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  1. #11
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stimpack View Post
    I want to go total solar on my RV and with Lithium batteries, but dang no price drops in years on these things.
    Is there anything out there better or cheaper with same specs?
    Battle Born is pretty much the Honda of batteries and they back it up with a 10 year warranty.
    There are other Lithium battery brands besides Battle Born, with similar outputs, sizes, weights and prices but not as good of a warranty.
    BB also has legendary customer support and tech support and a built in Battery Management System (BMS) second to none, that is very advanced, and protects each battery in much the way a good Progressive Industries EMS protects your RV from various electrical issues.
    You get what you pay for. A lot of lithium batteries that are available don't have any BMS at all, you have to build one yourself.

    If you're on a tight budget, some people use Tesla batteries which are approximately half the cost per amp hour and some might argue better because they are higher voltage.
    You can go that route if you're fine using batteries that came from a wrecked car and have zero warranty, and no BMS.
    There are a few websites that talk about using those as an option.
    Last edited by DaveMatthewsBand; 01-12-2019 at 09:48 PM.
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  2. #12
    Seasoned Camper
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    I don't want to But I am thinking about going with some China brands. Some of them are half the price of the US brands. The only thing is that saying you get what you pay for keeps stopping me.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    Battle Born is pretty much the Honda of batteries and they back it up with a 10 year warranty.
    There are other Lithium battery brands besides Battle Born, with similar outputs, sizes, weights and prices but not as good of a warranty.
    BB also has legendary customer support and tech support and a built in Battery Management System (BMS) second to none, that is very advanced, and protects each battery in much the way a good Progressive Industries EMS protects your RV from various electrical issues.
    You get what you pay for. A lot of lithium batteries that are available don't have any BMS at all, you have to build one yourself.

    If you're on a tight budget, some people use Tesla batteries which are approximately half the cost per amp hour and some might argue better because they are higher voltage.
    You can go that route if you're fine using batteries that came from a wrecked car and have zero warranty, and no BMS.
    There are a few websites that talk about using those as an option.
    The new Trojan Trillium looks to have a higher cycle life but I've not yet received their warranty or pricing on their 100 ah battery.
    MidwestCamper

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  4. #14
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MidwestCamper View Post
    The new Trojan Trillium looks to have a higher cycle life but I've not yet received their warranty or pricing on their 100 ah battery.
    Those are another option.
    From what I can see on Trojan’s website they’re the same life cycle, up to 5,000, cost about $100 more and do have a BMS but they didn’t bother publishing any warranty information on their website.
    If they end up matching BB’s warranty, they would be competitive.



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    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    Those are another option.
    From what I can see on Trojan’s website they’re the same life cycle, up to 5,000, cost about $100 more and do have a BMS but they didn’t bother publishing any warranty information on their website.
    If they end up matching BB’s warranty, they would be competitive.



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    Ed,
    I compared their charts where Trojan is beating them out by around 1K cycles but based on usage this is an estimate anyway. I wrote them and they told me they have not yet released the warranty, and of course would not discuss cell suppliers.
    There are tradeoffs with the auto batteries being A grade but without a warranty and consumer grade B cells which from what I see is all we can get in an assembled pack. Not downing what's available but if a battery could be sourced with automotive grade cells (Japan) the battery would no doubt cost much more but would also have a much higher robustness, cycle count and life expectancy.
    MidwestCamper

    Jim & Dawn
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    2017 Imagine 2600RB
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  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by MidwestCamper View Post
    The new Trojan Trillium looks to have a higher cycle life but I've not yet received their warranty or pricing on their 100 ah battery.
    They also do not say where they are made. They say Designed and engineered in USA by trojan.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ditchdigger View Post
    They also do not say where they are made. They say Designed and engineered in USA by trojan.
    Both are assembled in the USA with most all certainty with Chinese sourced cells. Each company most likely has some input in what they are looking for with a chosen cell, but while these are good, they are not automotive grade cells. And we may never see automotive cells used in this market. Since the Lithium application in RVs is just taking off, we will learn much more in how these warranties are honored which will take some time. I've been waiting for Trojan to step up but its taking them awhile for the warranty information to become public.
    MidwestCamper

    Jim & Dawn
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  8. #18
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BabyBober View Post
    No, but from what I have seen there are more expensive options that are not any better. The battle born are a fair price given the current market, unfortunately.... that is why I haven’t switched...
    I'm currently in the middle of converting to Lithiums. Long story - involving my own stupidity - which I'll share when I get done with this project and have some good information to share. I'm going with the AIMS battery as it was not only substantially less expensive, but the warranty appears better and the specs are comparable to the BB's. I'd add that I had already installed one of their inverters and was well satisfied with it and I really liked the features and price of their converter. Nice to have equipment from the same manufacturer so they can't blame another supplier when there is a problem.

    So far I have nothing worthwhile to report except that in shopping for some additional system components that were not avalable where I bought the batteries, I was talking to another supplier who is a big supplier of BB batteries. He offered to meet the AIMS price so if anyone is working the numbers on a battery conversion, it pays to shop around.

    Further cushioning the pain of the conversion, I called the Trojan dealer to see what kind of market there is for one year old T105's and he offered to buy them for half price.

    I don't dry camp enough to *need* lithium batteries, but the cost of conversion is nearing the breakeven point and the convenience factor pushed me over the top.
    John and Jean
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  9. #19
    Seasoned Camper
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    I am going to Lithium batteries because I can then install all of the solar/wind equipment, in the same compartment with batteries.
    2012 Chevy 3500 DRW DURAMAX
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  10. #20
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Battle Born Lithium

    Quote Originally Posted by SouthTX View Post
    I'm currently in the middle of converting to Lithiums. Long story - involving my own stupidity - which I'll share when I get done with this project and have some good information to share. I'm going with the AIMS battery as it was not only substantially less expensive, but the warranty appears better and the specs are comparable to the BB's. I'd add that I had already installed one of their inverters and was well satisfied with it and I really liked the features and price of their converter. Nice to have equipment from the same manufacturer so they can't blame another supplier when there is a problem.

    So far I have nothing worthwhile to report except that in shopping for some additional system components that were not avalable where I bought the batteries, I was talking to another supplier who is a big supplier of BB batteries. He offered to meet the AIMS price so if anyone is working the numbers on a battery conversion, it pays to shop around.

    Further cushioning the pain of the conversion, I called the Trojan dealer to see what kind of market there is for one year old T105's and he offered to buy them for half price.

    I don't dry camp enough to *need* lithium batteries, but the cost of conversion is nearing the breakeven point and the convenience factor pushed me over the top.
    I’d be interested to see your source for the warranty info.

    AIMS battery warranty is only 3 years.

    A: Here is a copy of the manufacturers warranty, "AIMS Power warrants this battery is free from defects for 3 years. If for some improbable circumstance the battery is defective, AIMS will replace the battery with a pre-authorized return number and return instructions will be provided per the US Department of Transportation regulations for lithium battery shipments. AIMS Power does not warrant batteries that have been poorly maintained, charged incorrectly, reversed polarity, improperly installed, stored and used in excessive heat, physical damage, fire, freeze, water damage, tampered, damage to terminals, and failing to keep the correct charge to the battery. DO NOT RETURN BATTERY WITHOUT RMA. IT WILL BE REFUSED. AIMS Power has a team of technicians to provide technical support when needed. Proof of purchase will be required. Customer is responsible for shipping fees to AIMS Power. If AIMS Power deems the product defective, AIMS Power will cover the replacement shipping fees. We are unable to accept returns because of the strict certifications and handling required to ship and handle lithium batteries."

    Regarding cost...
    Aims are $850 each ($899 on the Aims website)
    BB are $949 each.
    I wouldn’t call that substantially less expensive.

    I’ll pay $99 for 7 additional years warranty.



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    Last edited by DaveMatthewsBand; 01-25-2019 at 01:56 PM.
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


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