HELP! Lithium batteries dead but blow a circuit when plugged in

[John Ware]

Sorry, I thought you said the batteries and the trailer were dead.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by John Ware

Sorry, I thought you said the batteries and the trailer were dead.

Yes, yesterday they were. Without any way to charge them, we had to abandon camp and head to me in-laws for their 40amp outlet.

[howell57]

Really articulated well!! Glad to have people like you on tlhe forum!

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

.......

The batteries re currently in use. We re plugged into a 40amp power source (with our 30 amp cord). And the solar panels might be pulling in a miniscule amount of power from the early morning cloudy light.

Hi

If:

1) You are plugged into shore power

2) The breaker to the converter / charger has not tripped

3) The monitor shows something like 4A and 13.5V ( as in the last screen shot shown).

4) You aren't running crazy large 12V loads in the trailer

Then the converter charger is set to lead acid and not to lithium. That's a problem and it needs to be corrected. Just how depends on exactly what converter / charger you have. Some can be switched with a jumper, others with a switch. Some simply need to be replaced. Yours *should* be in the "can be set to lithium" league.

Quick test would be to shut off all 12V stuff and watch the voltage. If it never goes above 14V, it's not set to Lithium. Best time to do this is in the evening / after sundown. Then the solar does not get things confused.

Bob

[John Ware]

Here's what mine looks like (2022 23'FC). It's on the fuse panel between the red wires.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

4) You aren't running crazy large 12V loads in the trailer

Yeah, when I took that screenshot we were running both fans, the fridge, probably some other 12 volt things. But that’s it.

Originally Posted by John Ware

Here's what mine looks like (2022 23'FC). It's on the fuse panel between the red wires.

Oh, I got confused, I thought what you and Bob were referring to were different things. Okay, noted, I’ll check that and then do a test to make sure the voltage gets up where it should be.

[Silverminer]

That is correct. You must wait.

[Silverminer]

Good stuff here. Thanks Bob.

[Silverminer]

I wouldn't use an EMS with a generator. That's just me. If it's running then your good. Just make sure the generator is running then plug into the trailer.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by Silverminer

I wouldn't use an EMS with a generator. That's just me. If it's running then your good. Just make sure the generator is running then plug into the trailer.

Yeah, I’ve never used an EMS with a generator. Not really sure where that came from.

[Silverminer]

I wouldn't use an EMS with a generator. That's just me. If it's running then your good. Just make sure the generator is running then plug into the trailer. If you have an outside hook up for charging at home, I would have it on a separate breaker. Forget the GFCI. My electrician is very by the book on this stuff. Trust me it's worth the cost of a dedicated panel for the breaker. Just plug the trailer into the outlet with EMS and turn on the breaker like at a nice campground. It sounds like you either don't have a breaker switch or its at the outlet instead of coming off the main line. My setup is I have a separate panel box for the trailer charging outlet outside my garage. I could only do 30Amp. I use a 30Amp to 50Amp dogbone. So it's only bringing in 30Amp to the trailer. I can charge batteries and run everything including 1 AC. I have both a AC with Easy Starts on each.

[Silverminer]

That's sound like good advice.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by John Ware

Here's what mine looks like (2022 23'FC). It's on the fuse panel between the red wires.

Weird, mine has the LI —> LA spot, but there is no switch there…

[jeffb831]

WFCO started making auto-detecting converters (https://wfcoelectronics.com/auto-detect/) that don't need to be switched.

It is possible that Airstream started using those recently.

Do you see a model number anywhere on the converter/panel?

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by jeffb831

WFCO started making auto-detecting converters (https://wfcoelectronics.com/auto-detect/) that don't need to be switched.

Do you see a model number anywhere on the converter/panel?

Yeah, it looks like maybe mine is a model that has that?

[LilPeanut]

I am not sure, but maybe your prior camper had flooded or AGM batteries, not lithium. Those only slurp charge through a straw, that one if the reasons they charge so slow. Lithiums will take all available power possible and have to be restricted or they will trip a circuit. It is hard to regulate how much they will slurp at once. Some people install a ‘multi switch’. I have one from VictronConnect and it limits how much power can be slurped in by the batteries in total (charging plus loads). That can be helpful.

If you ever need an outside non GFI plug, if you have a garage door opener, they tend to be exempt from the garage GFCI requirement. And sometimes they are 10 amps as well. I have unplugged my opener when I need a non GFCI plug in the past.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by LilPeanut

I am not sure, but maybe your prior camper had flooded or AGM batteries, not lithium. Those only slurp charge through a straw, that one if the reasons they charge so slow. Lithiums will take all available power possible and have to be restricted or they will trip a circuit. It is hard to regulate how much they will slurp at once. Some people install a ‘multi switch’. I have one from VictronConnect and it limits how much power can be slurped in by the batteries in total (charging plus loads). That can be helpful.

If you ever need an outside non GFI plug, if you have a garage door opener, they tend to be exempt from the garage GFCI requirement. And sometimes they are 10 amps as well. I have unplugged my opener when I need a non GFCI plug in the past.

Yes, our previous camper had AGMs. We do have a garage door opener, but those outlets are on the inside… Never seen a garage door opener with an exterior plug in… Of course, all exterior outlets are supposed to be GFCI in case of water incursion/exposure, so all our exterior outlets are GFCI.

Luckily my father-in-law is going to help us install a 30 or 50 amp.

[John Ware]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

Yeah, it looks like maybe mine is a model that has that?

HC, I looked it up on the WFCO web site and your converter is supposed to recognize Lithium batteries. It states on your picture that it puts out either 14.6vdc,50w or 13.6v...(the rest is covered up). ???

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by John Ware

HC, I looked it up on the WFCO web site and your converter is supposed to recognize Lithium batteries. It states on your picture that it puts out either 14.6vdc,50w or 13.6v...(the rest is covered up).

Hi

Whatever the magic "recognition" process is ..... it's not working. The converter still thinks it has a lead acid battery. Is there some magic process to get it to reset and decide again what battery it has? I would not be surprised to find that the battery needs to be up at some magic voltage ( = fully charged ) *before* the converter is attached .... That's just a guess, so who knows .....

Bob

[WellSaid11]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

Luckily my father-in-law is going to help us install a 30 or 50 amp.

If your electrical panel can support it, 50A all day. No reason to go 30A if you have a 50A trailer.

Here is the box I installed and it has a 20A GFCI dual as well that you don't need to hook up if your panel will not support it. Bonus is that a surge protector like a PI EMS-PT50X will plug in and lock as well within the cover.

$129 @ HD.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-RV-Pa...02SS/203393687