar charge controller. Common sense & brilliant at the same time. Exactly the kind of solution that saves major stress when in foreign countries. XT60 and/or XT90's are super quick answers to any question, and, although pricey, really allow me to relax knowing that they can handle the current. Thank you!!!
Good video. As a 6 month user of these 280 AH LiFePo4 batteries in an 8S configuration, I would recommend that you use a lower absorption voltage than the 14.4 V level you selected on your various charging sources. My experience with these batteries is that unless you do a really good job of top balancing the cells, a slight voltage imbalance of the cells near the top end can result in an overvoltage of an individual cell if you use 14.4 V absorption, which may trigger an unwanted BMS shutdown of the battery pack. I use an absorption of 27.6 V (13.8 V) and a float of 27.0 V (13.5 V) for my 8S configuration, and I have found that I'm only losing about 1% SOC on the top end by lowering my absorption voltage and staying out of the knee of the voltage curve. The advantage is that I never have to worry about over voltage on an individual cell or having the BMS cut off the battery due to a high cell voltage.
I took a similar approach in my RV trailer, which has 400 Ah of DIY LiFePO4 batteries. I used an all in one DC-DC charger controller that also has a 50 Amp MPPT solar charger to control charging from shore, alternator (tow vehicle) and solar panels. The unit is the Renogy DCC50S. It has a Lithium Iron Phosphate setting and temperature monitor to prevent charging when batteries are below freezing. I used Daly BMS too...they are very cost effective. As a bonus with the Renogy unit, it will top off your starting battery from the solar panels when you RV is in storage. It is pretty slick and has an available Bluetooth monitor option. I also have a Victron battery monitor installed because Victron is the best, but is pricy. Nice video.
Nice setup. That renogy unit sounds fancy. I've had some bad customer service issues in the past with them so I've avoided buying anything from them since. How do you pass that much current to the trailer while towing? Dedicated cables I assume?
@@freelyroaming I have the Renogy DCC50S also and it has been great as a primary device for Temp/Voltage protections. BMS is the secondary level of protection.
at first i was not sure but after watching this whole series of videos i am now positive. The part where you made the bus bars out of copper tubing was it. You are from Alabama. Great job all around thanks for the videos
dc/dc charging is interesting in the method of charging one battery from another battery of same or different type, and a higher state of charge. You can add a Lpo battery on a DC/DC charger to recharge lead/acid batteries in a low state of charge this way and build a hybrid system.
So, this is the first time I have actually become excited after watching a You Tube vid! You guys have convinced me (a thrifty Canadian transplant) to bite the bullet and go for a 280 AH LIFEo4 , home made (assembled) and tested. I look forward to the adventure, and your informative videos have made the project seem much more doable, for me at least! Thanks, and I am a follower.
@ScottsVenture Great to hear from you. I would like to report that everything has gone smoothly, however that never really happens does it? Things are moving along. I have received the cells, and they were very close in charge. However when I tried to bottom balance by first depleting the charge, it turns out there is quite an imbalance. I am working on that. There have been several different adventures. I have ordered a bench top power supply after getting some server PSUs, using them for charging, and having difficulties with the buck and boost converters I added. So lesson learned there, and I will get those in tow once I have free time. I am working full time for a few weeks (so much for retiring), but I plan to top balance the cells starting tomorrow, and then build the pack for a final charge and test. So I am still very excited and want this completed n time for our next adventure in April. I want to say thanks again for all your info, I woul dnot be this far without the likes of your videos. Hope you are traveling well!
Very nice video series! Thanks for sharing. A couple of thoughts related to safety: Assuming the battery box will be restrained, it would still be good to have some restraint inside the box to keep the batteries in place should there be an accident or rollover. Secondly, a better location for the main battery breaker would be inside the box so that you can disconnect one of the power leads if/when you move the box around and not risk the main leads touching each other or some piece of metal.
Thanks. The cells cannot come out as it is enclosed by the wooden block on the top edge which attached with 4 screws into the inside of the box. The entire box of also attached to the floor with screws and a webbing strap holds the whole thing down just as how the previous AGM cells were held down . The switch outside is much easier to access as well as the circuit breaker. Those cables are tied to the ropes on each side on the battery box when I need to move them so they cannot short with each other.
I like your Li setup, specially when you are using what you have, I like that. A recommendation; any Li batts like to be charge using a constant volt and really dislike the absorption volts then this should be turn off. More life to your batts.
When LiFePO4 cells get up around 3.5v there is higher internal resistance and cannot take on more constant voltage. The chargers I'm using (Noco, Victron and Dometic) all have built in LiFePO4 modes and account for this specific chemistry. What will give these cells more life is too not charge them to 3.65v and only top them up at 3.5v. that's probably what I will do. But in reality, I don't think longevity will be a problem because their typical discharge will be at a really low c rate. I don't even know I will keep the van long enough before the batteries show any signs of degradation.
@@freelyroaming plot twist: you just built your forever home and will be retiring in it, off the grid, yet closer than 30min to the nearest shopping destination.
@@freelyroaming Another question about this. I am reading where charging to 80% SOC, and not below say 20% SOC, can result in 5000+ charge cycles. Since this seems to make the cost even better, would it just be simple to avoid the absorption phase? Wait a minute I think you just said yes to that?
Dan, thanks so much for this build series. Its answered so many questions i had regarding this project. I've ordered the batteries and BMS today,. Cheers.
Nice setup! I'm in the process of building my own van and just come across some of the videos, including yours on lifepo4 batteries. Still in the process of comprehending the idea. My only concern is the risk of damaging van's alternator but I guess this is where your DC-DC charger comes in to make sure battery can be only charged by the alternator with specific current not to overload it.
Thanks. So far it's been working great. There's some redundancy with cell balancing but with how well the pack is doing, I don't think I would change anything. We'll see after it's been thru a full year of use in all seasons.
Great video and filming, Dan. What device creates the Victron network? Is there a host running this BT network when the app is not in use? Also can you hook the Victron devices up to their website so you can remotely see all data even when far away?
Thanks Andy. Any Victron device with bluetooth can create a host network that other devices can join. And yes you can also sign up for their service online to remote monitor. You will need to either buy one of their GX devices that connect to their VRM service or you can build your own for much less by installing their free software on a raspberry pi. I've not done that yet but since I am already running a couple raspberry pi I might give it a try.
Hi Dan, thank you very much for your time and excellent videos. I have a similar setup in my sailboat but have a issue with the BMS vs solar controllers. When my BMS cut off the charging module, my solar controllers can't "see" the battery and start to send over 16 volt to my system. My solar (negative) is connected to the shunt, with all other chargers and loads. In other side of the shunt, only my BMS. You had a similar situation? I use 2 x Renogy 30amp "smart" controllers, what I'm unable to setup the battery type manually. Renogy state you have to connect to the battery before the solar panels. Thank you and all the best!
I'm thinking of running another Victron solar charger with a voltage step up off the car alternator - rather than the DC-DC charger. So the same hack you've done for the shore power, but from the alternator. I can keep everything in the Victron eco-system then, and know that everything is consistently charged. Voltage step up from 12v -> 24v at 320W are about $30.
Great lifepo4 series. Of the back of your videos I have ordered the same kit for my build. Will you be doing and update vlog to see how they are performing now you have been using them a while? Regards Ged
Thanks. I gave an update of the pack in the most recent video after 1 month of use. I will update with each follow up to come. Also some additional upgrades are coming soon. Specifically a temperature-controlled heating system for use in subfreezing climate.
Dan, I want to use my van's alternator to charge my 120Ahr Lifepo4 battery. Will be using a Renogy DC/DC 20A charger. Using the dip switches, I can select Lifepo4 battery and set the end voltage at 14.6v, 14.4v, 14.2v or 14.0v. There is no Bulk, Absorpsion, or Float charge when selecting Lifepo4 battery on the Renogy. With my Common port Daly 100A BMS, if for some reason during charging, the BMS senses a total pack voltage over the set limit, I would lose power to my 12V fridge and all associated 12V plugs. Maybe that's why they make separate port BMS? If while driving and charging, the BMS cuts out, how would I then get the Lifepo4 to come back on line. Aren't you using a common port BMS, and if that should happen to your battery pack, how would the 12V be restored if battery pack disconnected due to over voltage to the total pack. Should I set the charge voltage at 14.0v ( 4 x 3.5 ) , therefore never coming close to over pack voltage of 14.6v ( 3.65 x 4) and BMS won't come close to disconnecting due to an overvoltage pack.
If your bms is going into high voltage cut off and you are supplying no more than 14.6v of charging voltage, that means your cells are out of balance and one or more of your cells are over The 3.65v limit. To reset a high voltage cutoff you need to short the 2 terminals on the bms together but don't apply any charge current. Test your individual cell voltage to make sure you're top balancing properly. I think that is what is happening. You can set a lower charge voltage which is better for battery longevity but first I would investigate the cell balance issues.
Rookie question: Why does the MPPT have a temperature sensor and high/low charge shut offs, and the BMS is doing that as well. It seems redundant. Could a good MPPT take care of the battery without a BMS?
The Daly BMS does not have a temperature sensor. That is why I have it on the charger instead. That is to protect it from charging when it's too cold. Most (if not all) solar charge controllers do not protect from low battery discharge and they won't do any cell balancing. You really should install a BMS to handle that. Some people say that brand new, well-balanced cells won't need balancing. But even if that is true for all batteries, they don't stay new forever and you will eventually find them go out of balance. Even if it's years down the road. Build it right the first time and never look back.
@@freelyroaming I agree that you need a monitoring system, but wonder if a dedicated battery monitor is perhaps a better choice than an MPPT? I see the value of using an MPPT for many things, but why not have a dedicated monitor (at a very reasonable cost) to do the monitoring and reporting for battery only?
The Victron smart shunt is the battery monitor. That tells you how much energy overall is going in or out of the battery bank regardless of it's source (solar, shore power, etc..). The MPPT charge controller is to handle in incoming power from solar panels. They serve different purposes and are not mutually exclusive.
I'm really digging the idea of 16 of these cells for $1200 as mentioned in your other vid. Would you prefer 24v instead in this scenario? Also, if you stuck with 12v and made 4 batts would you need 4 bms units? One for each battery. Just found your channel... great work!
If he made “4 batts” then there would be 4 wooden boxes and presumably the entire parts kit in each and every one of them. I cannot conceive of how one could increase the voltage by adding separate ‘boxes’ and still be able to share components between them. The resulting daisy chain would entail a confusing, proprietary and unserviceable system.
@@HighestRank I believe that the result would be two "batts" of eight cells each wired in series to provide 24v per "batt", the you could serialize them (is that even a term) and have twice the AH. Not a bad idea. My issue is my personal need is 12 volt for my fifth wheel interior, and 120 volt for my appliances and such. If I did it this way, I would still be needing a 12 volt system, perhaps using a DC/DC converter.
Hello Sir, I upgraded to a larger Travel Trailer with slide outs. Now I'm thinking about my battery bank. I currently have the factory single battery that runs my refrigerator. My end goal is to be able to run my tv, refrigerator, also blower for my gas heater for now. So basically no generator at night. Later installing solar. Any help and or advice is appreciated.
Please visit www.freelyroaming.com to learn about Dan & his family. They've been traveling the US & now the world for over 7 years now. I 'found' Dan by searching for LiFePO4 DIY battery builds, but- he is no beginner when it comes to YT having documented his family's travels all over the US!!! What a surprise, although his video persona & editing skillz are pretty obvious to a content viewer! Right, a CA family in Croatia- all calm & relaxed? That's why!!!
Hi just to let you know I purchased the batteries from your link supplied. Just been informed by supplier “no order took place”. I didn’t use the app just checked out as guest ( later set up the app). Just lost €453....😩
Hello, great series, thanks to them I have decided to undertake the same project. I have a rookie question: can an AC charger for agm / gel work for this type of installation? It is very difficult to adapt another charger to my van (westfalia connectors) thanks!
Thank you. It really depends on the AC charger that you have. Are there any settings you can change? Basically you need the bulk charge voltage to be 14.4v and the float charge voltage to be 13.5v. if that can be changed then you are ok to use it.
Question... Do you have a separate breaker or switch to bypass the inverter to power your 110V circuits from shore power? And if your smart charger is connected to shore power to charge your pack, is it okay to draw off the battery pack while charging? I remembering hearing or reading that it could be dangerous to charge/use the pack simultaneously with plug in chargers? Thanks for the great videos!
Our shore power comes in and energizes 2 AC outlets. One we use for whatever we need and another powers the charger. Charging and using the battery at the same time is perfectly safe. For me shore power charging is no different than solar since my main method to shore power charge us thru a Victron mppt solar charge controller. I don't see how using the battery while charging from any source can create any problems as long as you are using good quality equipment in your system.
Hi, thought i was looking at the one you specified. Amazon description states unit no longer manufactured, Wondered if that means no longer warrened. My cabin MPPT controller is qa xantrex unit and way too large for my motorhome. Thanks for your articles . please send me the link for amazon. Be safe in Croatia.
Hi All, i want to connect a battery kill switch on my Rv, because my battery drains from the propane and carbon monoxide detector when rv is not in use. But i hear people saying it goes negative side some people say on positive side of battery. Does someone has the correct way to do it.
@@freelyroaming I was talking about the set up, seems difficult, did you look at the victron one, since in another video you said you wanted to keep it all victron and the victron one would talk with that app you have.
@@superformOG sure Victron has the advantage in their networking capabilities but if you already own a good quality product from another manufacturer, Victron's advantage becomes a nice to have rather a must have. I would not tell people to toss their existing gear and go victron if they are happy with it. Work with what you got.
You talked about keeping the batterys state of charge between 10% and 90%. How do you control that 90% that your panels and chargers won´t go over that? Is it done by the BMS? Thanks!
It's done by setting the maximum charge voltage. 13.4-13.5v will roughly get you to the 90% state of charge mark. On the low end will just require you to be mindful of not discharging to deeply.
Not to be nitpicking, but why didn’t you remove the wood strip that was holding the battery in first instead of horsing the heavy battery’s over them and then removing the strips of wood later?
Nonspillable heavy AGM batteries have to be tested as such or a vocal audience member believes they were not as advertised, and would demand a separate video as proof... of not having been scammed.
Hey Dan, got a question on how BMS's work. If during discharge one of the 4 cells drops below 2.5v and the BMS disconnects the load, does that mean you won't be able to recharge the battery, since the BMS disconnected the common port. Does that mean no charging or discharging unless the BMS turns back on?
Thing that bothers me is your use of victron parts, as in MPPT controller is they are mostly discontinued units. Any suggestions on other manufactures?
All of the Victron products I'm using including the MPPT controllers are all still in production. None of them are discontinued to my knowledge. Or if they somehow are without my knowledge, there are still plenty of inventory everywhere. Which ones specifically are you unable to find? I can send you an Amazon link.
Nice series. I am putting together a 24V home use system using 280AH batteries. I am housing everything in a rather oversized metal box. Do you have any concerns with the batteries getting too hot in the battery box?
I think a home system should be fine assuming it is indoors under shade. My main concerns with heat is with my particular use of it being in a van. As you know, a car sitting in the heat of summer can get quite warm.
@@freelyroaming Sorry, I did not phrase my question very well. I do not think I will have overheating problems with my setup. I was wondering if you had any concerns with your batteries getting overheated under load in a wooden box with lots of insulation around it.
The batteries themselves do not generate much heat. My BMS is 120A rated and that is a discharge rate of less than 0.5C. they might get slightly warm if I am running them continuously at that discharge rate. Not a real concern.
Hi, I've been watching and subscribed to your video's as I'm interested in getting 4 of these 280 AH lithium batteries for my 1999 class B pleasureway RV. Unfortunately I probably know the answer already but I assume the transformer based converter that creates 12 volts to charge the lead acid house batteries and run the refrigerator is NOT compatible with these lithium batteries. What is the minimum I can do to make this compatible? I assume I'll need to replace that converter but have no idea what to replace it with. Thanks.
Thanks Phil for supporting my channel. What you will need is a replacement converter/charger that is compatible with lithium batteries. Progressive Dynamics make great RV inverter chargers and they have several models that are lithium compatible. Here is one for example: amzn.to/3nDii90 Just upgrade to one of these if you can find one that has the right dimensions to fit in your existing converter/charger bay and you should be ready to swap out your old battery with a new lifepo4 pack. Good luck!
You may change DC-DC charger to constant voltage charging to 14.5V. No reason to play absorption charging with lithium, you've got only 20A charger which is slow for such a big LiFePO4 battery. Also, you've got temp sensor, lithium is typically safe to charge full rate above freezing, 32°F or 0°C. Some will accept small charge current even below freezing. You may also want to verify how Dometic DC-DC charger handles colder temperatures... If you're using van daily when not keeping heater on ie not living in it.
Why I'm thinking this? I've got converted my daily driver to weekend warrior camper and living near arctic circle where we've half year sub freezing temps. My solution was to use Votronic MPPT and DC-DC chargers which both have temp sensors. Both also trickle charger starter battery when LiFePO4 battery is full, great feature for summer time to "forget" the van and it's still always ready to go.
My plan was always to only charge the battery up to 90% and never drain it below 10% to extend the life of the cells as much as possible. That's why I did 13.5v for the constant voltage. We'll see. I might change it after all. Also I'm going to monitor the low temp cut off on the Victron solar controllers. 41F was set by the factory and I suspect they added some buffer in there to trigger a few degrees above freezing perhaps because they know their algorithm has a possibility of overshooting the sensor readings. It's a common issue with temp sensors. It is always best to start with a safer setting then test and repeat.
@@freelyroaming OK so hear is my answer to the previous question I asked. If you are setting the BMS to cut off at 13.5 for example, do you need anything except the bulk cycle?
The circuit breaker you installed for convenience of cutting any power coming from the panels, where in the line did you wire that in, before or after the charge controller?
Thanks John. A question for you about the SCC blowing up theory. Has it ever happened to you or do you know anyone in real life that it has happened to? Because I have never seen a SCC break because someone disconnected the battery first. I've been living full time in my camper for 13 years and have hundreds of other full time traveling friends and we all use SCC of all kinds. Never seen one instance where one burnt up because of that. I am not saying that it's not a good idea to first disconnect to power source but it seems to be an urban myth that's being propagated in forums. There are hundreds of thousands of solar suitcases out there being used and every single time they are deployed, battery gets connected after the panels are setup. And as you may know, they have inline SCCs. They don't go up in smoke like the forums suggest they would.
So I have a theory that someone did something else to blow up their SCC and decided it was because of that reason and blamed the manufacturer for not having a warning in their manual. That could be why in some manuals it recommend against doing that to minimize their liabilities. It sounds logical and doesn't hurt to follow the advice but it's pretty unlikely it could happen in my experience and from all the people I've talked to. It's like that label they put on irons that says don't iron your shirt while you're wearing it.
I can understand the temperature cut off interfacing with your solar controllers and stopping the charge, but how are you stopping the mains and alternator from accidently charging? is it just a matter of remembering to make sure they're turned off after checking the temperature manually?
Yes. Solar is the only charging method that starts on its own. Shore power and alternator needs me to make a choice to start it. I also have a circuit breaker that lets me disable alternator charging if I drive in sub freezing weather.
If you direct connect thru only a relay and don't use a dedicated DC to DC charger you could. Depends on the vehicle. Most alternators expect the vehicle to be in motion therefore provide active cooling when it draws more power than it does just idling. Charging that way can definitely overheat and burnout a stock alternator.
@@freelyroaming Cheers for the info mate, great battery series. Going to be installing one of these on my narrowboat in the near future and need to take real care how i'm going to handle low temperature charging. :)
I think the different between sellers is the service and how they take care of you when there is a problem with the battery. Those batteries may just come from a few manufacturers. The seller (Aliya) I worked with Fedex me a new cell, within a week, when I show them proof of a bad cell. Strongly recommend a SmartBMS with Bluetooth.
I also bought from Aliya and can vouch for them as well. Being able to replace a bad cell easily from your seller is a huge benefit. Even better is they packed my cells really well and nothing was damaged on its journey to eastern europe. I would buy from them again.
I tried to survey on Alibaba. My eyes went dizzy. Too many seller, Too many configured. Too many listings. How do you guys filter the information and end up getting the highest capacity per price you paid?
If we replace LiFePO4 battery with lead acid batteries by matching its voltage. Will the bulk and float charging of the existing charger or inverter be a problem for the LiFePO4 battery. Charging voltage seems constant at about 26.6V for the existing 24V system.
Assuming your chargers are programmable you can set them to the appropriate voltages like I did with mine in this video. Bulk and float are a bit lower for lead acid than LiFePO4.
@@freelyroaming Thanks for the reply My inverter voltage is not programable. Hope the 26.6V will work fine. Good Video series. Looking forward to more of it.
Hi Dan, thanks for sharing the build and experience on the barrières with us, rest video. I have a question regarding insurrance. I see you have us number plates. How did you find a pan insurrance company that wanted to insure your camper in Europe? I am driving a car from the Middle East in Europe and there has been only one insurrance broker that could help me. Thanks for your anticipated reply.warm regards,
@@freelyroaming Hah, I found your pair of vids talking about shipping your van a few days ago, and thought "I should go delete that comment", and then never did. *bonk!*
A fully charged lead acid battery is 14.5v and 10v when fully depleted. Practically every 12v device is designed to work within that range. So no, 12.8v nominal is not a problem at all. In fact it's better for most devices.
Glad you enjoyed it. Assuming you are making a 4S (meaning 12 volt) pack, it depends on what you max current draw will be. The one I got has a max current draw of 120 amps. That's roughly 1,500 watts. More constant draw will need a bigger one accordingly. 4S LiFePO4 200A BMS for example will give you 2,560 watts. Good luck with your build.
I hope that nobody who is watching these video clips, will use EARTH cables as power carrier! In Europe that is illegal, they have to be red & black. If you have to go to any MOT/TÜV station they will ground you, untill that mistake is corrected. Please swap those yellow/green wires with the correct cables.
Am I right in saying that to match your DIY battery AH I'd need to buy 3 Battleborn battery at nearly $3,000?... also does anyone know of a good battery box to do this DIY battery?
Pretty close. 3 battleborns will give you 20Ah more juice at a lot more cost. You are paying for their expertise which is worth it and frankly a good idea to do for a lot of people. A DIY battery can be dangerous for people who don't know what they are doing. But with knowledge you will gain confidence. Battery boxes are very specific to each use case. You have to just do a good bit of measuring and find something that will work for you.
@@freelyroaming yeah I'm really impressed by BB batteries and the professional way they are made and for those who don't have the time or desire to DIY they are a good choice... but for that amount of savings I don't mind taking time and research to cobble my own together :) plus having skill to DIY batteries will be good for the Zombie Apocalypse ;)
@@professorjedi1024 Battery boxes a relatively easy to come by, at least if you have Amazon available. A group 27 box appears to have sufficient size to contain the 280 AH batteries I have researched. You can also get a slightly larger Group 31 and have a little extra room. Just add all you electronics to the case, including monitors and charger, and put posts through the case. Done and Done! Lots left to figure out, but I think it is very doable.
Thumbs up, comment for algorithm (sp?). So, for $500 & a bit of effort, you now have 280 genuine AH on board. It's cheaper than AGM, Dan! Very nice project & modestly priced.
Dan, I wandered around a bit & really, really like the Intern'tl charging solution using a wall wart & Victron solar charge controller. Common sense & brilliant at the same time. Exactly the kind of solution that saves major stress when in foreign countries. XT60 and/or XT90's are super quick answers to any question, and, although pricey, really allow me to relax knowing that they can handle the current. Thank you!!!
Good video. As a 6 month user of these 280 AH LiFePo4 batteries in an 8S configuration, I would recommend that you use a lower absorption voltage than the 14.4 V level you selected on your various charging sources. My experience with these batteries is that unless you do a really good job of top balancing the cells, a slight voltage imbalance of the cells near the top end can result in an overvoltage of an individual cell if you use 14.4 V absorption, which may trigger an unwanted BMS shutdown of the battery pack. I use an absorption of 27.6 V (13.8 V) and a float of 27.0 V (13.5 V) for my 8S configuration, and I have found that I'm only losing about 1% SOC on the top end by lowering my absorption voltage and staying out of the knee of the voltage curve. The advantage is that I never have to worry about over voltage on an individual cell or having the BMS cut off the battery due to a high cell voltage.
Good tip. Thanks.
Really appreciate this series, have learnt a lot and almost the confidence to build my own :) . Thanks.
Thank you Peter. Glad you enjoyed it.
I took a similar approach in my RV trailer, which has 400 Ah of DIY LiFePO4 batteries. I used an all in one DC-DC charger controller that also has a 50 Amp MPPT solar charger to control charging from shore, alternator (tow vehicle) and solar panels. The unit is the Renogy DCC50S. It has a Lithium Iron Phosphate setting and temperature monitor to prevent charging when batteries are below freezing. I used Daly BMS too...they are very cost effective. As a bonus with the Renogy unit, it will top off your starting battery from the solar panels when you RV is in storage. It is pretty slick and has an available Bluetooth monitor option. I also have a Victron battery monitor installed because Victron is the best, but is pricy. Nice video.
Nice setup. That renogy unit sounds fancy. I've had some bad customer service issues in the past with them so I've avoided buying anything from them since. How do you pass that much current to the trailer while towing? Dedicated cables I assume?
@@freelyroaming I have the Renogy DCC50S also and it has been great as a primary device for Temp/Voltage protections. BMS is the secondary level of protection.
at first i was not sure but after watching this whole series of videos i am now positive. The part where you made the bus bars out of copper tubing was it. You are from Alabama. Great job all around thanks for the videos
Thanks. Nothing against Alabama but I am not from there.
Thanks a lot for this great series. Now I will build my own LiFePo4 system on my camper.
Thanks Robert. Good luck with your build.
Thank you for your time and effort. It is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for watching!
dc/dc charging is interesting in the method of charging one battery from another battery of same or different type, and a higher state of charge. You can add a Lpo battery on a DC/DC charger to recharge lead/acid batteries in a low state of charge this way and build a hybrid system.
So, this is the first time I have actually become excited after watching a You Tube vid! You guys have convinced me (a thrifty Canadian transplant) to bite the bullet and go for a 280 AH LIFEo4 , home made (assembled) and tested. I look forward to the adventure, and your informative videos have made the project seem much more doable, for me at least! Thanks, and I am a follower.
Thanks Mark! Good luck on your build.
@ScottsVenture Great to hear from you. I would like to report that everything has gone smoothly, however that never really happens does it? Things are moving along. I have received the cells, and they were very close in charge. However when I tried to bottom balance by first depleting the charge, it turns out there is quite an imbalance. I am working on that. There have been several different adventures. I have ordered a bench top power supply after getting some server PSUs, using them for charging, and having difficulties with the buck and boost converters I added.
So lesson learned there, and I will get those in tow once I have free time. I am working full time for a few weeks (so much for retiring), but I plan to top balance the cells starting tomorrow, and then build the pack for a final charge and test. So I am still very excited and want this completed n time for our next adventure in April.
I want to say thanks again for all your info, I woul dnot be this far without the likes of your videos. Hope you are traveling well!
Great videos. While I watched I decided that I am definitely doing this!
Thank you! Good luck with your build.
Great series!! Thank you.
Very nice video series! Thanks for sharing. A couple of thoughts related to safety: Assuming the battery box will be restrained, it would still be good to have some restraint inside the box to keep the batteries in place should there be an accident or rollover. Secondly, a better location for the main battery breaker would be inside the box so that you can disconnect one of the power leads if/when you move the box around and not risk the main leads touching each other or some piece of metal.
Thanks. The cells cannot come out as it is enclosed by the wooden block on the top edge which attached with 4 screws into the inside of the box. The entire box of also attached to the floor with screws and a webbing strap holds the whole thing down just as how the previous AGM cells were held down . The switch outside is much easier to access as well as the circuit breaker. Those cables are tied to the ropes on each side on the battery box when I need to move them so they cannot short with each other.
I like your Li setup, specially when you are using what you have, I like that. A recommendation; any Li batts like to be charge using a constant volt and really dislike the absorption volts then this should be turn off. More life to your batts.
When LiFePO4 cells get up around 3.5v there is higher internal resistance and cannot take on more constant voltage. The chargers I'm using (Noco, Victron and Dometic) all have built in LiFePO4 modes and account for this specific chemistry. What will give these cells more life is too not charge them to 3.65v and only top them up at 3.5v. that's probably what I will do. But in reality, I don't think longevity will be a problem because their typical discharge will be at a really low c rate. I don't even know I will keep the van long enough before the batteries show any signs of degradation.
@@freelyroaming plot twist: you just built your forever home and will be retiring in it, off the grid, yet closer than 30min to the nearest shopping destination.
@@freelyroaming Another question about this. I am reading where charging to 80% SOC, and not below say 20% SOC, can result in 5000+ charge cycles. Since this seems to make the cost even better, would it just be simple to avoid the absorption phase? Wait a minute I think you just said yes to that?
Dan, thanks so much for this build series. Its answered so many questions i had regarding this project. I've ordered the batteries and BMS today,. Cheers.
Your CZcams is ACE. 🌟👍🌟
I will share to my beautiful
friends too. 😊😊😊😊😊
Best wishes to you all
🌟🙏🌟
Nice setup! I'm in the process of building my own van and just come across some of the videos, including yours on lifepo4 batteries. Still in the process of comprehending the idea.
My only concern is the risk of damaging van's alternator but I guess this is where your DC-DC charger comes in to make sure battery can be only charged by the alternator with specific current not to overload it.
Thank you. And yes, a dc to dc charger is best for you alternator and your battery.
Great series. Now that it is done what would you do differently, i.e. what would you eliminate?
Thanks. So far it's been working great. There's some redundancy with cell balancing but with how well the pack is doing, I don't think I would change anything. We'll see after it's been thru a full year of use in all seasons.
Can i use lifepo4 in series it included already bms
Great video and filming, Dan.
What device creates the Victron network? Is there a host running this BT network when the app is not in use? Also can you hook the Victron devices up to their website so you can remotely see all data even when far away?
Thanks Andy. Any Victron device with bluetooth can create a host network that other devices can join. And yes you can also sign up for their service online to remote monitor. You will need to either buy one of their GX devices that connect to their VRM service or you can build your own for much less by installing their free software on a raspberry pi. I've not done that yet but since I am already running a couple raspberry pi I might give it a try.
Hi Dan, thank you very much for your time and excellent videos.
I have a similar setup in my sailboat but have a issue with the BMS vs solar controllers.
When my BMS cut off the charging module, my solar controllers can't "see" the battery and start to send over 16 volt to my system.
My solar (negative) is connected to the shunt, with all other chargers and loads. In other side of the shunt, only my BMS.
You had a similar situation?
I use 2 x Renogy 30amp "smart" controllers, what I'm unable to setup the battery type manually. Renogy state you have to connect to the battery before the solar panels.
Thank you and all the best!
Good video, well done, what I don't get is why there are dislikes, it just does not make sense to me....
Thank you very much. Because it's CZcams. Can't please everyone.
There are trolls everywhere. I am sure someone objected to the way the box was made, or the clothes that are worn......
I'm thinking of running another Victron solar charger with a voltage step up off the car alternator - rather than the DC-DC charger. So the same hack you've done for the shore power, but from the alternator. I can keep everything in the Victron eco-system then, and know that everything is consistently charged. Voltage step up from 12v -> 24v at 320W are about $30.
Victron has their Orion-Tr line that is designed to use as a dc to dc charger from the alternator.
@@freelyroaming if you have the budget for it 😉😉
Like you I happen to have a spare MPPT, so it meant a small extra cost for the step up, and its all done.
Sure. That is what I did with my spare mppt. But if you don't have a spare, their Orion-Tr costs about the same as their SmartSolar.
Great lifepo4 series. Of the back of your videos I have ordered the same kit for my build. Will you be doing and update vlog to see how they are performing now you have been using them a while? Regards Ged
Thanks. I gave an update of the pack in the most recent video after 1 month of use. I will update with each follow up to come. Also some additional upgrades are coming soon. Specifically a temperature-controlled heating system for use in subfreezing climate.
YAY TOYS!
Dan, I want to use my van's alternator to charge my 120Ahr Lifepo4 battery. Will be using a Renogy DC/DC 20A charger. Using the dip switches, I can select Lifepo4 battery and set the end voltage at 14.6v, 14.4v, 14.2v or 14.0v. There is no Bulk, Absorpsion, or Float charge when selecting Lifepo4 battery on the Renogy. With my Common port Daly 100A BMS, if for some reason during charging, the BMS senses a total pack voltage over the set limit, I would lose power to my 12V fridge and all associated 12V plugs. Maybe that's why they make separate port BMS? If while driving and charging, the BMS cuts out, how would I then get the Lifepo4 to come back on line.
Aren't you using a common port BMS, and if that should happen to your battery pack, how would the 12V be restored if battery pack disconnected due to over voltage to the total pack.
Should I set the charge voltage at 14.0v ( 4 x 3.5 ) , therefore never coming close to over pack voltage of 14.6v ( 3.65 x 4) and BMS won't come close to disconnecting due to an overvoltage pack.
If your bms is going into high voltage cut off and you are supplying no more than 14.6v of charging voltage, that means your cells are out of balance and one or more of your cells are over The 3.65v limit. To reset a high voltage cutoff you need to short the 2 terminals on the bms together but don't apply any charge current. Test your individual cell voltage to make sure you're top balancing properly. I think that is what is happening. You can set a lower charge voltage which is better for battery longevity but first I would investigate the cell balance issues.
Rookie question: Why does the MPPT have a temperature sensor and high/low charge shut offs, and the BMS is doing that as well. It seems redundant. Could a good MPPT take care of the battery without a BMS?
The Daly BMS does not have a temperature sensor. That is why I have it on the charger instead. That is to protect it from charging when it's too cold. Most (if not all) solar charge controllers do not protect from low battery discharge and they won't do any cell balancing. You really should install a BMS to handle that. Some people say that brand new, well-balanced cells won't need balancing. But even if that is true for all batteries, they don't stay new forever and you will eventually find them go out of balance. Even if it's years down the road. Build it right the first time and never look back.
@@freelyroaming I agree that you need a monitoring system, but wonder if a dedicated battery monitor is perhaps a better choice than an MPPT? I see the value of using an MPPT for many things, but why not have a dedicated monitor (at a very reasonable cost) to do the monitoring and reporting for battery only?
The Victron smart shunt is the battery monitor. That tells you how much energy overall is going in or out of the battery bank regardless of it's source (solar, shore power, etc..). The MPPT charge controller is to handle in incoming power from solar panels. They serve different purposes and are not mutually exclusive.
interesting question. I look/pay for redundancy when I build my system. I guess it is for a peace of mind. BMS is a must in my opinion.
Nicely done!
Have you tought upgrade the bms to a Bluetooth bms? Then you can see invidual cell voltage in the phone instead of the display...?
No I'm happy with the current bms and feel confident in it's reliability. Cell voltage is good to know but unnecessary to keep a constant eye on it.
@@freelyroaming yes.
Well, good video series!
Can you make a diy solar generator using lifepo4 batteries inside a tool box
Are you asking me if it is possible or are you asking me to actually build one and post videos on it?
I'm really digging the idea of 16 of these cells for $1200 as mentioned in your other vid.
Would you prefer 24v instead in this scenario?
Also, if you stuck with 12v and made 4 batts would you need 4 bms units? One for each battery.
Just found your channel... great work!
If he made “4 batts” then there would be 4 wooden boxes and presumably the entire parts kit in each and every one of them. I cannot conceive of how one could increase the voltage by adding separate ‘boxes’ and still be able to share components between them. The resulting daisy chain would entail a confusing, proprietary and unserviceable system.
@@HighestRank I believe that the result would be two "batts" of eight cells each wired in series to provide 24v per "batt", the you could serialize them (is that even a term) and have twice the AH. Not a bad idea. My issue is my personal need is 12 volt for my fifth wheel interior, and 120 volt for my appliances and such. If I did it this way, I would still be needing a 12 volt system, perhaps using a DC/DC converter.
Hello Sir, I upgraded to a larger Travel Trailer with slide outs. Now I'm thinking about my battery bank. I currently have the factory single battery that runs my refrigerator. My end goal is to be able to run my tv, refrigerator, also blower for my gas heater for now. So basically no generator at night. Later installing solar. Any help and or advice is appreciated.
good video, my friend
Please visit www.freelyroaming.com to learn about Dan & his family. They've been traveling the US & now the world for over 7 years now. I 'found' Dan by searching for LiFePO4 DIY battery builds, but- he is no beginner when it comes to YT having documented his family's travels all over the US!!! What a surprise, although his video persona & editing skillz are pretty obvious to a content viewer! Right, a CA family in Croatia- all calm & relaxed? That's why!!!
Thanks David! Going on our 13th year to be exact at traveler thru 32 countries in our camper with our 3 kids.
Hi just to let you know I purchased the batteries from your link supplied. Just been informed by supplier “no order took place”. I didn’t use the app just checked out as guest ( later set up the app). Just lost €453....😩
I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you will be able to resolve it still. Perhaps with your credit card company.
Just thought I’d let you know. Great videos by the way. If you ever get to Ireland make sure to do the wild Atlantic way-
Hopefully later this year. Assuming travel restrictions are lifted....
Hello, great series, thanks to them I have decided to undertake the same project. I have a rookie question: can an AC charger for agm / gel work for this type of installation? It is very difficult to adapt another charger to my van (westfalia connectors) thanks!
Thank you. It really depends on the AC charger that you have. Are there any settings you can change? Basically you need the bulk charge voltage to be 14.4v and the float charge voltage to be 13.5v. if that can be changed then you are ok to use it.
yes, I think I can regulate the values that you comment, thanks!!!!!
Question... Do you have a separate breaker or switch to bypass the inverter to power your 110V circuits from shore power? And if your smart charger is connected to shore power to charge your pack, is it okay to draw off the battery pack while charging? I remembering hearing or reading that it could be dangerous to charge/use the pack simultaneously with plug in chargers? Thanks for the great videos!
Our shore power comes in and energizes 2 AC outlets. One we use for whatever we need and another powers the charger. Charging and using the battery at the same time is perfectly safe. For me shore power charging is no different than solar since my main method to shore power charge us thru a Victron mppt solar charge controller. I don't see how using the battery while charging from any source can create any problems as long as you are using good quality equipment in your system.
Hi, thought i was looking at the one you specified. Amazon description states unit no longer manufactured, Wondered if that means no longer warrened. My cabin MPPT controller is qa xantrex unit and way too large for my motorhome. Thanks for your articles . please send me the link for amazon. Be safe in Croatia.
This is my main Victron MPPT controllers.
amzn.to/2X3WLLX
Good luck!
Hi All, i want to connect a battery kill switch on my Rv, because my battery drains from the propane and carbon monoxide detector when rv is not in use. But i hear people saying it goes negative side some people say on positive side of battery. Does someone has the correct way to do it.
omg that dc to dc charger looks like balls, why didnt you just get the victron dc to dc charger?
Looks like balls. Is that a technical term? The Dometic PerfectCharge series of chargers are top shelf quality products.
@@freelyroaming I was talking about the set up, seems difficult, did you look at the victron one, since in another video you said you wanted to keep it all victron and the victron one would talk with that app you have.
@@superformOG sure Victron has the advantage in their networking capabilities but if you already own a good quality product from another manufacturer, Victron's advantage becomes a nice to have rather a must have. I would not tell people to toss their existing gear and go victron if they are happy with it. Work with what you got.
You talked about keeping the batterys state of charge between 10% and 90%. How do you control that 90% that your panels and chargers won´t go over that? Is it done by the BMS? Thanks!
It's done by setting the maximum charge voltage. 13.4-13.5v will roughly get you to the 90% state of charge mark. On the low end will just require you to be mindful of not discharging to deeply.
@@freelyroaming Where do you set this max charge voltage? On BMS? Or do you have to set it individually for all chargers NOCO, MPPT etc.
Yes on individual charge controllers. Unless you have a programmable BMS which I do not.
Not to be nitpicking, but why didn’t you remove the wood strip that was holding the battery in first instead of horsing the heavy battery’s over them and then removing the strips of wood later?
Nonspillable heavy AGM batteries have to be tested as such or a vocal audience member believes they were not as advertised, and would demand a separate video as proof... of not having been scammed.
Hey Dan, got a question on how BMS's work. If during discharge one of the 4 cells drops below 2.5v and the BMS disconnects the load, does that mean you won't be able to recharge the battery, since the BMS disconnected the common port. Does that mean no charging or discharging unless the BMS turns back on?
The bms should sense incoming current from the charger and reengage the negative terminal when you apply charge to it.
Thing that bothers me is your use of victron parts, as in MPPT controller is they are mostly discontinued units. Any suggestions on other manufactures?
All of the Victron products I'm using including the MPPT controllers are all still in production. None of them are discontinued to my knowledge. Or if they somehow are without my knowledge, there are still plenty of inventory everywhere. Which ones specifically are you unable to find? I can send you an Amazon link.
Nice series. I am putting together a 24V home use system using 280AH batteries. I am housing everything in a rather oversized metal box. Do you have any concerns with the batteries getting too hot in the battery box?
I think a home system should be fine assuming it is indoors under shade. My main concerns with heat is with my particular use of it being in a van. As you know, a car sitting in the heat of summer can get quite warm.
@@freelyroaming Sorry, I did not phrase my question very well. I do not think I will have overheating problems with my setup. I was wondering if you had any concerns with your batteries getting overheated under load in a wooden box with lots of insulation around it.
The batteries themselves do not generate much heat. My BMS is 120A rated and that is a discharge rate of less than 0.5C. they might get slightly warm if I am running them continuously at that discharge rate. Not a real concern.
Do you have any concerns with lightning strikes inside a faraday cage?
Hi, I've been watching and subscribed to your video's as I'm interested in getting 4 of these 280 AH lithium batteries for my 1999 class B pleasureway RV. Unfortunately I probably know the answer already but I assume the transformer based converter that creates 12 volts to charge the lead acid house batteries and run the refrigerator is NOT compatible with these lithium batteries. What is the minimum I can do to make this compatible? I assume I'll need to replace that converter but have no idea what to replace it with. Thanks.
Thanks Phil for supporting my channel. What you will need is a replacement converter/charger that is compatible with lithium batteries. Progressive Dynamics make great RV inverter chargers and they have several models that are lithium compatible. Here is one for example:
amzn.to/3nDii90
Just upgrade to one of these if you can find one that has the right dimensions to fit in your existing converter/charger bay and you should be ready to swap out your old battery with a new lifepo4 pack. Good luck!
@@freelyroaming Wow thanks for the advice. Keep up the great teaching videos !
You may change DC-DC charger to constant voltage charging to 14.5V. No reason to play absorption charging with lithium, you've got only 20A charger which is slow for such a big LiFePO4 battery.
Also, you've got temp sensor, lithium is typically safe to charge full rate above freezing, 32°F or 0°C. Some will accept small charge current even below freezing.
You may also want to verify how Dometic DC-DC charger handles colder temperatures... If you're using van daily when not keeping heater on ie not living in it.
Why I'm thinking this? I've got converted my daily driver to weekend warrior camper and living near arctic circle where we've half year sub freezing temps.
My solution was to use Votronic MPPT and DC-DC chargers which both have temp sensors. Both also trickle charger starter battery when LiFePO4 battery is full, great feature for summer time to "forget" the van and it's still always ready to go.
My plan was always to only charge the battery up to 90% and never drain it below 10% to extend the life of the cells as much as possible. That's why I did 13.5v for the constant voltage. We'll see. I might change it after all. Also I'm going to monitor the low temp cut off on the Victron solar controllers. 41F was set by the factory and I suspect they added some buffer in there to trigger a few degrees above freezing perhaps because they know their algorithm has a possibility of overshooting the sensor readings. It's a common issue with temp sensors. It is always best to start with a safer setting then test and repeat.
You’ll fry your LIFEPO4 batteries if you float them at 14,5 V. 13.5 V is more appropriate as a float voltage if the charger is on indefinitely.
@@freelyroaming OK so hear is my answer to the previous question I asked. If you are setting the BMS to cut off at 13.5 for example, do you need anything except the bulk cycle?
The circuit breaker you installed for convenience of cutting any power coming from the panels, where in the line did you wire that in, before or after the charge controller?
Between the panels and the SCC. I suspect you are asking because of the often discussed risk of damage if it was between battery and SCC. Am I right?
@@freelyroaming yes it is! Thanks for the reply. Just found your site and like what you are doing
Thanks John. A question for you about the SCC blowing up theory. Has it ever happened to you or do you know anyone in real life that it has happened to? Because I have never seen a SCC break because someone disconnected the battery first. I've been living full time in my camper for 13 years and have hundreds of other full time traveling friends and we all use SCC of all kinds. Never seen one instance where one burnt up because of that. I am not saying that it's not a good idea to first disconnect to power source but it seems to be an urban myth that's being propagated in forums. There are hundreds of thousands of solar suitcases out there being used and every single time they are deployed, battery gets connected after the panels are setup. And as you may know, they have inline SCCs. They don't go up in smoke like the forums suggest they would.
@@freelyroaming You have a very valid point. No, I have never heard of a SCC being ruined because of that.
So I have a theory that someone did something else to blow up their SCC and decided it was because of that reason and blamed the manufacturer for not having a warning in their manual. That could be why in some manuals it recommend against doing that to minimize their liabilities. It sounds logical and doesn't hurt to follow the advice but it's pretty unlikely it could happen in my experience and from all the people I've talked to. It's like that label they put on irons that says don't iron your shirt while you're wearing it.
I have an earlier Noco charger that doesn't have the Lithium setting. Can I use this older charger with lpo4 batterie
I would not risk it without a lithium setting.
I can understand the temperature cut off interfacing with your solar controllers and stopping the charge, but how are you stopping the mains and alternator from accidently charging? is it just a matter of remembering to make sure they're turned off after checking the temperature manually?
Yes. Solar is the only charging method that starts on its own. Shore power and alternator needs me to make a choice to start it. I also have a circuit breaker that lets me disable alternator charging if I drive in sub freezing weather.
@@freelyroaming Nice one, is there any danger of ruining an alternator if running it with connection to a battery?
If you direct connect thru only a relay and don't use a dedicated DC to DC charger you could. Depends on the vehicle. Most alternators expect the vehicle to be in motion therefore provide active cooling when it draws more power than it does just idling. Charging that way can definitely overheat and burnout a stock alternator.
@@freelyroaming Cheers for the info mate, great battery series. Going to be installing one of these on my narrowboat in the near future and need to take real care how i'm going to handle low temperature charging. :)
Thank you. I am waiting for some 12v silicone heat mats to arrive. When it does I will reconfigure the pack to self heat at a set temperature.
Hello Sir, Can you tell me where you bought your litium-iron battery on this video. price varies in different seller in China. thank you,
There is a link below all of the items that goes to the exact seller where I bought it from
I think the different between sellers is the service and how they take care of you when there is a problem with the battery. Those batteries may just come from a few manufacturers. The seller (Aliya) I worked with Fedex me a new cell, within a week, when I show them proof of a bad cell. Strongly recommend a SmartBMS with Bluetooth.
I also bought from Aliya and can vouch for them as well. Being able to replace a bad cell easily from your seller is a huge benefit. Even better is they packed my cells really well and nothing was damaged on its journey to eastern europe. I would buy from them again.
I tried to survey on Alibaba.
My eyes went dizzy.
Too many seller,
Too many configured.
Too many listings.
How do you guys filter the information and end up getting the highest capacity per price you paid?
the did you not use a bms with separate port for charging ?
They have very limited charging capacity.
If we replace LiFePO4 battery with lead acid batteries by matching its voltage. Will the bulk and float charging of the existing charger or inverter be a problem for the LiFePO4 battery. Charging voltage seems constant at about 26.6V for the existing 24V system.
Assuming your chargers are programmable you can set them to the appropriate voltages like I did with mine in this video. Bulk and float are a bit lower for lead acid than LiFePO4.
@@freelyroaming Thanks for the reply
My inverter voltage is not programable. Hope the 26.6V will work fine.
Good Video series. Looking forward to more of it.
I hate working in tight space's.
Hi Dan, thanks for sharing the build and experience on the barrières with us, rest video. I have a question regarding insurrance. I see you have us number plates. How did you find a pan insurrance company that wanted to insure your camper in Europe?
I am driving a car from the Middle East in Europe and there has been only one insurrance broker that could help me. Thanks for your anticipated reply.warm regards,
We use tourinsure.de and they can provide whatever level of insurance you need.
Curious - you're in Croatia (IIRC) but you've got California plates?
From california but traveling around the world in our van. You can find my travel vlog channel at czcams.com/users/malimish
It’s a land-yacht.
@@freelyroaming Hah, I found your pair of vids talking about shipping your van a few days ago, and thought "I should go delete that comment", and then never did. *bonk!*
And he is running Fahrenheit.
Your battery total is 12.8v is that a problem in a caravan which has a 12v battery
A fully charged lead acid battery is 14.5v and 10v when fully depleted. Practically every 12v device is designed to work within that range. So no, 12.8v nominal is not a problem at all. In fact it's better for most devices.
@@freelyroaming Thankyou so much for the quick response, love your very informative videos
good morning. where can I get the 4 3.2v280ah lifepo4 for $ 380. thanks for the info.
Prices have gone up since this video was posted.
@@freelyroaming that is correct, the batteries are more expensive. Thank you
Absolutely thank you thank you!
One question .. for a 500 Ah lifepo4 battery pack which BMS to choose? Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it. Assuming you are making a 4S (meaning 12 volt) pack, it depends on what you max current draw will be. The one I got has a max current draw of 120 amps. That's roughly 1,500 watts. More constant draw will need a bigger one accordingly. 4S LiFePO4 200A BMS for example will give you 2,560 watts. Good luck with your build.
how did you calculate the size of your bms?
Based on my maximum expected amp draw.
:)
I hope that nobody who is watching these video clips, will use EARTH cables as power carrier! In Europe that is illegal, they have to be red & black. If you have to go to any MOT/TÜV station they will ground you, untill that mistake is corrected. Please swap those yellow/green wires with the correct cables.
Am I right in saying that to match your DIY battery AH I'd need to buy 3 Battleborn battery at nearly $3,000?... also does anyone know of a good battery box to do this DIY battery?
Pretty close. 3 battleborns will give you 20Ah more juice at a lot more cost. You are paying for their expertise which is worth it and frankly a good idea to do for a lot of people. A DIY battery can be dangerous for people who don't know what they are doing. But with knowledge you will gain confidence. Battery boxes are very specific to each use case. You have to just do a good bit of measuring and find something that will work for you.
@@freelyroaming yeah I'm really impressed by BB batteries and the professional way they are made and for those who don't have the time or desire to DIY they are a good choice... but for that amount of savings I don't mind taking time and research to cobble my own together :) plus having skill to DIY batteries will be good for the Zombie Apocalypse ;)
Indeed. Because Battleborns will certainly not be around to build batteries for you once the zombies are here.
@@professorjedi1024 Battery boxes a relatively easy to come by, at least if you have Amazon available. A group 27 box appears to have sufficient size to contain the 280 AH batteries I have researched. You can also get a slightly larger Group 31 and have a little extra room. Just add all you electronics to the case, including monitors and charger, and put posts through the case. Done and Done!
Lots left to figure out, but I think it is very doable.
We do have Amazon here but it is complicated. That is a topic for another video....
280Ah? You didn't test so are you a liar or did you get scammed?
I'm gonna let you work this out on your own.
@@freelyroaming you sure do attract all the YT experts.
watch his series 1-3 where he did the capacity test.
@@bogia99999 Please don't poke the animals! :-)