Battery question

[Fisherman]

Actually that isn't quite true on what I would do now, I would change to lifepo4 but that's me and how I use my van

With 300ah lifepo4 batteries with BMS selling for £330 it beggars belief that motorhomes are still being supplied with lead batteries. Lifepo4 should be standard now, it’s absurd that they are regarded as an upgrade, they should be the norm by now.

 

[merl]

With 300ah lifepo4 batteries with BMS selling for £330 it beggars belief that motorhomes are still being supplied with lead batteries. Lifepo4 should be standard now, it’s absurd that they are regarded as an upgrade, they should be the norm by now.

Dealers aint going to miss the opportunity to rip buyers off with over inflated prices for a lithium upgrade though Bill eh?
When we purchased a van from a dealer about 10 years ago the dealer tried his best to persuade us to have a reversing camera fitted at a discounted price of £500. He showed me the system which was the typical MH one we've all seen before with the screen that clips onto the rear view mirror. I of course declined the excellent offer and bought my own identical unit off ebay for about £20.

 

[Fisherman]

Dealers aint going to miss the opportunity to rip buyers off with over inflated prices for a lithium upgrade though Bill eh?
When we purchased a van from a dealer about 10 years ago the dealer tried his best to persuade us to have a reversing camera fitted at a discounted price of £500. He showed me the system which was the typical MH one we've all seen before with the screen that clips onto the rear view mirror. I of course declined the excellent offer and bought my own identical unit off ebay for about £20.

I was quoted £300 for reversing sensors. I bought a Dolphin set for £49, and fitted them in just over an hour. But you have to be careful what you do during the warranty period.

 

[wildebus]

I wasn't too fussed about different size or age batteries in a bank myself. For me it would depend why the capacity has gone on only one of the pair. If it's a cell fault I wouldn't want it in the van. If its a big difference I would pull the low one and see if I can do on one battery, if not add a new second.

Actually that isn't quite true on what I would do now, I would change to lifepo4 but that's me and how I use my van

Nah, don't need to CHANGE to lifepo4, but instead just ADD lifepo4 to the Lead Acid Bank

I fitted 300Ah of Lead Acid (Lead Carbon to be specific) to my Motorhome when I got it back in 2020. Now running 620Ah of Hybrid Battery goodness by bringing in 320Ah of Lithium to join the existing 300Ah of Lead

 

[maingate]

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I'm just back from a ebike ride, concerned about them catching fire I put mine in the log burner to be safe, ,or am I being overly cautious.

I think it will destroy your log burner. The heat given off is much higher than that of burning logs, coal or coke.

 

[izwozral]

My guess with virtually no information about what exactly you're going on about Ral is YES.
But.... What controller is it and why do the green lights signify?

Haven't a clue what the controller is, I can't get my head in the tight space it's in.
All I can see is a green light above a battery symbol but no green light above another battery symbol.
I'm assuming the green light shows the solar panel is giving sun juice to the battery?

 

[Robmac]

Haven't a clue what the controller is, I can't get my head in the tight space it's in.
All I can see is a green light above a battery symbol but no green light above another battery symbol.
I'm assuming the green light shows the solar panel is giving sun juice to the battery?

Stick yer 'phone in and take a picture Ral.

 

[Robmac]

I think it will destroy your log burner. The heat given off is much higher than that of burning logs, coal or coke.

If it doesn't though, I will gladly dispose of anybody's scrap Lithiums this winter.

 

[izwozral]

Stick yer 'phone in and take a picture Ral.

Tried that Rob but it is too close to the controller and comes out blurred.
I will have a go with Izzy's phone and see if that works.

 

[merl]

All I can see is a green light above a battery symbol but no green light above another battery symbol.

Sounds like leisure and starter batteries and your van isn't wired up for the starter option hence the starter light isn't illuminated. Of course adding a second leisure battery won't change anything if that's the case.

 

[YeoBlade]

I think it will destroy your log burner. The heat given off is much higher than that of burning logs, coal or coke.

Actually joking aside, I put the wrong thing in the 'Fire Safe'. Should of been the charger After 4 hrs I checked it and the battery was 1/5th charged, the battery charger ,a new one I've just bought to replace one I broke the plug on and using for the first time, the charger itself was VERY HOT! Put the original charger on it now, that I repaired, and it's charging properly again now. Just goes to show what can happen with these things.

 

[izwozral]

Sounds like leisure and starter batteries and your van isn't wired up for the starter option hence the starter light isn't illuminated. Of course adding a second leisure battery won't change anything if that's the case.

There are two leisure batteries Merl, I can't work out how they are wired though due to the cramped space. Ideally they will be wired as in the video I included in my earlier post.

 

[maingate]

Actually joking aside, I put the wrong thing in the 'Fire Safe'. Should of been the charger After 4 hrs I checked it and the battery was 1/5th charged, the battery charger ,a new one I've just bought to replace one I broke the plug on and using for the first time, the charger itself was VERY HOT! Put the original charger on it now, that I repaired, and it's charging properly again now. Just goes to show what can happen with these things.

I found out many years ago that you cannot trust a charger that is not from the original maker. It got hot then stopped working. It wasn't an especially cheap one either.

 

[merl]

There are two leisure batteries Merl, I can't work out how they are wired though due to the cramped space. Ideally they will be wired as in the video I included in my earlier post.

They almost certainly are wired in parallel and probably fine. The video made me laugh out loud when the chap claimed that only one battery was being used because that negative cable was wired to the same battery as the positive feed. What a twat.

 

[Geek]

I think it will destroy your log burner. The heat given off is much higher than that of burning logs, coal or coke.

A battery fire bad enough to destroy the log burner would probably burn the entire house down unconstrained.

 

[colinm]

I think it will destroy your log burner. The heat given off is much higher than that of burning logs, coal or coke.

Lithium-ion batteries burn at around the same temperature a wood, which is less than coal or coke.