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Thread: Battery Dilemma
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03-23-2021, 04:06 PM #21
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Assuming it's the standard Interstate batteries most dealers seem to use (and did you only really get one?!!), then it probably has about 30 usable Ah, maybe a little bit more. Each light in the trailer. whether ceiling or task light (and for the double-lobe lights, those count as two...) takes just about 5 watts. The outside light a bit more. I don't know about your trailer specifically, but mine draws about 10 watts just sitting, and just about 90 watts if I turn on every light in the trailer. So with every light on, it would drain a single small battery in 4 hours. Lights are very efficient, though. If you run fans, or the furnace, or have a 12V fridge, then the single battery won't last long at all. I'm not seeing that solar is included on the 21BHE, so hopefully they didn't put a 12V fridge in, it would drain a single battery in less than half a day.
If I were in your shoes, I'd probably grab a couple of the Interstate GC2s that Costco sells for $99/ea. They're not going to knock your socks off, but they should last a few years with light usage, and the usable capacity of a pair of them would be about 105 Ah or so, a big bump over a single small battery, and enough to comfortably do a couple of nights of boondocking if you're not too crazy with power usage. Should fit on the tongue no problem, just need the taller GC2 battery boxes and the cables to connect them in series.Last edited by rootusrootus; 03-23-2021 at 04:09 PM.
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03-23-2021, 05:58 PM #22
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Thanks for the info and expertise. I think your estimates are accurate with what I anticipate. No solar or plan to. Buddying up a second battery seems like it’s worth the effort. And it will keep my rotten kids from getting excessively cranky.
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03-23-2021, 06:03 PM #23
The Costco gc2’ I bought for my previous RV were over 7 yrs old and still going when I sold it last summer
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03-23-2021, 06:39 PM #24
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Awesome answer! I totally agree with you GoodOz.
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03-23-2021, 08:11 PM #25
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The newer ones have gained a reputation of dying shortly after the warranty expires. They're not really up to Costco standards IMO. They'll probably last a few years if you just use them a few dozen nights a year, but if I were cycling them every day I'd get Trojans instead.
Current: 2021 Transcend 261BH, 2019 Ford F250 SRW SWB CC 6.2 - Picture
Previous: 2016 Jayco X213, 2014 F150 EB 3.5
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03-23-2021, 08:25 PM #26
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David and Peggy
2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
2018 Solitude 310 GK
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03-23-2021, 08:26 PM #27
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03-24-2021, 03:07 AM #28
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First off, if you Love dry camping, you will Love having Lithium batteries onboard. Your problem of your Lead Acid batteries not getting fully charged during your short Generator runs will disappear, Lithium batteries charge much faster.
Secondly, because each Lithium battery has it's own BMS (Battery Management System) you can add another battery to your system later on, the old rule of getting matched batteries do not apply with Lithium.
You are in the perfect position to try out some of the cheaper Lithium battery options available from Amazon. You do not need the battery to last ten years like the Battle Born batteries (10 year warranty). You can buy the cheaper battery from Amazon and purchase an extended warranty if you like, this option should keep your current camper powered up through the end of your time together.
In the post "Cheap Batteries are Coming, Cheap Batteries are Coming" I provided a spreadsheet with the cheapest Lithium batteries I could find (short of building your own battery). Take a look at that spreadsheet to find a low cost solution for your current battery needs. I might also suggest that you take a look at the 200ah Ampere Time battery available from Amazon, at $799 that is a pretty darn good deal !!!!!
Since all of your options include a Converter upgrade, the cost of a new Converter is a moot point.
PS: Please note: in the above post, whenever I mention "Lithium" batteries, I am referring to the LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries and not the Lithium Ion batteries which are found in laptops and Electric Vehicles.
PPS: I did see that you had made the decision to go with the Lithium battery, however, I would still suggest you look at the spreadsheet and consider the 200ah Ampere Time battery.David and Peggy
2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
2018 Solitude 310 GK
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03-24-2021, 03:24 AM #29
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Mike: Congrats on taking the DIY plunge into LiFePo4 batteries. Your problems with not being able to keep the batteries topped off while dry camping will disappear with the switch to Lithium.
You are correct in that the RV Furnace is a Power Hog, manufacturers should really use a more efficient DC motor in the RV furnaces.
Please document your build process and your sources for the batteries so others will be encouraged to build their own batteries. Building your own LiFePo4 battery is the cheapest option to upgrade your RV battery to Lithium currently available.David and Peggy
2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
2018 Solitude 310 GK
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03-24-2021, 03:28 AM #30
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David and Peggy
2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
2018 Solitude 310 GK
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