Yet another battery thread

[buswarrior]

In conjunction with Richard's lovely synopsis...

Busnuts make expensive mistakes on their initial ideas of what they need in the way of capacity, their consumption, their re-charge capabilities, choice of equipment...

And, have to start again, if they have any money left...

Few brag online about their mistakes, so the reporting is badly biased. In fact, electrical errors, being as expensive as they are, will figure prominently in project abandonment.

It is imparative for project survival, for the encouragement of the busnut community, that newbies are not stampeded into thinking they have to drop thousands of dollars on a battery set, when hundreds will do just fine to get them started, financially and culturally, to this whole busnut hobby thing.

This phenomonen of insecurity, ever more deeply embedded, where everyone has to join "my team" or else they are an idiot, isn't good for the uniqueness of bus conversion construction, never mind life in general...

Fair and balanced is what readers need.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[luvrbus]

You might not cycle your RV batteries 5,000 times, but you will probably cycle them more than the 300 cycles that FLAs will get you.   And FLAs degrade sharply just sitting around.   

If you aren't going to use your batteries for a fridge, microwave or AC and you aren't going to cycle them deeply, or discharge them fast, FLAs will work.   But as soon as you start really using batteries for what they were meant for, all bets are off.

Golf cart batteries are good for more than 300 cycles you even posted 750 cycles now it is 300  WTH

[Jim Blackwood]

What also enters into this unbiased reporting is that once someone has spent thousands of dollars for the latest greatest thing, there is a natural tendency to claim that it is wonderful, whether it really is or not. We see this with batteries, power handling equipment, with air conditioning, maybe even with tires. It's hard to recognize when you might have made an expensive mistake and even harder to admit it. But that's the kind of honesty that would really help us all out.

Jim

[luvrbus]

What also enters into this unbiased reporting is that once someone has spent thousands of dollars for the latest greatest thing, there is a natural tendency to claim that it is wonderful, whether it really is or not. We see this with batteries, power handling equipment, with air conditioning, maybe even with tires. It's hard to recognize when you might have made an expensive mistake and even harder to admit it. But that's the kind of honesty that would really help us all out.

Jim

So true I recall buying my 1st big screen plasma tv a must have I paid over 12 grand now you buy a better and larger tv at Walmart for $700.00

[someguy]

Golf cart batteries are good for more than 300 cycles you even posted 750 cycles now it is 300  WTH

I provided a link for a seller of GC batteries used in golf carts.  In that application they get about 300 cycles.  I believe that to be akin of inverter duty in an RV if you are running a fridge, microwave, AC, etc.

The 750 cycles is what the manufacturers claim and that is probably based on about 30% DOD.  It isn't based on 50% DOD.

I don't care what you believe or don't believe.   I'm just trying to share some information to counteract the FUD that goes on in these forums.

[someguy]

What also enters into this unbiased reporting is that once someone has spent thousands of dollars for the latest greatest thing, there is a natural tendency to claim that it is wonderful, whether it really is or not.

So show us a better source of FLA and lithium battery information then.

[luvrbus]

I provided a link for a seller of GC batteries used in golf carts.  In that application they get about 300 cycles.  I believe that to be akin of inverter duty in an RV if you are running a fridge, microwave, AC, etc.

The 750 cycles is what the manufacturers claim and that is probably based on about 30% DOD.  It isn't based on 50% DOD.

I don't care what you believe or don't believe.   I'm just trying to share some information to counteract the FUD that goes on in these forums.

I will hand to you spending a lot of time on Google and Utube to try and prove your point

[Jim Blackwood]

So show us a better source of FLA and lithium battery information then.

What Me? I never claimed to be a battery expert. Best I could do is give you an opinion. Which you probably wouldn't like anyway.

But there's still and always will be a lot to be said for following the well traveled path. Yes, a side trail may be more profitable sometimes. And sometimes not. It usually depends on how observant you are. Some of us just really don't want to put out that kind of effort. In which case we'll just wait until the side trail is more well developed.

Jim

[luvrbus]

I have noticed on the newer rv's and bus conversions with the LifePo4 system is a total different system there is no boost switch from the LifePo4 to the starting system to tie the systems together and a decal telling you not to jump from the LifePo4.  ? for me is why not, is the voltage to high or what else is it going on there.I have been told by several battery out fits the LifePo4 cannot be used for starting batteries but was never told why and maybe someone here knows or can me give a educated guess

[Fred Mc]

Everything you want or need to know about solar/lithium can be found on this forum. https://diysolarforum.com/
There are plenty of VERY knowlegible people who are VERY helpful. They even tolerate the odd dumb question from time to time.
Additionally they have a separate section for RVs.
The person who runs the forum,Will Prowse, has many(hundreds??) of utube videos where he tests different batteries, shows you how to build you own and tests other solar equipment. He also illustrates different setups depending on what you want to do.In addition he gives costs and links to purchase whats in his setups..He doesn't sell anything himself(other than his books)And, I find him
quite entertaining.

[someguy]

Additionally they have a separate section for RVs.
The person who runs the forum,Will Prowse, has many(hundreds??) of utube videos where he tests different batteries, shows you how to build you own and tests other solar equipment. He also illustrates different setups depending on what you want to do.In addition he gives costs and links to purchase whats in his setups..He doesn't sell anything himself(other than his books)

If you actually watched the links I provided, you'd see that I linked some of his videos.  And who else is active on that forum ?   Morton, who provided the test data, using... the same equipment that Will uses !  Oh, but Will has links on his YouTube channel for batteries that he endorses.  So his data must be biased. /s

SMH.

[someguy]

I have been told by several battery out fits the LifePo4 cannot be used for starting batteries but was never told why and maybe someone here knows or can me give a educated guess

LifePO4 batteries are now used for starting most dirt bikes.  Most people replace the FLA stock batteries with LifePO4.

[Utahclaimjumper]

Bang for the buck starts here,,I RV extensively all over the country,, for 26 years and 2 motorhomes,,(one converted bus and one conventional DP RV.)..  The entire period of travel,,using an inverter and a residential fridg.,, and propane for heat plus about half my cooking I have averaged 6 years per battery bank of 4 GC2 6 volts..  The last bank I purchased was 9 months ago came to $500.00!! and had been used reliably for 6.5 years... NOT BAD FOR THE COST OF $83.0 PER YEAR.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

LifePO4 batteries are now used for starting most dirt bikes.  Most people replace the FLA stock batteries with LifePO4.

Dirt bikes a 10 amp battery will start,500 to 600 amps to start a bus is a lot of difference there.anyways it's a mute point I got my answer from a LifePo4 manufacture

[epretot]

If you actually watched the links I provided, you'd see that I linked some of his videos.  And who else is active on that forum ?   Morton, who provided the test data, using... the same equipment that Will uses !  Oh, but Will has links on his YouTube channel for batteries that he endorses.  So his data must be biased. /s

SMH.

I like many are in the Kindergarten phase of understanding these systems.

I can watch all of the videos on the internet and it means nothing to me if I have no foundation.

Now, I need to get a better understanding.