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Thread: Battery options
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05-23-2022, 12:53 PM #1
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Battery options
Even though it is in my signature I will state I have a 231rk. It has the solar package on it. I have the battery that the dealer gave me. It is an Interstate 24M-XHD. I want to understand this a little better. I would like to add another battery just to have a little extra power in case I need it.
So do I go with a second battery of the same make? Or do I go with a lithium battery. What I was told with the lithium battery is that the solar package doesn't charge it that well. Don't know because I am old school electronics. Back in the day computers went "CLICK" and took up many floors in a building. I know what lithium is and it is the better choice but if it doesn't charge that is not good.Upstate NY
2022 Ford F150 with trailer tow package
2022 Transcend Xplor 231rk
2021 Shih Tzu Millie
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05-23-2022, 01:29 PM #2
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If you go with a second battery, go with the same Ah rating and type, flooded lead acid or AGM.
Do not mix LA and AGM with LiFePO4 batteries!
If you decide to go LiFePO4, you will have to upgrade your converter/charger as well, to take full advantage of LiFePO4. Otherwise, your existing converter will only charge them to about 80%.Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel
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05-23-2022, 01:31 PM #3
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Upstate NY
2022 Ford F150 with trailer tow package
2022 Transcend Xplor 231rk
2021 Shih Tzu Millie
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05-23-2022, 01:38 PM #4
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Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel
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05-23-2022, 01:46 PM #5
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So a couple of things here, it would be good to know what your needs are for "a little extra power." Do you regularly camp off-grid? What sorts of things will you be powering with this "extra power"? It looks like your model (Transcend Xplor 231RK) comes with a 12-volt refrigerator. Do you know how much power that uses? I'm guessing in the range of 3 Amps per hour. If you were camping off-grid, the refrigerator alone would use about 70 Ah of power per day. You'd also want lights and the water pump. So for one night, you might get by with an additional 100 Ah lead-acid battery such as the stock unit. The charge controller you have is probably an MPPT which would support a lithium battery if you choose to go in that direction. Bottom line, there are a number of options depending what your needs are.
Stephen and Judy
2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S
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05-23-2022, 02:24 PM #6
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It may sound odd but I am one of those, "what if" people. it is more of an Emergency thing. What if we are stranded on the road for an extended period of time? What if the power goes out in the house? Things like that. We looked at Generators for these cases and just felt it was not something we wanted. So it boils down to it would be nice to have double the capacity just in case.
Upstate NY
2022 Ford F150 with trailer tow package
2022 Transcend Xplor 231rk
2021 Shih Tzu Millie
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05-23-2022, 02:30 PM #7
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05-23-2022, 02:45 PM #8
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Upstate NY
2022 Ford F150 with trailer tow package
2022 Transcend Xplor 231rk
2021 Shih Tzu Millie
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05-23-2022, 04:43 PM #9
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Do not mix your batteries. We just changed our batteries to 6 lithium batteries with two large solar panels. We are so impressed with the recharge time of the lithium batteries. Batteries were down to 60% in the morning and by 10:30 am they were back to 100%. We just installed and haven’t used it but a couple of times so still testing it out. So far very impressed. If you can, I would switch to lithium batteries if possible. Nice not having to deal with a generator.
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05-23-2022, 09:53 PM #10
Channging Battery Type?
Today, 01:22 AM in Electrical System and Wiring