Lithium batteries

[DandD]

Lithium batteries?  During winterizing the Oliver, should you be charging with 120 volts, not charging or disconnect batteries??

Thanks

[Rivernerd]

Which lithium batteries do you have?  Lithionics installed by Oliver?

If so, see this Storage Procedure published by Lithionics:

Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7-1.pdf

If you have the Lithium Platinum Package, this procedure applies directly to you. 

If you have the Lithium Pro Package, Oliver installed an external heating pad under the batteries, controlled by a red switch on top of the 3-battery bank.  You can connect shore power, leave the red switch "on," and walk away for up to 3 months.  The external heater will keep the batteries charged and protected from below-freezing temps, using 12V battery power.  The batteries are recharged over that time by the Xantrex Inverter/Charger using shore power.

After 3 months, Lithionics recommends discharging, then recharging the batteries, as described in the Long Term Storage paragraph of that Storage Procedure document.  Then the batteries are o.k. for another 3 months.

[rideandfly]

Here’s the BattleBorn lithium storage video:

For storage I charge the BattleBorn lithium battery to over 90% and turn the 12V system off with the battery disconnect switch. We do not have any power connected to Ollie during storage. 
 

 

[Geronimo John]

1 hour ago, rideandfly said:

Here’s the BattleBorn lithium storage video:

This is very similar to the response I got last summer for our 3 Battleborns being on top of a mountain in OK where the deep winter potential for zero degrees for a few weeks was my concern with no shore power.  They advised in my case to charge to 60% and kill ALL DC loads (Master Kill Switch yea once again!).  At even 3% for 9 months it would be down to 33% SOC worst case and winter would have been in a very distant past by then.  Good news.

[John and Debbie]

3 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

Which lithium batteries do you have?  Lithionics installed by Oliver?

If so, see this Storage Procedure published by Lithionics:

Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7-1.pdf 143.35 kB · 3 downloads

If you have the Lithium Platinum Package, this procedure applies directly to you. 

If you have the Lithium Pro Package, Oliver installed an external heating pad under the batteries, controlled by a red switch on top of the 3-battery bank.  You can connect shore power, leave the red switch "on," and walk away for up to 3 months.  The external heater will keep the batteries charged and protected from below-freezing temps, using 12V battery power.  The batteries are recharged over that time by the Xantrex Inverter/Charger using shore power.

After 3 months, Lithionics recommends discharging, then recharging the batteries, as described in the Long Term Storage paragraph of that Storage Procedure document.  Then the batteries are o.k. for another 3 months.

"After 3 months, Lithionics recommends discharging, then recharging the batteries, as described in the Long Term Storage paragraph of that Storage Procedure document.  Then the batteries are o.k. for another 3 months."

We both have the same battery package.  As I understand it, as long as I am connected to my 30 amp outlet, there's no need to do anything.  I have the battery warmer switch turned on and solar switch on also.  The first paragraph of the Lithionics directions says that "doing this will eliminate the procedures below".  Those procedures are the ones that says what to do for short term and long term storage and discharging and bringing it back up to 100% SOC.  

John 

[Donna and Jim Y.]

Good morning,  Our Olliver #998 is the same model and options as yours.  Thought I would just join into this thread as I have been having lithium battery issues too and folks here have been helping me.  My situation might help somehow.  2022 Elite II with Lithium Pro Package with the heating blankets.  After changing my Xantric to 15 amps, starting the charging process with my generator and then charging my batteries from 120v all day and all night - the batteries showed 13.7V inside on Zamp and also on my Lithionics app.  Thought I was out of the woods.

I unplugged from show power and within 3 hrs with nothing on and sitting in the dark they were down to 97% on app.  Last night down to 90% and this morning they are at 83%, 83%, 81% and about 13.2v.  The batteries are still all showing blue/on.

Not sure what the next step should be.  

[Rivernerd]

21 minutes ago, Donna and Jim Y. said:

Not sure what the next step should be.  

Is the external battery heater switch on top of the batteries still in the "On" position? If so, is your Oliver still potentially exposed to below-freezing temps?  The external battery heater system is thermostatically controlled to keep the temp of the batteries above 41 F, using 12V battery power.  When ambient temperatures drop below 41 F, the heater turns on.  That could be the source of the 12V power draw that is reducing the state of charge on your batteries. 

In this case, the solution is simple:  plug the shore power back in, and keep it plugged in until there is zero risk ambient temps where your trailer is stored will drop below freezing.  All three of your batteries should stay fully charged to 13.7V, and protected from freezing, by the constant supply of power to the batteries, and so to the external battery heater.

If your external battery heater switch is "Off," (and if so, your trailer should be stored in a temperature-controlled environment), then there must be other 12V power draws on the system.  If that is the case, report back so other solutions can be discussed.

[Donna and Jim Y.]

The battery blanket switch is on and it did get into the low 20's at night the past two days....so maybe it is just that blanket pulling down the batteries.  Once it is above freezing or 41f should I turn off the switch then or let the thermostat turn it off?

 

[John and Debbie]

4 minutes ago, Donna and Jim Y. said:

The battery blanket switch is on and it did get into the low 20's at night the past two days....so maybe it is just that blanket pulling down the batteries.  Once it is above freezing or 41f should I turn off the switch then or let the thermostat turn it off?

 

I would just leave the battery warmer switch on for a while until you're out of the cold temperatures.  It won't come on unless it's cold.  Can you just keep plugged into shore power?

John

[DandD]

Thank you so much to everyone for info!!

[molin]

If you have lithium batteries (LiFePO4), the usual recommendation for winter storage is a bit different from lead-acid batteries.

Most lithium battery manufacturers suggest storing them at about 40–60% state of charge rather than keeping them fully charged all winter.

A common approach is:

• Charge the batteries to around 50–60%
• Turn off the main battery disconnect (or disconnect the batteries)
• Avoid leaving them on a continuous 120V charger unless the charger has a proper lithium storage/float mode

Lithium batteries have very low self-discharge, so they can usually sit for several months without any problem. The main thing is to prevent parasitic loads from slowly draining them.

Also, if temperatures get very cold, it's best not to charge lithium batteries below freezing unless the battery has a built-in heating system.

Many RV owners simply disconnect the batteries and check the charge level once or twice during the winter.