In our case, our Airstream came with two Interstate AGM batteries that each held 62 Ah (amp-hours), which was OK for 2-3 days of camping if we weren't plugged in. Deep discharging isn’t a problem: these batteries can go to zero and still come back strongĪnd there's another benefit: you can pack a lot more power with lithium compared to lead-acid batteries.It's no big deal to leave LiFePO4 batteries in storage mode for 6-12 months. It holds its charge while in storage for a long time (i.e., it has a low "self-discharge" rate).It has great longevity: you can recharge LiFePO4 batteries many more times than traditional lead-acid batteries.It's safe: very tolerant of heat and vibration, won't leak, non-toxic, doesn’t burn.Why we chose Renogy LiFeP04Īlthough there are several types of "lithium" batteries out there, Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry (or LiFePO4) is the type RV'ers use, for several reasons: In summary, it took only 20 months to destroy a $600 pair of AGM batteries that should have lasted 6 years. If you aren’t already aware of this, you should never use batteries that are swollen or that get hot when they charge. That was an ominous sign and it meant those batteries needed to go to recycling immediately. In fact, the batteries were so damaged that they began to swell. When I got the trailer back, the batteries were utterly useless and would hold no charge at all. I moved the trailer to a storage lot that had power, to avoid this problem happening again.īut then came Strike Three, earlier this year, when we took the Airstream in for service and it sat for 6 weeks waiting for a part to arrive. Normally they'll hold their charge longer than that, if there's nothing turned on. This took less than two weeks even with the Battery Disconnect switch in the “STORE” position, so I suspected that the batteries were already in rough shape. The batteries went flat again a few months later while the trailer was in storage. Lead-acid batteries should be maintained at a minimum of 12.2-12.3 volts. You don't get to do that to lead-acid batteries too many times before they are dead forever. That's Strike One against the longevity of the batteries. I hate to admit it but our situation is a perfect example of why an upgrade to lithium makes sense.Īs is unfortunately somewhat common, our Airstream came with "pre-tortured" batteries from the dealership, meaning that they were allowed to go completely dead because nobody plugged the trailer into power while the trailer was sitting. This planner provides you with my personal experience and research, as well as the decisions I made and procedures I followed to install them myself. Whether or not lithium batteries are right for you depends on many factors. Lithium batteries give you twice as much usable power for half the weight and they are a lot more tolerant of the type of abuse RV owners tend to give their batteries. Upgrading to lithium batteries has been all the rage in the Airstream community lately, for good reasons.
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