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Topic: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation (Read 8088 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #20 –
Thanks Jack,  we are going on 9 years owning our coach now and are active users, 5-6 months a year.  It takes time to figure out how you want to be able to use your coach, what works for you and what your coach lifestyle looks like.  Everyone has a different and evolving one.  Move deliberately ahead based on what works for you.  That seems to work for us.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #21 –
I copied Rogers installation and went all parallel. When I hit 1237 watts on my 1450 watts of solar last year one day I couldn't figure out why it didn't go higher. After talking to Allen at Bay Marine when I bought my Phoenix 1200, he informed me I had hit the limit on my 85/150 solar charger and it was shedding watts. Because I am adding one more panel this winter he suggests I take one on my current panels out of the 85/150 and put it with the new panel on a seperate solar charger if I want to utilize all the watts should circumstances allow it.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #22 –
I was asked what the Sterling Battery to Battery Charger does when loads are applied. So yesterday when we stopped at a rest area with the engine running at idle the B2B output side was charging the Lithium battery pack at ~7 amps.  I turned on the Victron Multiplus and Susan turned on the microwave oven.  I checked again and the output from the B2B charger was 70 amps.  An amp or so for the Multiplus leaves 62 amps for the MW.  The Lithium batteries were at 13.5 volts so that is about 840 watts.  About right for the MW.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #23 –
I'm at the limit on my 75/15 Victron smart solar with 400 watts of panels.  I'm probably loosing a couple amps at full sun.  I'm thinking of adding 2-4 more panels this winter and if I do I'll probably upgrade my solar charger. 

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #24 –
Roger, can you post up a pic or add to the description of the Sterling display.. Any reason for the one you chose? I did not see it anywhere in the pics but you had mentioned you had one.. Just wondering..Thanks

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #25 –
David,

Sterling Waterproof Battery-to-Battery Charger Remote

The remote display shows charging stages, input volts and amps and temperature (at the charger) and output volts, amps and temperature (at the batteries), battery voltage as well as alerts and alarms. You can turn on or off the audible alarm.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #26 –
Roger,

When I got back from a week of boon docking (just generator) in CO this summer, I had concluded that some charging upgrades would be nice before any more of that. Started researching this forum and found your very thorough post about installing surplus solar panels and associated equipment. Great post. Thinking your step by step account will align well with my U295, same length and year as your coach. Anyway, about to start with this same B2B charger you have, but want to keep expansion in mind. I can't seem to find the post I mention and really want to review it again before I get going with this. Could you put up a link to that? Was under the coach yesterday and noticed the conduit into the compartments from the rear looks a little snug. I can't remember what all you fought to run through there, but If I should, I want to at least consider fishing other wires  through for future use along with the B2B wiring (solar, more battery capacity, etc.).

Steve Busenbarrick
2001 U295 3610 - 2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr
Benton, LA
Benton, LA

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #28 –
Thanks. Looking for something older. From right after the big first push of his major power upgrades. I think he'll know what I'm talking about when he comes on.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #29 –
Steve, Maybe this one. 
A Second House Battery Bank, Solar Panels, 2 New Inverters

I ran extra 4/0 cables from the the front end at the back end of the bay where the batteries, fuel tank, LP tank and in my coach the AH are through the center bay roof cable way, into the space over the tanks in the wet bay and out under a frame member, through the cable guides around the differential and transmission to the area at the end of bed in the engine bay.

Going the other way would be tough.  I removed the center bay roof cable cover and tidied things up to make the cables easy to thread through there.  The hard part was over the tanks and through the fairly small opening in the rear bulkhead which leads right into a frame member.  I used a fiberglass rod used for fishing wires to move a cord with a big nut on the end through the space and opening and when I released the nut it pulled the cord down.  The small cord pulled a 1/4" rope through and then with that the cables.  My neighbor fed the cables with lots of wire lube.  I got very dirty under the coach pulling the wires from that end.  Ran the neg cable first through the cable guides over the differential and transmission.  Then the positive cable with the corrugated cable cover where needed for abrasion resistance. Use high quality strong cable ties, lots of them.

The rest of it is mostly mechanical, installation and common sense,  use switches and fuses where you should.  Don't skimp on any safety item.

This step used a Sterling zero voltage drop smart ProSplitter instead of a diode isolator. Charging the house batteries, the 8D battery set and the L16 battery set wen through this.  When I switched to Lithiums I needed a smart safe way to charge them. I now have no isolator.  The B2B charger uses power from the alternator to charge the Lithiums using a multi step Lithium friendly charge profile. 
With adequate solar charging you could probably get by with a 60 amp B2B.  With your OEM LN alternator you still need an excite and sense with but with out a diode isolator you can back the voltage down to 13.8 volts or so.

Let me know if you have questions.  Another Forum member is midway through this process in just one step.  Alan Ferber at Bay Marine Supply can help with all of the parts.  Justin Cook there is another good resource.  Be sure you mention you are on the Forum.  There are discounts available.

Roger

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #30 –
Roger,

Thanks. That's what I was looking for. As I've observed in your other traffic on here, a very thorough and helpful response. So much more than I asked for.

After studying these posts, I still may have questions or need advice and will PM those, if you're willing to entertain them. Just starting this and thinking the 120A B2B is what needs to come first in my case, but hope to slog ahead to adding 900ish watts of solar, etc. as coach bucks become available. 

Thanks again!

Steve

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #31 –
Steve, glad to help.

Roger

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #32 –
Can't say enough good things about Bay Marine!

I bought a Sterling 60amp charger a couple of months ago. Installed it in kind of a hurry and left the battery temp sensor in the box to hookup later. Being the brain dead idiot I am, I ended up throwing the box away with the sensor. Luckily I was in Pio Pico Thousand Trails just outside of San Diego and Bay Marine was close by. Called, talked to Justin and confessed my dumbness asking if I could buy just the sensor. Justin checked and found that they don't carry just the sensor since it's included with the charger but he said "I do have one on our test bench I'll send you if you want it". Told him I was in the area and would  stop by and pick it up.

These guys don't really have a store front. They do all their sales over the web & phone. Drove up went in and the shop is just 2 desks manned by Alan & Justin with the warehouse behind a wall. Justin looked at me and said you must be Ken and handed me the sensor "no charge!". I talked to Justin & Alan for about 10  or 15 minutes about the forum and traded gossip about Roger & Don. Ha! (all good stuff!)

Two of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. They are very generous with their time and their extensive knowledge. (and the 10% off their already reasonable prices is pretty awesome too!) I've seen Justin pitch in on some comments on the forum so they do read it.

Alan/Justin thanks for doing what you do!

I have no affiliation with Bay Marine other than being a very satisfied customer!

Bay Marine Supply

see ya
ken

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #34 –
Just curious if there was a specific reason you went with the GC2's instead of the Group 31 BB's?  Size?  They are more expensive and not as easy to get to the lugs when positioned end to end.  I'm getting ready to do a similar setup (without Sterling or solar right now) and was just wondering before I pull the trigger.  Thanks!

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #35 –
Quote from: DavidS –
Roger, can you post up a pic or add to the description of the Sterling display.. Any reason for the one you chose? I did not see it anywhere in the pics but you had mentioned you had one.. Just wondering..Thanks
I have a Sterling in our all-electric 2019 Promaster Camper Van with 200ah Battle Born, I never saw the need in the coach? They just upgraded the Sterling models a few months ago. mines rated at 60 Amps, but I pull about 48Amps while driving, 220A Alternator. Now Victron makes one, saw it at the Victron booth @ TinyFest in San Diego in February.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #36 –
GC2 size was selected because it fit in the space where my OEM batteries were.  The standard BB Batteries have a different footprint and at most 4 would fit.  A snug fit.  The U320 has a bigger fuel tankd and less room than a U270 for example.  Measure carefully.  I got a Forum discount at Bay Marine on these batteries and all the other components.  and when you buy six they ship on a pallet with only one hazmat charge instead on the same charge per battery.  The end price was not much more to get the fit I wanted.

I removed all of the original racking and made a new much lighter weight rack to hold the GC2 batteries.

The 2001 with a slide has a truss under the slide.  I cut out the fiberglass to make more holes for access.  Added a volt meter and a switch for the battery heaters. High/off/low switch in the cab.

The Sterling B2B remote display is shown.  I will take a picture on mine as installed.  It shows start and house battery voltage and temps and more plus any error codes.  I used an ignition powered source to turn it on with an additional delay timer.  I started with the 120 amp version but it seems there is a software issue in that version somI swapped it out for the 60 amp one.  My Lithiums get the maximum cycle life with a charge rate at 20% max.  For 600 amp hrs that is 120 amps.  You can (and I may do it) use two 60 amp B2B chargers in parallel.

Victron makes a similar device. It needs to have the negative cables installed as well as the positive cables.  And I think these are only 30 amp max. 


Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #37 –
Here is the Sterling B2B remote in my display panel.  2 Victron BMVs, 2 Digital Volt Meters, Victron Color CCGX panel

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #38 –
Followup

We just finished 7 days dry camping at Gros Ventre in the Grand Teton National Park. Every night but two was in the 30s.  The other two were upper 20s.  One day (in between the cold nights) got to 45°, heavy clouds all day and rain most of the day.  The other days got into the 70s and were generally sunny with some shade in the afternoon We have a residential refrig, 600 amp hrs of LiFePO4 Battle Born batteries.  The AH was on for heat. We averaged about 3.6kw  production each day except fot the rainy day. We started the week at 100% SOC and ended at 76%.  Our avg daily consumption was about 2.8Kw. We were about 270 watts per day short in production vs use over the week. The lowest we got was 49% SOC. An all day rain was tough to overcome

No generator use at all.

We have been here before in sites with little or no shade and produced more than 5Kw.  Without the afternoon shade or the rainy day we likely would have been back to 100% SOC.  I have room for two more solar panels, time to start shopping.

It is nice to see this work for us. It would have been tough on AGM or GEL batteries, they are harder to finish charging and need to get back to 100% SOC every cycle.  LiFePO4 batteries do not.  We were using about 1/3 of our capacity everyday.  Battle Born considers this 1/3 of a charge cycle and with as many as 5,000 cycles these batteries should provide many years of service.  They are worth considering when it is time to change your AGM or GEL batteries.  You need less total amp hours of capacity (because you can use all of the battery capacity and are likely to get twice or more the life compared to AGM or GEL batteries.

Re: 600 AH Lithium Battery Installation

Reply #39 –
Hi Roger

Nice install.  I'm thinking 600 AH BB Batteries with similar Victron Charger/Inverter and battery monitor when we move to the new the 34' U270 coach.  I currently have 300AH of BB Batteries and 800 W of solar on the roof in my class C.  That gives me plenty of charge and power in this smaller RV and we rarely run the generator.

 How is your experience with 1200 W of solar for your 600 AH batteries?  Would you have put more on the roof if you were to do it again or is the 1200 more than enough for you daily needs?  We are mostly off-grid and don't anticipate installing a residential fridge.  If I can get away with 1200 W I'm inclined to do that rather than load up the roof any more than I have to.

Thanks