BattleBorn LiFePO4 Upgrade

[01tundra]

This is a small and simple system because that's how we camp, we typically only average around 10Ah of energy usage per 24 hrs when dry camping since we are typically outside most of the time. We really only use a few lights, USB charging, water pump and the little bit of power for the fridge on propane and the LP detector. I've installed switches for the stereo standby mode, refrigerator door heater, etc. so we have total control over everything in the trailer, our resting (parasitic) amp draw is zero with everything turned off, although the only time the LP detector is off is during transit (propane tanks are always turned off while traveling), so with the detector on our parasitic draw is 0.1A per our Victron BMV-712.

I installed two 100Ah batteries in a rear storage cabinet right next to the converter to minimize charge wire length. All power wiring between the batteries and shunt/rear power post are 1/0 Copper. The 12V positive/negative wires serving the converter originate from the factory negative bus and Blue Sea power post located behind the converter. I used 1/0 to connect the factory negative bus to the chassis. The 1/0 is attached to the factory bus bar with large screw-on lugs. I used short (approx. 16") parallel 6AWG +/- cables to connect to the fuse block terminals. This was the largest wire that I could cleanly route through the fuse panel area. I backfed the trailer with the factory 8AWG charge wire from the power post with a dedicated 40A Blue Sea breaker. I reused the factory front battery isolation switch as a terminal post on one side for powering the tongue jack, break-away controller and TPMS booster. The former front battery box now serves as a great place to store levelers and wheel chocks.

The factory WFCO 55A converter was replaced with a PD4655L Wildkat converter, which allowed me to reuse the factory breaker/fuse panel. When set in Li mode the converter charges at a constant 14.6V. I typically keep the batteries charged to 90% SOC and disconnected via a Blue Sea 300A master disconnect switch while connected to shore power at home or at campsites with hook-ups. I only turn the batteries on during transit to power the emergency break-away brake controller. If we are going to dry camp I charge the batteries to 100% SOC prior to leaving home, which takes maybe 15 minutes. It's typically recommended to not keep the batteries stored at 100% SOC if they're not going to be used for a while. It's also not recommended to keep a bulk charge on the batteries for more than 2-3 weeks. It's OK to keep a float charge of 13.6V max on them, but this converter doesn't have that mode while in Li mode and it's not really needed. I could run it in normal mode and force it into float mode via the remote pendant, but that's too much trouble with no real benefit for us. WFCO does now make a Li charger that has bulk and float modes and Progressive stated that they have one in the works, but I see no real need for it personally. When initially charging the converter pushes a full 55 amps into the batteries and slowly tapers to almost 0 amps once the batteries reach 14.6V.

I also installed a disconnect switch up front that controls whether I allow the truck to charge the batteries or not via the alternator. Since the resting voltage for the batteries is 13.4V at 100% SOC, I don't want the truck drawing the trailer batteries down. We don't do trips with multiple dry camping locations and long drives between and there's zero amp draw on our batteries while in transit, there's no real need for a DC-DC charger.

For solar we have a homemade suitcase with the two 100W Renogy Eclipse panels wired in series. We use a Victron MPPT SolarSmart 75/15 controller that's mounted inside the front pass-thru. I mounted the controller up front because we used to have two Trojan T-105's on the tongue. When the batteries were up front I ran a dedicated 1/0 Copper cable between the batteries and converter in the back of the trailer, so when I relocated the new batteries to the rear I repurposed the 1/0 as the connection between the solar controller and batteries. Since we use the factory SAE solar plug on the front side of the trailer everything works out good, I did rewire between the SAE plug and controller with 10AWG wire. This solar system is relatively small for two 100Ah batteries, but since we have no plans to ever run an inverter and want to stay with a suitcase style solar system it all works out for us. Plus recharging 10-15Ah with LiFePO4 is pretty fast with decent sun. I think with our use we can leave our generator at home now when we do 10 day dry camping trips, which is the ultimate goal for Fall/Winter/Early Spring camping.

So this isn't an ideal system for folks who are heavy energy users, but it should be very solid for our use.

[TitanMike]

Looks good. Essentially the same system I have with the exceptions of actual equipment.

I use more power than what you stated, daily average around 35 amp hours and I have found my solar suitcase which is only rated fro 160 watts (wired in series and connected to the same Victron MPPT controller) keeps up nicely on sunny days. Even does fairly well on overcast days unless it's one of those famous Northwest days where it's raining and you almost need headlights to drive.

I can't see leaving the generator home yet as I do like to have it for the A/C if only to cool down the TT just before bedtime if it was a warm day.

Again, nice setup.

[01tundra]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Looks good. Essentially the same system I have with the exceptions of actual equipment.

I use more power than what you stated, daily average around 35 amp hours and I have found my solar suitcase which is only rated fro 160 watts (wired in series and connected to the same Victron MPPT controller) keeps up nicely on sunny days. Even does fairly well on overcast days unless it's one of those famous Northwest days where it's raining and you almost need headlights to drive.

I can't see leaving the generator home yet as I do like to have it for the A/C if only to cool down the TT just before bedtime if it was a warm day.

Again, nice setup.

I meant to thank you for the battery tray link that I ran across on one of your posts.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by 01tundra

I meant to thank you for the battery tray link that I ran across on one of your posts.

You're more than welcome. I've picked up more than a few items that others have shared links to. That's what this forum is all about.

[rk06382]

Nice setup.

[01tundra]

Ended up running 4 AWG +/- from one of our truck's batteries back to an Anderson power plug mounted on the receiver hitch. Installed a Victron Orion 12/12-18 DC-DC charger up front in the pass thru next to the water heater and used the 1/0 solar circuit that goes directly back to the batteries for the charger output.

After hooking it up I was getting way more than the specified 280W max (was actually getting 346W), so I had to go back and upgrade both the 25A circuit breakers....

The charger is controlled with a manual battery switch up front.

[01tundra]

Also parted out our 100W Renogy solar suitcase and built a 200W suitcase with two Renogy Eclipse 100W panels wired in series.

[TitanMike]

Looks great.

One question though. Do you have any protection on the Positive wire from the battery to the connector at the hitch. Important to have a fuse or circuit breaker in that line close to the battery just in case that wire gets shorted for any reason (like in an accident, etc).

On the fuse vs circuit breaker under the hood on a line like this, I started with a circuit breaker at first. Then re-learned an old lesson. Circuit breakers have to be de-rated for heat. I pulled the breaker out and installed a large ANL type fuse. For my needs a 50 amp was just right. I went with the ANL type fuse because just about every auto parts store in the nation stocks them. Real popular with the ear damaging auto stereo crowd.

[01tundra]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Looks great.

One question though. Do you have any protection on the Positive wire from the battery to the connector at the hitch. Important to have a fuse or circuit breaker in that line close to the battery just in case that wire gets shorted for any reason (like in an accident, etc).

On the fuse vs circuit breaker under the hood on a line like this, I started with a circuit breaker at first. Then re-learned an old lesson. Circuit breakers have to be de-rated for heat. I pulled the breaker out and installed a large ANL type fuse. For my needs a 50 amp was just right. I went with the ANL type fuse because just about every auto parts store in the nation stocks them. Real popular with the ear damaging auto stereo crowd.

In the first picture you’ll see a red cover, that’s a Blue Sea battery post fuse (40A).

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by 01tundra

In the first picture you’ll see a red cover, that’s a Blue Sea battery post fuse (40A).

Thanks, missed that.