Prime deals on Battleborn and Renogy suitcase solar

[SeaDawg]

Amazon Prime specials on a couple items frequently discussed here:

Battleborn 100 ah 12v battery is $719.

Renogy 200 watt suitcase solar (36 pounds) is $298, so about $1.50 a watt. 

 

 

 

[Frank C]

What brave Oliver owner wants to be the first to try this brand of Lithium ion battery?   On Amazon for $319, less than half the price of comparable 100Ah BattleBorn.   Surprisingly it has very good reviews.  
LiTime 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery Built-in 100A BMS, Up to 15000 Cycles, Perfect for RV, Marine, Home Energy Storage https://a.co/d/eK940j3

 

[SeaDawg]

LiTime is a new name for AmpereTime. 

You can take a look at W8ll Prowse's review, and teardown,  here, from two years ago:

 

[Frank C]

22 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

LiTime is a new name for AmpereTime. 

You can take a look at Eill Prowse's review, and teardown,  here, from two years ago:

 

His teardown technique is a little crude 😂.   But he does point out a big missing feature.  No low temp charging cutoff.   And looking at the Amazon comments, it looks like that still hasn’t been addressed with the name change. 

[SeaDawg]

Yes, it looks a bit crude, but he did remark on the strength of the case, which in other teardown hasn't been so good. Kind of irrelevant,  since case looks different,  two year later.

Since we often camp in cool weather, and sometimes into below freezing temps, wouldn't probably work for us. Unless, we monitored (yet another thing!) carefully, and disconnected from charging below freezing.

Price is great. For folks who don't camp in cooler temps, might be ok. Idk.

I really respect Will's opinions.

I'm surprised,  actually,  that they haven't added a low temp cutoff.

[NCeagle]

I have had a pair of the AmpereTime 100Ah batteries for over a year now and I've used them for "extra" battery capacity.  I do not use them inside of my Ollie, but I do put them outside and use them with a DC to DC charger that's installed inside to add time/life to my on-board lithium batteries - especially boon docking at night during quiet times when I want to run my A/C without the generator.  I also use one of them in my small bass fishing boat to run my trolling motor.  So much better than the heavier AGMs!   The BMS seems to be working well as I've drained them to 0% quite often - no problem charging them back up to 100% and using them again so far.  It's only been a year - and in lithium battery life that's not much but so far so good.  But...in my opinion - not sophisticated or time tested enough to put in my Ollie battery tray.

[CRM]

2 hours ago, Frank C said:

His teardown technique is a little crude 😂.   But he does point out a big missing feature.  No low temp charging cutoff.   And looking at the Amazon comments, it looks like that still hasn’t been addressed with the name change. 

The lack of a low temp charging cutoff wouldn't deter me from buying this battery. That problem can be easily solved by insulating the battery box, adding a heating mat underneath, or adding a low temp cutoff circuit to your charge controller (if that feature is available). Even if a battery has low temp cutoff built in I'd still have a heating mat under it and insulate the box if I lived or camped in cold weather environments. 

[Frank C]

So the off brand 12v 100Ah Lithium batteries on Amazon just keep getting cheaper and cheaper ($299.99 in first link below) while BattleBorn’s price is still at a premium ($925 on the BattleBorn website).   Or an off brand 12v 220Ah on Amazon for only $549.99!  In a metal case enclosure even!  (Second link below).   No low temp charging cutoff on either of these but still a heck of a deal, since we don’t do any of our camping in sub freezing temperatures.

Getting really tempting as I’ll likely be replacing my 4 year old lead acid wet cell battery setup in our Ollie in the near future, but I still have major concerns about the quality of those off brands.  I’ve had work experience over the years dealing with Li batteries in medical products, and the quality of the individual cell manufacturing and the design & quality of the overall pack assembly is crucial to safety and performance.  I don’t trust all the off brands that keep popping up, but wow, those prices are getting incredibly low. 
Timeusb 12V 100Ah Pro LiFePO4 Battery, Grade A Battery Cells, Compact Lithium Battery, Built-in 100A BMS,10-Year Lifetime, Perfect for RVs, Solar Home System, and Off-grid Applications https://a.co/d/1uDVBj8

Timeusb 12V 220Ah Lithium Battery, Built-in 150A BMS, Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery with Max 2816Wh Energy & 1920W Power Output, RV Battery, Perfect for RV, Camper Van, Travel Trailer, Caravan etc https://a.co/d/hx5sxCe

[MAX Burner]

Looks like the 410AHr option would fit nicely in the battery compartment...  $1600/helluva deal

[SeaDawg]

Some batteries are built for light duty/stationary, others are built for the rigors of trailer travel.

I'd look at a bunch of reviews, and  maybe talk to owners via email, before I'd put "really cheap" lithium in my trailer.

Could just be my hinky self, but I think  it's usually the cheap batteries that catch fire.  

I'll add that I have zero experience with any of the rv lithium batteries.  My experience is with Tesla powerwall, for my home. I'm still running agm (trailer), fla (boat).

[NCeagle]

I mentioned in this thread that I use some of the off-brand cheaper lithiums for things other than the main battery compartment in our Ollie.  I have found that most of these "compact" off brand lithiums use pouch cell technology rather than using metal casing for the cells.  Pouch cells are great/ok if the battery manufacturer takes special precautions during design / engineering.  Long story short, the pouches are prone to expansion from outgassing, and other external factors (temp, humidity, etc.) can affect their longevity more so than the encased cells.  All of this must be accounted for during battery design.  I don't trust that these Chinese battery manufacturers actually know or care about the risk mitigation required for certain types of lithium cells.  

[MAX Burner]

On 7/14/2023 at 3:02 PM, SeaDawg said:

I'd look at a bunch of reviews, and  maybe talk to owners via email, before I'd put "really cheap" lithium in my trailer.

@SeaDawg:  Excellent point, brother!  

The last thing any of us FG egg owners (FGEOs?) would want to experience is making way down an out-of-the-way washboarded road and turn to our better half and say, "Honey, did you hear an explosion back there?" while you gaze in the rear view and see that your hauling a giant burning marshmallow!

Just say'n...

[Mike and Carol]

11 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

@SeaDawg:  Excellent point, brother!  …sister.

 

[SeaDawg]

@MAX Burner, humor aside, pouch cells are not a good choice, imo, for travel trailers, as @NCeagle said. 

I really don't know their current case or cell structure,  but, I always tend to avoid the "least expensive" alternatives, unless I can truly drill down on the configuration. 

We invested a bunch in the best travel trailer, imo. I'm going to keep that right.

I will always be on the lookout for a great price on a proven product.  I think everyone here knows I'm a careful shopper. 

But ,as our daughter's boyfriend once said, he knows we'll "spend up" for the quality. 

It won't be pouch cells, if we ever decide to go with lithium. It will likely be battleborn.

Like you, I don't want to look back in the mirror,  and see my travel home looking like a burnt campfire marshmallow.

Pouch cells are fine, for many uses.  Imo, I don't want them in my trailer.

[MAX Burner]

10 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Pouch cells are fine, for many uses.  Imo, I don't want them in my trailer.

Well said, @SeaDawg!  We'll stick with BBs...

[SeaDawg]

Will did more testing and teardown on LiTime batteries, including the new 100 amp mini for under $300. Again, no low temp sensor, and pouch cells, but some other impressive components.

 

[Ronbrink]

20 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Will did more testing and teardown on LiTime batteries, including the new 100 amp mini for under $300. Again, no low temp sensor, and much cells, but some other impressive components.

I’ve been very pleased with my LiTimes: the 100Ah ‘mini’ in a potable power station, two 230Ah in the Oliver’s battery bank; each installed with a Victron temperature sensor for good measure, as well as Victron SmartShunts. Also installed a Victron monitor in the power station. A weight loss of ~150 lbs. by switching out the four 6V Trojan T-105s and double the available amp hours, what’s not to like?