Lithium drop in replacement
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Lithium drop in replacement
Alan WH- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
I camp off grid frequently and my power usage is typical of most others. If it wasn’t for the Sargent EC500 (let’s not go there for now!) my 110ah lead acid and standard 80w solar panel is more than adequate for my needs.
Can someone explain why, at this moment in time, there seems a trend for upgrading to lithium at great cost? For the majority, I can’t see the benefit.
Sorry Alan, didn’t mean to take your thread off in a different direction!
Dbvwt- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Latest fadDbvwt wrote:I can see the obvious performance, size etc… benefits of lithium batteries but at this moment they are silly money compared to a lead acid.
I camp off grid frequently and my power usage is typical of most others. If it wasn’t for the Sargent EC500 (let’s not go there for now!) my 110ah lead acid and standard 80w solar panel is more than adequate for my needs.
Can someone explain why, at this moment in time, there seems a trend for upgrading to lithium at great cost? For the majority, I can’t see the benefit.
Sorry Alan, didn’t mean to take your thread off in a different direction!
I agree with you David, no problem this year, not been on EHU yet and never run out of juice
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Richard
rgermain- Donator
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Unless you take a complete system approach and upgrade charger, alternator, cabling and solar, then the advantage of Lithium seems very restricted.
Tim
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Kemerton-bath- Donator
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Kevinktwo- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
treetops- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Due to higher depth of discharge for Lithium batteries a 100Ah SLA is equal to 68Ah LiFePo or conversely a 100Ah LiFePo4 is equivalent to around 150Ah SLA, who has the space for a 150Ah SLA and think about the weight.
LiFePo4 batteries are half the weight of the equivalent SLA
SLA have a charge cycle to 80% capacity count of 300 vs 2200 of LifePo4
You could expect to replace the SLA 5-7 times in the life of a LiFePo4
So this makes the value of LiFePo4 much better than SLA.
EXCEPT.....
Who is going to keep their motorhome for the life of 5 batteries?
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Alan WH- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
treetops wrote:if its any help I have just finished a project on my kingham to upgrade to lithium and the advantage of it as I like using cl sites without hook up (which incidentally with electric prices soaring most sites will charge more!!) and the results are superb to the point it makes the basic system look ok for occasional use, I have used all renolgy equipment and probably cost about £900 in total, sergeant were very helpful with wiring diagrams and especially the exact wiring of a relay to isolate the vehicle battery when driving so that charging of the lithium battery is done via the dc to dc charger ,having spent a few days at leisure really enjoying the conversion the results perfect for my use ( incidentally I do have a 200 watt solar array and votronic controller to feed in which was already fitted before this conversion) so I can deffo recommend for anybody that feels confident to do the work and enjoys being off grid
Alan WH- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
These however are optimised for starter duties and I don’t know how applicable that would be for a leisure battery
These parameters would be software based so no reason why they could not be reprogrammed.
Guest- Guest
Re: Lithium drop in replacement
HairyFool wrote:
EXCEPT.....
Who is going to keep their motorhome for the life of 5 batteries?
Its an idea; I would be motor homing till aged 95, the van would then be 35 and banned from every road in Europe. Like many aspects of life at my age, there is no time left to get a return on investment!
Peter Brown- Donator
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Anything Sargent avoid at all costs
Lithium will not get cheaper, demand for lithium is going through the roof for all sorts of things, esp elec cars.
Cost of average motorhome, let's say £30000 or so
Cost of SLA battery, circa £100 so 100/30000 = 0.00333
1/5 yrs, £20, irrelevant IMHO!!
110Ah SLA and circa 100w solar, all we've needed anywhere we've been!
IanH- Donator
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Alan WH wrote:We rarely go on hookup and have been managing well with the standard battery/charger and alternator but at some time in the near future the battery will need replacement (4years old) and I’m thinking lithium.I’ve had a quote from an installer with all the extras that they say is needed and I just wondered if any one has just dropped a battery in and if extras are needed can be added later
My leisure battery failed recently, it was just under 3 years old but I suspect the premature failure was because it wasn’t looked after at the dealers before I bought the van. A 110ah replacement cost just over £100 delivered and I expect to get at least 4 years out of it.
Lithium is definitely the future and if I was installing a complete new system (and had the budget!) then I would also go the way treetops has but on a 3 year old van a simple lead acid replacement that has served me 100% satisfactorily to date was the easy choice.
Dbvwt- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
“Who is going to keep their motorhome for the life of 5 batteries?”
The batteries can come across to your next Motorhome.
Kevinktwo- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Kevinktwo wrote:EXCEPT.....
“Who is going to keep their motorhome for the life of 5 batteries?”
The batteries can come across to your next Motorhome.
Wouldn’t that leave a big battery sized hole where you removed it from that would need filling?
Dbvwt- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
IanH- Donator
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
IanH wrote:Assuming the next MH can accept Lithium Batteries??????
You are two steps ahead of me Ian!!
Dbvwt- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Hello, I have just purchased a 2018 Kingham and wish to upgrade , any pointers welcome, what system have you fitted amp hrs etc and did it include an inverter?treetops wrote:if its any help I have just finished a project on my kingham to upgrade to lithium and the advantage of it as I like using cl sites without hook up (which incidentally with electric prices soaring most sites will charge more!!) and the results are superb to the point it makes the basic system look ok for occasional use, I have used all renolgy equipment and probably cost about £900 in total, sergeant were very helpful with wiring diagrams and especially the exact wiring of a relay to isolate the vehicle battery when driving so that charging of the lithium battery is done via the dc to dc charger ,having spent a few days at leisure really enjoying the conversion the results perfect for my use ( incidentally I do have a 200 watt solar array and votronic controller to feed in which was already fitted before this conversion) so I can deffo recommend for anybody that feels confident to do the work and enjoys being off grid
andyfozz- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
Quite apart from the points already mentioned (inc. upgrading cabling, possibly alternator etc.) there is the fire and toxic fumes issue. LiFEPo4 are generally regarded as less prone to thermal runaway than some other lithium types but it can still happen. I can live with the risks of a lead acid battery in a habitation area but Lithium types really need to installed “outside” where there is less immediate danger from fire and the cocktail of toxic fumes that can be liberated.
Note also that some insurers would regard such a significant change to the vehicle spec as an unauthorised or notifiable modification.
It is telling that the maritime standards organisations that I deal with are still trying to formulate suitable standards and guidance for shipping and pleasure craft but the industry is moving faster than they can for obvious reasons (I.e. the imposition of ev’s) and there is simply not enough experience around yet. The people that say Lithium is safe are the people selling them!
The Bargee- Member
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Re: Lithium drop in replacement
clarkescribe- Member
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