What Did You Get For Your Trailer Today?

[BoldAdventure]

Since I'm installing them inside, have to build my battery box first, then I'll get to the actual install phase. Looks like trips to Home Depot this weekend.

[Photobum]

pictures of the installation please....

[Ampman]

What is the brand? How much did you have to pay? Can't wait to see how it all comes together.

[Buck944]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Lithium batteries

Expensive Bold??

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by Buck944

Expensive Bold??

Elite Power Solutions Really trying not to think about that.

[m.hony]

My house batteries need to be replaced. I had been thinking about AGM batteries.
How do lithium batteries compare to AGM batteries as far as cost and life?


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[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by m.hony

My house batteries need to be replaced. I had been thinking about AGM batteries.
How do lithium batteries compare to AGM batteries as far as cost and life?

Depends on where you get your cells, and are you doing the install or an installer. AGM 6v batteries are going to be cheaper.

Advantages

Weight, these batteries for example weight 24lbs each.
Lifecycle 5000 cycles.

You can use 80% of the bank

So you build a 400aH 6v bank and you can only use 200aH

Build a 400aH lithium bank and you can use 320aH

Size, these are smaller than my group 27 12v batteries from Costco. There is another thread on this site, someone just installed these under his front dinette seat.

I snagged this from an old Technomadia post; granted this is like a huge bank.

There is just no ignoring that a battery bank made up of quality AGM-style lead acid batteries will cost a lot less upfront than a similarly sized lithium battery bank.

But if you consider the lifetime cost, and the fact that lithium batteries should (theoretically) far outlast even the best high-end AGM’s, the math starts to look compelling.”

Lewster can give you far more details than me. I just figured that when I did the math for the bank I wanted to build with Trojans I was half way to the cost of the Lithiums. And that for the extra cost, I would be getting a bunch of advantages. And that made it worthwhile to me.

[Twinke58]

I got an A/S t shirt and Bill Thomas airstream dealer gave me 2 tumblers for my trailer! Thanks


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[m.hony]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Depends on where you get your cells, and are you doing the install or an installer. AGM 6v batteries are going to be cheaper.

Advantages

Weight, these batteries for example weight 24lbs each.
Lifecycle 5000 cycles.

You can use 80% of the bank

So you build a 400aH 6v bank and you can only use 200aH

Build a 400aH lithium bank and you can use 320aH

Size, these are smaller than my group 27 12v batteries from Costco. There is another thread on this site, someone just installed these under his front dinette seat.

I snagged this from an old Technomadia post; granted this is like a huge bank.





Lewster can give you far more details than me. I just figured that when I did the math for the bank I wanted to build with Trojans I was half way to the cost of the Lithiums. And that for the extra cost, I would be getting a bunch of advantages. And that made it worthwhile to me.

Is one or the other- AGM or lithium- better for boondocking?
We never boondock- always have electricity-


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[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Is one or the other- AGM or lithium- better for boondocking?
We never boondock- always have electricity-

Then you'd be better off with the lower cost option of AGM's, IMO. Lithium would be better for serious boondocking/dry camping.

[switz]

The other serious point in the discussion is the weight factor.

I replaced four Lifeline GSM model 6ct 6Vdv 300 amp-hour batteries that weighed 92 pounds each plus about 75 pounds in a custom stainless steel enclosure on the tongue of the Classic (tongue weight was 1,350 pounds). The four Lifeline batteries were around $1,680 and the enclosure was $400. This assembled array was rated 12Vdc and 600 amp-hours where 50% or 300 amp-hours were usable.

I removed that Lifeline based array and enclosure and placed the new AM Solar lithium 600 amp-hour battery that weighed 168 pounds under the front sofa of the Classic beside the existing Magnum MS-2812 converter inverter. The battery was just under $4,700. It can provide about 500 amp-hours of power (can even run an air conditioner for a few hours). The tongue weight dropped to 1,150 pounds.

We can be off grid with quite a few cloudy days before a generator would need to be run to power the Magnum on 120Vac to charge the battery.

We installed the AM Solar 300 amp-hour lithium battery ($2,599) that weighed 84 pounds under the sofa in front of the street side wheel well. That was less weight than the two stock Interstate batteries we removed from the front battery box (that is now a storage box for chocks). The battery has a 10.25" x 14.5" foot print. The electronics and solar charge controller were mounted in that space as well (between the wheel well and the furnace). We put the Magnum MSH 3012 just in front of the furnace.

This electrical equipment was short enough that the stock Airstream furniture was able to be installed over it without modification other than a couple of access hatches hidden by the sitting cushions. The battery can provide around 250 amp-hours of power. A single 2,000 watt generator, with assistance from the Magnum hybrid inverter, can start and run the air conditioner.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by switz

The other serious point in the discussion is the weight factor.

I replaced four Lifeline GSM model 6ct 6Vdv 300 amp-hour batteries that weighed 92 pounds each plus about 75 pounds in a custom stainless steel enclosure on the tongue of the Classic (tongue weight was 1,350 pounds). The four Lifeline batteries were around $1,680 and the enclosure was $400. This assembled array was rated 12Vdc and 600 amp-hours where 50% or 300 amp-hours were usable.

I removed that Lifeline based array and enclosure and placed the new AM Solar lithium 600 amp-hour battery that weighed 168 pounds under the front sofa of the Classic beside the existing Magnum MS-2812 converter inverter. The battery was just under $4,700. It can provide about 500 amp-hours of power (can even run an air conditioner for a few hours). The tongue weight dropped to 1,150 pounds.

We can be off grid with quite a few cloudy days before a generator would need to be run to power the Magnum on 120Vac to charge the battery.

We installed the AM Solar 300 amp-hour lithium battery ($2,599) that weighed 84 pounds under the sofa in front of the street side wheel well. That was less weight than the two stock Interstate batteries we removed from the front battery box (that is now a storage box for chocks). The battery has a 10.25" x 14.5" foot print. The electronics and solar charge controller were mounted in that space as well (between the wheel well and the furnace). We put the Magnum MSH 3012 just in front of the furnace.

This electrical equipment was short enough that the stock Airstream furniture was able to be installed over it without modification other than a couple of access hatches hidden by the sitting cushions. The battery can provide around 250 amp-hours of power. A single 2,000 watt generator, with assistance from the Magnum hybrid inverter, can start and run the air conditioner.

This is how I justified the cost. If you start with all that and the cost of the AGM's I feel the benefits equal the additional cost for the lithiums.

[ghaynes755]

Switz are you now at 900ah of lithium in your Classic or was 600ah in the classic and the other 300ah in another trailer? If 900ah in the Classic you ROCK!!!

[KenSanLan]

Elfa shelving units for an oddly shaped cupboard that has never been very useful. Installing wire baskets to hold cans of food.

[switz]

The Classic has eight 100 watt solar panels powering a 600 amp-hour lithium battery while the 23D has five of the same 100 watt solar panels powering a 300 amp hour lithium battery.

The 600 amp-hour lithium battery was the largest physical size we could get under the sofa between the sofa support legs beside the Magnum and we were dropping a lot of weight off of the tongue while increasing useable power from roughly 300 amp-hours to to over 500 amp-hours.

The 23D was very space constrained on the roof and we were just able to squeeze five panels there after replacing the WineGard crank up batwing television antenna with the round WineGard Rayzar digital television antenna. We were also weight and space constrained under the street side dinette and sofa. We gained some more additional weight replacing the 14" tires and wheels with 15" tires and wheels. We replaced the stock mattress with a 10" Rocky Mountain unit and compensated for the weight gain by removing the stock tank style water heater (about 50 pounds of stored hot water) with a Truma 'AquaGo custom' tankless instant on water heater. Replacing the factory skylight with a Maxim skylight and replacing the two Fantastic Fans with two Maxxfan 70000K units probably added a few pounds as well

After loading the 'camping stuff' this Tuesday, the wife and I will cross the CAT scales to verify all is well in the world weight wise and go to a local state park for a couple of nights for a 'first living in the unit' shakedown.

[BoldAdventure]

Do internet orders count? Two more S-GS100 solar panels from AMSolar and a whole bunch of cabling.

Plus a new Fantastic Fan, because the old one was out of warranty and crap.




Just need to cut the new plastic surround.

[rmkrum]

Brass blow-out plug that fits my air hose quick connects. Plus a brass vacuum breaker.


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[MaineStreamer]

Do you folks own an electric air pump for tires, etc.?

[cwf]

Originally Posted by MaineStreamer

Do you folks own an electric air pump for tires, etc.?

Yup. Get a "good one"..
High pressure and volume

[MaineStreamer]

When you say,

Originally Posted by cwf

Yup. Get a "good one"..
High pressure and volume

what do you mean? Something like this?
Sears.com