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Posted

Conservatively, fifty or sixty per dark period.  I would find it hard to use a hundred. I'm assuming you mean while boondocking, otherwise it would not matter.

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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved dogs Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4       

 

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Posted (edited)

I'd tend to agree with Scubarx.  We use , maybe, 50 ah, overnight, when we run the furnace, and we have an all-electric, danfoss/secop fridge. Without furnace, just careful use of lights and occasional fan, and the electric fridge,, we are usually down 27 to 30 ah in the morning.  We, however, are power misers. And, I do have to be careful,  as we only have at max, 105 ah available, and try to keep useage to 50 ah overnight. We only have two 105 ah agm batteries.

630 ah could power us for a really long time... like a week to ten days, or more,, with zero solar, if we didn't have to use the furnace fan. (We don't have an inverter,  either, and all our gear is 12v ,led, or propane.)

I'd rather use solar, and less (expensive) battery power, personally.  You know you can always add additional lithium, right? As opposed to lead acid or agm, where the entire bank should ideally be of the same age?

Edited by SeaDawg

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Posted (edited)

So, the short answer, it depends. 

You need a good monitor, so you actually know how much power you use. And, you also have to know your comfort level, and conservation abilities, and desires.

If you want to run ac off battery, it's a whole other ball game. 

That is probably the target market for 630 ah lithium.

A generator is much cheaper.

Edited by SeaDawg
  • Like 1

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Posted

The main problem with a HUGE battery bank on a tiny trailer is how the heck do you recharge it? The Ollie lithium option does not even include any Tow Vehicle charging. If the sun is not shining and you are not connected to shore power or a running sizable generator, your depleted batteries will stay that way.

The whole system needs to be balanced, input and output.

John Davies

Spokane WA

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: 

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

  • Moderators
Posted

That also depends.

There are people who prefer to just depend on battery, then go marina to marina, or park to park, to recharge.

Those of us (like you and me), who depend on solar, see things very differently. 

I, too, think 340 watts is anemic for 630 ah lithium. But, I know of a guy building a mostly electric boat with 1500 ah of battery, and 300 watts solar. It depends on your goals. And everything else.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Posted

I’ve also been looking at the incremental upgrade cost on the current price sheet...turnkey when new is nice, but also wonder what two more years of lithium evolution will bring.

Solar wet cell... (EZ Start and 3000 inverter skews it a bit)

to AGM = $1200

to 390 Lithium =$5100

to 630 Lithium = $9500 

 

 

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2020 Legacy Elite II Hull 625 - 2013 Lexus LX 570

San Antonio/Boerne - Texas Hill Country

  • Moderators
Posted

Portable generator, $400 to $1500. Pick what you like.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Posted
47 minutes ago, Neuman's said:

Does the new 630 lithium option provide for charging from the tow vehicle?

I was just told it was a new battery size option. No other enhancements, other than the axle, awning, etc., for 2022 model year builds beginning Oct 2021.

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2020 Legacy Elite II Hull 625 - 2013 Lexus LX 570

San Antonio/Boerne - Texas Hill Country

Posted

It does sound nice to have all that power but like John said it is really unbalanced. Rough math says it would take around 26-30 hours to charge from zero with 340 watts.  You can only use as much energy as your panels provide or you will eventually end up empty....

 

John

John and Kim

2021 GMC Sierra 2500 AT4 6.6L Duramax 11350 GVWR  3048lb Payload

2021 Oliver Elite II.   Hull #887

Posted (edited)
On 4/2/2021 at 6:09 PM, TxTortoise said:

I was just told it was a new battery size option. No other enhancements, other than the axle, awning, etc., for 2022 model year builds beginning Oct 2021.

So true . . . . with average solar exposure, and 400w of Zamp panels, how many ah can you expect to recover with conservative amp draw during the day?  The primary factor in the equation is not how much battery capacity you have, but rather how many ah your solar panels will supply.  Unless you plan to run solely from battery with no solar; having more more available battery ah determines how long the batteries will sustain you before needing to be recharged, either by generator or shore power.

There are so many variables, especially in your electrical demands.  Initially it is helpful to keep some record; I would be nice if the system had a means to do this for you.  I want to enjoy the trip and not waste time monitoring and maintaining spreadsheets.  That is one of the things I left behind when I retired 😊

Edited by Ray and Susan Huff
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Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

Posted
20 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Portable generator, $400 to $1500. Pick what you like.

Yep -  My AGM's are good for a while.  I am pretty sure if buying new - I would still do same.

RB

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Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
ALAZARCACOFLIDMTNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAWYd56201

 

 

 

 

  • Moderators
Posted

I think it's really a tough decision for people, today, trying to complete that build sheet.

Back in 2008, we were absolutely delighted to have TWO batteries, instead of the usual one,for trailers our size,  in our Oliver. On a sliding tray, no less.

It's also easy to get caught up in the dream, and add more than you will ever want or need. And, it's hard to weigh future cost, and advances,  on new tech.

One thing is certain, everything changes.

Like BoB, we may just stay with AGM when our latest set dies. I don't know yet. Paul has this idea to build lifepo4 from cells, for the boat house bank. It will need replacement batteries before the trailer, I'm sure. We'll see what we do. That's at least a year off.

The biggest advantage for lifepo4 is weight, on the boat. And, no maintenance.  As we get older, passing 70+ pounds each of battery across the gangplank (and water) gets more difficult,  and risky. I'm much more comfortable with the 30 pounds or less weight of lithium equivalents.

The good news is, latest charger/inverters and controllers can deal with most any kind of battery chemistry.

So, we're just trying to second guess/future-proof as best as we can. Learn as we go, and keep life as simple as possible. 

 

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  • Like 1

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Posted

Just jumping in to say I'm also doing an upgrade to Lithionics GTX 315 Lithiums in May.

I"m going big and doing dual Lithionics GTX 315A Batteries.

These batteries are currently deployed into motor homes, and designed to fig in wheel wells of Winnebago's and a couple other Motorhomes.
2 Fit Perfectly in the Oliver EII battery tray.

I thought about just doing 1 (which is close to 3 battleborns) and my wife encouraged me to go big...so I decided not to argue.

I know there will be  issues with enough solar to fully charge in one day, and needing to install a DC/DC charger...I've decided to GO for It.

We will install added portable solar arrays, upgrade from the PD4060 Converter to a Xantrex XC 2000 Pro charger/inverter, and add a Victron DC/DC charger.

The thread for the upgrade is over here it you want to follow along.

I've completed design and am now ordering all the surrounding components I'll need.

 

My batteries will arrive in late April.  
By Mid May the install will be completed and I'll do a complete post.

Craig Short
Hull 505

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2019 Elite II (Hull 505 - Galway Girl - August 7, 2019 Delivery) 
Tow Vehicle: 2021 F350 King Ranch, FX4, MaxTow Package, 10 Speed, 3.55 Rear Axle
Batteries Upgrade: Dual 315GTX Lithionics Lithiums - 630AH Total
Inverter/Charger: Xantrex 2000Pro 

Travel BLOG:  https://4-ever-hitched.com

 

IMG_5421.jpeg.c1f697a00240a9bd6729b0930bd3a4aa.jpeg

Posted
On 4/2/2021 at 3:17 PM, SeaDawg said:

There are people who prefer to just depend on battery, then go marina to marina, or park to park, to recharge.

Living in the cloudy-wintered northern latitudes on the wet coast I see going with this scenario for part of my camping year. I'm hoping that  the 400ah factory lithium option on hull #709 will mostly suffice for me though I did get a generator for topping off if needed on longer winter outings. I don't want to feel compelled to top off daily though but would rather  run a reasonable daily deficit in the wet season here in the PNW.

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Jim and  Yanna, Woodinville WA

2004 Ford E250 camper conversion

Oliver Elite II hull #709

  • Moderators
Posted (edited)
34 minutes ago, Jim_Oker said:

Living in the cloudy-wintered northern latitudes on the wet coast I see going with this scenario for part of my camping year. I'm hoping that  the 400ah factory lithium option on hull #709 will mostly suffice for me though I did get a generator for topping off if needed on longer winter outings. I don't want to feel compelled to top off daily though but would rather  run a reasonable daily deficit in the wet season here in the PNW.

That's part of the beauty of lithium. Not only is it ok to run with partial state of charge, it's recommended for battery life to NOT top off to 100 per cent every day, by most manufacturers. (Totally the opposite  with lead acid.)

400 mostly usable  ah would give me days of camping, even with the electric fridge, with our habits. For you, with a three-way fridge on gas, and moderate use, much more. Solar can possibly offset some, even on cloudy days .

 

 

 

Edited by SeaDawg
  • Like 1

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

  • Moderators
Posted
2 hours ago, Galway Girl said:

my wife encouraged me to go big...so I decided not to argue.

Excellent plan, imo. 🙂

Sherry 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Posted
51 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Excellent plan, imo. 🙂

Sherry 

It's always best to do what the wife says 😇

  • Haha 1

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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