Discover the Benefits of Upgrading to a Lithium RV Battery! (RV Life)

[@jordancook1668]

I’ve been extremely happy with the Epoch 460 Ah unit. The build quality is incredible, and it contains a built-in shunt and a Bluetooth app that lets you watch all the pertinent values and geek out like I like to do. It actually will interface directly with a Cerbo GX as well, though I have not tested this yet. I’ve got about 20 full cycles on it, and it actually slightly exceeds the rated 460 in my testing. I have a Victron MultiPlus II 3k watt inverter paired with it. I routinely run a single AC on it for well over four hours when I’m on the road and going to a site with electric to recharge. Microwave and coffeemaker simultaneous is no problem for the battery, the MultiPlus will give me an overload warning since that’s pushing the 3k. It’s so liberating having that much power from a single unit weighing about 100 lbs. I highly recommend it.

[@ToRetirementAndBeyond]

Bought a SOK 280AH Bluetooth/heated Lithium battery for $999.00 Love it. Highly rated.

[@Gotya02]

Running 2 280 sok batteries too, love them.

[@headdown1]

Very good video on the advantages of LiFePO4 vs lead acid batteries. I am writing this while boondocking in western Arizona. I am in a cargo trailer to RV conversion that I built myself. I have 900 AH of LiFePO4 batteries (3x300). There are 1300 watts of solar panels on the roof and 3x250 watts for a total of 750 watts on a ground string of panels. With 2050 watts I run a big 120 volt Samsung home fridge with drawer freezer and ice maker. I have a microwave, coffee maker, toaster, and deep fryer that all see regular use. My desktop computer has a 32 inch monitor and I have Starlink for internet. I use about 350 AH a day. At this time of year I can just barely replace that using only the 1300 watts on the roof. These 4 panels are 325 watts each and are too big to tilt, so they lay flat, making them a lot less efficient. I will add each ground panel as needed as the days get shorter over the next few months, or if it is partly cloudy. I hope to not run the generator all winter. Once you have used LiFePO4 batteries, lead acid will seem like the stone age. Rubbing two sticks together to make a fire as compared to using a Bic lighter. And the batteries and all solar components are getting cheaper all the time.

[@ChangingLanes]

Sounds like you've got a great system set up and that you've put a lot of thought into it! 👍🏼 Hopefully, some of the solar innovations I'm seeing come out will make it mainstream and improve that off-axis efficiency.

[@mikeapperson6885]

Chad & Tara thx for another great video. I should have done my 1600 w solar & 4x 206 amH batteries before the 5500 W Onan cummins Gen and saved 6.5K Love your channel People , add solar, inverter and Lithium batteries and buy a small sine wave inverter generator to top off on cloudy days .

[@LeeDaniels-sb2zm]

Very good video Chad. One additional criteria when it comes to choosing what battery to get, is the current capacity of the solution you are looking to implement. If you determine 300ah is what you want, a 100ah battery from the same manufacturer will likely have about the same continuous current spec as the 300ah battery from the same manufacturer unless they have a drastically higher grade BMS on the 300ah battery. The reason this matters, is that if you are in an RV that has hydraulic slides or levelers or a generator starter that needs higher starting current, a single 300ah battery may exceed its BMS's max current and shut down when trying to start those motors. If you parallel 3 100ah batteries to achieve the 300ah you desire, you get as a byproduct, 3 times the max current capacity of a single battery and those high current draw motors will start and run as expected. This situation applies a bit more to large motor coaches that have big generators and large hydraulic slide motors, but it is good to do this evaluation when deciding what battery to get in addition to the overall amp hour capacity calculations,.

[@ChangingLanes]

Great point! Most of the lithium I've seen have surge capabilities that can handle the in-rush current of the hydraulic pump. But, yea.. the BMS might trigger a stop.. Definitely something to consider. 👍🏼

[@LeeDaniels-sb2zm]

@@ChangingLanes This is why I have a 300ah battery for sale. It worked great in my 5th wheel with no generator or hydraulic slides but when I moved to a 40ft diesel pusher, and took the battery with me, it's roughly 100amp continuous current rating, even with about 50% surge capability did not cut it and the BMS would shut down. I now have three 100ah batteries with 170 amp continuous each that gives me about 500amp continuous and even higher surge that makes those motors happy. I learned the lesson that current capability needs to be part of the calculations.

[@TDub_ADV]

Lithium batteries was one of our first upgrades. I gave away the 4 6v batteries that came with our DRV and put in 4 SOK 206AH Lithiums. For overnighters we had no issue with the factory batteries but to cut the weight in half, get rid of the corrosive mess and maintenance headaches that are lead acid batteries the upgrade was worth it on its own. The much longer run time is a huge bonus.

[@karlswope2331]

Yep, did the same...we had two 5th-wheels prior to ordering our Super-C, so of course we cheaped out for AGMs and then we got Lithium and what a game changer.

[@nomad1500mb]

Timely video as we’re getting ready to upgrade to a 5th wheel and prep for boon-docking and going full time next Summer. We’ll be adding solar and lithium batteries. I’m definitely taking notes. Thanks!

[@gatorse]

Excellent video, great job Chad!

[@ipcamper9940]

Great video on explaining this. I came to the conclusion that we need about 200AH of batteries for our trips to the National Seashore every year, two years ago. LiFePO4 batteries were more expensive then , but I got to 100AH batteries. Measuring our usage, without AC, the fridge, lights, water pump, bathroom fan, we used about 80Ah every 24 hrs. I have 330W of solar ( roof and ground panels ) to recharge with. That works for spring and fall, unless we get more than 3 days of cloudy weather. We have camped there a couple of times in mid summer, and then I will bring a generator for the AC. The single lead acid battery most dealers give you just won't do the job if you have a 12V fridge.

[@ronaldstarreveld]

Great video. One thing to keep in mind, any appliances that have the word”smart”attached to them draws even when shut off. We discovered this the first time Boonedocking in quartzite at the GD Rally. I now have 1500 watts on the roof and 600 amp hrs. Just added a multi plus 2 inverter. Keep up the great work and safe travels. Oh. Also a retired AE1. We Airedale’s got to stick together. lol

[@calledtojourney]

We started with lead acid batteries in a 24' motorhome, and it didn't even take a year before I yanked those pieces of junk out and put in two 100ah Battle Born batteries with a Victron Smartshunt. The system worked so well that when we became full-timers with a fifth wheel, I got 810ah of Battle Born batteries, enough to run our heat pump overnight. It's almost impossible to have too much battery power! ⚡

[@amop33]

I use LiTime…work just fine. Half the price.

[@williamhaynes1367]

Hi Chad, I’ve been using the Li-time batteries for about 2-1/2 years and I love them. They are not as expensive as the big beard or battle born but they work very well. Mine are all 100ah. Love your videos!

[@winemakerotr4406]

Chad, love your techy videos: BUT you compared a 280ah battery to 100ah, not really a relevant test regardless of lithium or flooded cell. Second, the cost of lithium batteries is WAY down from a few years ago. I am sure you have seen the off shore 100ah at or under $200. I bought a no name 200 ah for under $500. The brands like Battleborn or Big Beard are priced way more than the off shore bargain brands. I believe the vast majority of RVers can not justify spend $10,000-$25,000 for a solar/invertor/charging system. I am certain the battleborn and BigB batteries are far better than the off shore brands, BUT for most of us the step up from flooded cell to even cheap lithium gets us in a much better place both price and performance wise. My 400 watts of solar, the 200 ah battery, a 2000 watt invertor, a solar controller and the upgraded convertor (to charge lithium) cost us less than $3000 and gives us a solid three days of lights, fans, and other 12v appliances.

[@ChangingLanes]

There's a battery option at many price levels for sure. This wasn't a "buy this battery" video, it was more about the difference between Lithium and Flooded. And, yes... 300Ah va 50An in reality. But that was the point, too. No such thing as a 300Ah flooded cell in a single battery, but you can get that power in the same footprint with Lithium.

[@jasonminow2537]

Great info, we do have solar and it works great, this video did not comment on adding energy to the system and extending the off grid capability of the batteries. Our system does really well with daily “topping” of the batteries.

[@1968alaskan]

Great Geek Out!! Love it. You touched on it, but I think most will miss it. My Cabin is lead acid flooded cell, with that I don't use it below freezing. Lithium is great for an RV. Why? Weight and Duty cycle! An RV has different requirements! If you stay away from freezing temps and boondock, my experience says go with Lithium. Yes it's spendy....But it's the price we will pay to have the luxuries we want.

[@bparkinson1234]

I have Battleborn 10 100ah. Love them. But just bought four EcoFlow 100ah for 200 bucks each on Amazon. Been beating on them now for a moth running my house furnace and well pump. Amazing performance so far!

[@raoulroberts2024]

Hi Chad. Knowing that Tara and you did a year of research and prep before going full time, to hear that you guys were still clueless about batteries and power in those early days let's everyone understand two things: there's a whole lot to learn and experience if you're gonna live the lifestyle, and how much knowledge one can gain from the 6 years of RVing that you have painstakingly catalogued. I am a proud student of The University of Chad and Tara (UCT). 👍🏾

[@ChangingLanes]

Thanks! We appreciate that! We are always learning. 😁

[@gregwaters7830]

Hi Chad, As far as the watts/amps for the lighting, I don't think you were taking into consideration that when we think of watts in a light bulb we are talking about output as in incandescent. When you switch over to LED you are talking Lumens, and an LED light uses about 10% of the input wattage to put out an equivalent amount of output wattage compared to an incandescent. Hopefully I got that right.

[@Redball2Portofino]

Great video! We actually did aftermarket lithium and inverter on our camper but opted to not do any solar. We’re full time but hate the outdoors so we’re always on shore power unless we’re at a Walmart or Cracker Barrel or harvest host. Between our onboard batteries and our electric generator we have enough power to run for a few days (including running the AC very sparingly at night to sleep). So we figured we’d spend the money on more batteries than on solar panels.

[@calledtojourney]

Batteries definitely take precedence over solar panels. A generator can charge batteries in an hour or two as much as a big solar array can in a whole day. We have lots of solar, but that doesn't mean that we don't also need our generator, especially if we're running our heat pump much. The good things about solar are that it's passive and gotten much cheaper. Our 1,750 watt solar setup cost less than one of our three GC3 batteries.

[@FaithwalkerTodd]

I just purchased two 100 amp hour lithium batteries on Amazon for $135 each before taxes. Not only that, they come with Bluetooth monitoring.

[@travelingwithtroyandrhoda]

Great video! Love that you show stuff you learned in the early days of your full time life.

[@DrRodder_Jim]

Great timing for me as I'm in the middle of going from my 2 flooded batteries on my old camper to a new camper that comes with a 100ah lithium and solar panels that I want to upgrade even more.

[@ChangingLanes]

If you expand, buy the same battery as the one that came with it and add it in parallel. 👍🏼

[@SEANRMZ]

Love your tech vids my friend. Been following you guys from the start. I am switching my 2x 200aph for the epoch 460 with victron compatible.

[@mobilityrvadventures]

Great stuff as always Chad.

[@rickrichardson5329]

Great video Chsd. I love the way you explain things. I believe in the long run a lithium battery would pay for itself. I've seen most Deep cycling or what they call RV battery's might get 3yrs. Then again as you said how ya treat them matters. Thank you.

[@oregonarcher]

Great video! Expanding on the topic, things to consider before swapping from lead to lithium. Can one swap lead for lithium without changing the charging system? What about vehicle alternator? What about the inverter if one is being used? In many cases I don't think it is as easy as just changing out the battery type.

[@Augiebracerofam]

Lots of great information. Still waiting for the "boring stuff" Thank you for sharing and have a great day.

[@linak7155]

Hello from NE. Tennessee! great video for the technically minded 😒🤔 🔋I couldn't travel in an RV where I couldn't have my morning coffee ☕️😩😊In any event, I hope Tara is recovering well from her surgery 🙏 and we could see the two of you out and about again soon❤

[@airstreamer]

Thanks for the information on the batteries. - Jim & Michelle

[@chadhaney8164]

great video! I did upgrade my 2024 momentum 320g to a 300ah big beard battery and love the performance but I think I will be adding a Victron shunt to more accurately see the usable amount left in the battery. I am currently using the Bluetooth app for the battery and wat to compare. thanks again.

[@calledtojourney]

I totally agree with Chad that a Victron smart shunt is a must for any RV out there. Knowing exactly how much power is remaining in your system is key to being able to use it with confidence.

[@horizon42q]

The best RV with Lithuim is a B Van like my Coachman Nova 20C Li3. Coachman did it right It sets you free. No campground ever. Real boondocking.

[@bkauk]

Did the power converters in the two trailers you tested with have a Lithium mode? I’d like to upgrade to Lithium but not sure if upgrading both at the same time is an absolute must, or if I can get away with doing it in stages.

[@ChangingLanes]

Good question! The converter in the Reflection has a manual switch to select flooded vs lithium charging profiles. The one in the Serenova was auto-sensing but needed a firmware update to properly detect. So, most converters these days have lithium profiles, but it's definitely something to look into.

[@rayduke7433]

Great video Chad. I currently have a GD with a 100 amp flooded battery and a solar panel with charger. Would I need to change out my solar charger if I changed to a 200 AH lipo?

[@ChangingLanes]

Depends on the solar controller. But, most can auto-sense and change the charging profile. Check the specs on your controller. 👍🏼

[@rayduke7433]

@ Thank You sir!

[@serinehart]

Great info, I have a class A with two lead acid batteries and like the idea of a shunt to monitor the hose batteries, what would you recommend for that type of set up? would like to know how they are doing if we did a over nighter in a Cracker Barrel.

[@ChangingLanes]

The same shunt I used in this video: gear.changinglanesrv.com/product/smartshunt-500/ You just move everything off the negative and put this in the middle. Nothing should connect to the negative except through the shunt. 👍🏼 Good luck!

[@MYCHANNELWITHMYSTUFF]

What bugs me about companies like Big Battery is I can get a Litime 12V 560Ah battery currently for $1251 and it will be as good if not better than the over priced Big Battery with 1/2 the AH for $2000.

[@bradleymanning3225]

Thank you for the heads up on this subject had. We have a 2 flooded cell battery bank right now. we have 1 solar panel on the roof. I've been thinking about the possibility of upgrading to a 4 lithium battery bank, and 2 or 3 solar panels on the roof. We have an inverter, but will that need to be upgraded as well? To accommodate the larger system. Thank you for any help on this. And as always, Hope you guys have continued safe travels.

[@ChangingLanes]

Depends on what kind of inverter you have and if you want to power more than what's already powered. Usually, replies to replies (like this one) fall out of view. So, if you want to exchange more details, hit me up on Discord in the power-upgrades section. 👍🏼 More info here on getting on Discord: changinglanesrv.com/the-inside-lane/

[@Itsa_Mea]

Will Prowse is videos are super informative. Get ready to fall down the rabbit hole. Lol.

[@jamesborden7731]

Hey Chad, love the program. I Do you have a question about the battery being heated or not? I was recently told that the internal heater for the battery really is only needed during the cold weather when you’re recharging the batteries is that true because I don’t winter camp, so if I were to switch to lithium I’m not sure I would need a battery heater and I could probably save a few bucks. What’s your thoughts on that?

[@ChangingLanes]

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. The heater only comes on if and when it's needed, so it doesn't hurt to have it just in case. But, if you're down to a couple of batteries in your search and the one you like doesn't have heating, then it sounds like it's a low priority for you - just get one without it.

[@caravanstuff2827]

If you buy lithium then increase your solar by a third.. because you can only run a AGM down to between 50 to60% it takes more solar to charge a lithium from 20% in the same time..then the issue of charging in cold weather and the cost..I'll stick with my AGM batteries thanks till sold state come to market!!.❤️🇺🇲

[@michaelwhiteside1011]

Ok buddy, my wife and I watch every week since the beginning. Want to know the layout of your golf cart batteries. You said in parallel, I see a circuit. Help a buddy out and explain the hookup.

[@ChangingLanes]

They were 6v batteries which requires a mix of series and parallel wiring. Two of the batteries are wired in series (positive to negative) (for 12v), then those two sets are wired together in parallel (still 12v but Ah are added). Hope that helps!

[@michaelwhiteside1011]

@ChangingLanes that did help and I went back and watched it again. Thanks

[@yagogabriell]

I wanna know when they will make the battery with brazilian niobium or sodium. To us charge in 1 minute 20 thousands of cicles.

[@GLAMP_Ride_and_ThRiVe]

What ever happened with Grand Design and the Volta system you were testing! Did they Scrap that idea?

[@ChangingLanes]

Yes, they did. Volta decided to not enter the towable after-market. We'll have a retrofit video coming up in a couple of months where we show some updates as well as the new "ultimate lithium package" from the factory, designed by Future Solutions.

[@GLAMP_Ride_and_ThRiVe]

@ looking forward to seeing that video of the ultimate lithium package!! It’s a possibility for us on our next rig. Still trying to figure out if we are staying with Grand Design or going to a LUXE. Lots of research for us still to come 😀. Thanks for all your content and videos, we have learned a lot from your content.

[@patrickburke9764]

Hey Chad just bought a 2022 Rockwood Mini travel trailer it has a 190 watt solar panel on roof they installed 2 lead batteries up front if i go with lithium will one be enough since the lithium out last the lead like last 4times to 1 longer ???

[@ChangingLanes]

It depends on what size you go with. If you have two lead-acid in parallel, you likely have 100Ah usable. So, if you get anything larger than that, then yes. You could get a single battery to get you 2x, 3x, 4x.

[@Garth2011]

$2,000 for a single battery is still too pricey in our opinion. A solar panel and (4 6V) 12v batteries seem good enough for the essentials. Air conditioning doesn't seem to be a feasible need when power is sourced from batteries, same with a refrigerator. Propane refrigerators seem more practical for folks who will not be near hook ups most of the time. The generator has to do some of the work when in need. Great review about the needs and equipment.

[@Itsa_Mea]

There are far more affordable options. Like a third of the cost! There's pros with videos that test other brands with no ties to the manufacturers and have a wealth of knowledge and recommendations. Far deeper than this.

[@calledtojourney]

A 100ah Battle Born battery goes for about $750 these days, and I'd rather have that than four golf cart batteries.

[@HumilityisHumble]

300Amp Hour batteries are now only $400 on Amazon.

[@richardcorcorran8965]

Did you mention that a flooded cell you should only run 50% max on discharge

[@ChangingLanes]

Several times.

[@billchesney8949]

Is a shunt necessary if your lithium battery has Bluetooth

[@ChangingLanes]

Not really, as long as you're dealing with just the one battery and it has the same functionality (SOC, time remaining, etc). It's basically a built-in shunt.

[@angelolamantia]

Plenty of options for cheaper lithium batteries. I am sure all the cells are made in the same factory in China anyway.

[@Henle15]

Big beard is way overpriced and I haven’t seen any reviews that open and see what’s in the battery and how it’s setup. Will Prowse is the best that opens them and shows what materials are used and if they do what they actually claim to do. I have asked Todd to send him one and no response. Can you ask him?

[@ChangingLanes]

Great idea!

[@Peter-v6t8x]

Great video. Lost me with the big beard batteries. There are much better out there for the price. The quality isn’t there either.

[@rvhome5599]

For the cost of those systems we rather stay in campgrounds with full hookups, if you also include the value loss on those solar and fancy battery systems and complicated electronics, no thanks, we make use of our cheap batteries and stay with full hookups