Battery charging options

Anything electric, AC or DC

Battery charging options

Postby Wrecit » Thu Mar 10, 2022 3:35 pm

Doing a enclosed conversion and the dream is a full solar. Unfortunately did a full cost of conversion last night with wife and she got sticker shock lol.

My second thought for power is for now wire up the electrical sans the solar array. I want to get a 100 or 200 ah battery and wire the trailer with 12v lights, ect and get a battery charger hooked up on board that I can hook up a generator up for a few hours a day to recharge the system.

The idea is down the road seek in the solar when she if feeling more generous. I see a few hurtles to going this way but wanted to get the experts opinion with a blank slate before I gave my full thoughts to allow for all possibilities you can come up with.
You hide your conversion and call it stealth. I put mine out in the open and give it a beer.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=74635
Wrecit
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 145
Images: 0
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:40 pm

Re: Battery charging options

Postby bdosborn » Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:04 pm

A lot of people do that, you can always add solar later if you want. Just make sure you pick a charger that has at least 10% of your battery amp-hrs capacity for good battery life if you go lead acid (100 amp-hr battery=10amp charger). A battery monitor is always nice to have so you don't run your battery down too much and ruin it.
Bruce
2009 6.5'X11' TTT - Boxcar
All it takes is a speck of faith and a few kilowatts of sweat and grace.
Image
Boxcar Build
aVANger Build
User avatar
bdosborn
Donating Member
 
Posts: 5551
Images: 790
Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 11:10 pm
Location: CO, Littleton

Re: Battery charging options

Postby Wrecit » Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:14 pm

I would be looking at a lipo. So if I go 200ah a 15amp would not fly?
You hide your conversion and call it stealth. I put mine out in the open and give it a beer.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=74635
Wrecit
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 145
Images: 0
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:40 pm
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby bdosborn » Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:35 pm

Then you're only limited in size by whatever the battery manufacturer recommends and there isn't a minimum charge rate. But, you've got a lot of reading to do if you want to go lithium; there's a lot to learn and a lot of options out there.

lfhoward Lifepo4 write up

Bruce
2009 6.5'X11' TTT - Boxcar
All it takes is a speck of faith and a few kilowatts of sweat and grace.
Image
Boxcar Build
aVANger Build
User avatar
bdosborn
Donating Member
 
Posts: 5551
Images: 790
Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 11:10 pm
Location: CO, Littleton
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby mtbikernate » Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:55 pm

NOCO makes great chargers.

I've got one in my little camper. It's an older one (there are newer models out now), but it has settings for different battery chemistries and whatnot.

The way my camper is setup (very, very minimally speaking) on that end is that I have a port in the wall of the trailer for a standard 15A A/C cord.

https://no.co/gcp1

On the inside of the trailer, this plugs into a basic power strip.

Then my charger plugs into the power strip. Mine charges a 100Ah battery, which is within spec for the charger.

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-G3500-Ultra ... B004LWVEKS

The Genius 5 is the updated version of it. https://no.co/genius5

I use a Dakota Lithium battery, which has a lot of the extra stuff dealt with already, including a BMS. Yeah, I paid a little more for the battery, but I didn't really have to fuss with it much. Just make sure it doesn't slide around in the spot where I chose to mount it (it replaced a smaller AGM battery, so I had to make some adjustments to the battery containment).

Now, a couple years after upgrading my battery, I'm adding solar (I technically already have a little 40W Zamp suitcase panel that can extend my trip a little bit, and it has a controller built in, so its wiring to the battery is dead simple). The solar bits that I ordered for my setup cost me just shy of $500, which is just a bit over half the cost of the battery alone. Not bad comparatively speaking, but considering that my trailer cost me about $10k to start with, I'm easily at 10-15% of the overall cost of the trailer (more if you count the fridge that is the whole reason I have been upgrading my electrical). If your build is saving you some money on the trailer itself, then the proportion will be higher.
mtbikernate
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 122
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:59 pm
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby John61CT » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:47 pm

Do not use LiPo!

LFP (LiFePO4) is best.

LTO too but rare.

No 3.6-3.7V nominal li-ion is safe enough. Boom bad.
John61CT
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1958
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:36 pm
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby rjgimp » Fri Mar 11, 2022 12:18 am

bdosborn wrote:Then you're only limited in size by whatever the battery manufacturer recommends and there isn't a minimum charge rate. But, you've got a lot of reading to do if you want to go lithium; there's a lot to learn and a lot of options out there.

lfhoward Lifepo4 write up

Bruce


Yep, I second this wholeheartedly. As far as I am concerned, in this forum Lauren Howard is THE authority on this subject and the link Bruce offered is exactly where I would suggest you start reading. Lauren has assembled an incredible list of resources and links with even more detailed information. If Lithium is the direction you intend to go you are probably looking forward to a solid 30-40 hours worth of reading and videos to learn enough to not screw it up and end up wasting a crapload of money.

Good luck! I'll keep an eye on your build. I am about to dive into a foamie build on an old popup frame and also have ambitions of solar with a battery bank in at least the 200ah range. Not sure I'll dive into lithium but crazier things have occurred in my life. LOL!
-Rob


I hope to make it to a Procrastinators Anonymous meeting someday...
just as soon as the steering committee gets around to scheduling one!
User avatar
rjgimp
500 Club
 
Posts: 827
Images: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2019 3:59 am
Location: Saint Paul MN
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby TimC » Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:00 am

Yep, Lauren convinced this LiFePo4 reluctant member how easy and fun it is to build a 100aHr LiFePo4 bank. And now I've built two and have ordered a third, smaller pack. First and second 100 aHr packs cost less than $300 (I had wire, fuses and misc needs). Give Lauren's abbreviated thread a look...

https://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=74022
Tim
Niagara, WI
My First Benroy Teardrop Build Thread - A 5x8 Woodie - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=63575
My Second Teardrop (partial) Build Thread - Started August '16 - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=66939
#3 My son's Benroy Foamie team build - Started July '20 - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=72877

Image
User avatar
TimC
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 1421
Images: 747
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 4:15 am
Location: WI/MI border
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby Wrecit » Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:49 am

I upgraded my Prius (06) to lipo4 last year and that sold me on everything electric needs lipo lol. I will check out the links thanks
You hide your conversion and call it stealth. I put mine out in the open and give it a beer.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=74635
Wrecit
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 145
Images: 0
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:40 pm
Top

Re: Battery charging options

Postby John61CT » Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:57 am

Lipo4 is not a thing. Lipo is, as a packaging technology, not a specific chemistry, but generally uses 3.6-3.7Vnom ones - which have nothing to do with LFP.

If in doubt use LiFePO4,
John61CT
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1958
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:36 pm
Top


Return to Electrical Secrets

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests