Battle-Born 100Ah LiFePO4

[Kathy & Bill]

I'm in the planning stages for a battery bank in our new Apex 265RBSS camper.  We like dry camping in federal campgrounds and want a bank that will meet our needs.  I need to do my load/usage assessment, but thinking 400ah will be good.  Planning on using the 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 Battle-Born batteries.  We know they're pricey, we plan on snow birding in a few years and are ok with the price for the longevity of the battery.

My question is; what does everyone think about having the battery bank under the bed?  I know they don't off-gas and you can put them anywhere but should you be sleeping on top of them.  Thought I would contact Battle-Born but wanted to run it by the experts here first.

All comments welcome....

 

[Utclmjmpr]

If the camper you are using is the one in your avitar,, I would be concerned with weight placement. Four batteries at the rear of that camper ( or the front) would make a leverage difference at the hitch and may make a handling problem.>>>Dan

 

[John From Detroit]

I would not put the batteries under the bed. But rather fairly far from it and make sure I have an "Exit' path that does not pass them.

THere are several dangers with batteries and although the LiFePO4 are less likely to flame on than some of the earlier LI formulations. Short circuits can still flame on the wires. and that is every bit as deadly.  I would not put batteries (ANY KIND) under the bed.

 

[Gizmo]

You should have no issues placing LiFePO4 Battle-Born batteries in the location you mentioned, they like AGM do not off-gas so ventilation is not a requirement and I know of several folks who have done just that with lithium batteries.  Utclmjmpr makes a point worth considering, however these lithium batteries are considerably lighter than their AGM or Lead acid counterparts so may not be as big a concern.  By the way we have had our LiFePO4 Battle-Born batteries in use for 9-months now and have performed brilliantly.

 

[solarman]

like AGM do not off-gas so ventilation is not a requirement

please ignore that dangerous statement.

AGM do not vent under normal use when NEW, as they age they vent during charge cycles and they require VENTING

the modern LFP cell does not vent unless abused, and i mean really abused.. severe overcharging is the main cause,
those drop in types you specify should have CYA circuitry to avoid excess charge and discharge.. this is a commercial
product and the people at battleborn should have fitted sufficient protection to cover their asses and yours. !


I have 16 LFP cells mounted internally on my rv. main reason is availability of space and also to keep them warm
when we camp in cold climates.

under the bed will be ok as long as you have the correct gauge wire and fuse on EACH battery.

 

[Kathy & Bill]

Utclmjmpr... the avitar is the Jayco we traded in, haven't taken a pic of the Coachman yet.  The Coachman is a much bigger, tandem axle trailer.

John From Detroit... the only other feasible option would be in a box behind the propane tanks. I'm not all that crazy about having them outside locked up or not.  I do understand the concerns you talked about.

Gizmo... thanks for your input.  Glad to here the Battleborns are working so well.

solarman... thanks for your input as well.  What would the correct way to fuse EACH battery?  I'm not sure what "CYA circuitry" is, I believe Battleborn stated that BMS is built into each battery.

 

[solarman]

Utclmjmpr... the avitar is the Jayco we traded in, haven't taken a pic of the Coachman yet.  The Coachman is a much bigger, tandem axle trailer.

John From Detroit... the only other feasible option would be in a box behind the propane tanks. I'm not all that crazy about having them outside locked up or not.  I do understand the concerns you talked about.

Gizmo... thanks for your input.  Glad to here the Battleborns are working so well.

solarman... thanks for your input as well.  What would the correct way to fuse EACH battery?  I'm not sure what "CYA circuitry" is, I believe Battleborn stated that BMS is built into each battery.

LOL.  CYA = cover your ass..

for fuses, I use the MRBF terminal fuse blocks from Blue Sea. good stuff and marine rated.

set the fuse amperage to blow at the 90 C wire rating.

C here btw is degrees Celsius..


for example:

you decide to have a maximum draw at 100 Amps..
you have four batteries that will current share quite well, so that's 25 amp each.
to reduce voltage loss, you might choose 50 A cable, I use welding cable as it's flexible enough and easy to handle for a lot
of the mobile work I have done.

8 AWG is rated at 40 A @ 60C and 55A at 90C
so we could fuse each battery with a 50 A fuse and combine the four leads from your batteries to one terminal and feed
your system that way. you have protected your cable from shorts and easily met the current requirements

if you do not have the tools, then have a golf or marine shop make the cables for you.

do make sure that all cables are the same length from the batteries to the distribution point, this will
help reduce current imbalance..

 

[Arch Hoagland]

solarman said

"I have 16 LFP cells mounted internally on my rv."


You have 16 batteries? 

 

[solarman]

solarman said

"I have 16 LFP cells mounted internally on my rv."


You have 16 batteries?

gosh no... I have 16 CELLS, they are CALB SE200FI lithium at 3.2 V each.. connected in series for a 48 Volt system.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

gosh no... I have 16 CELLS, they are CALB SE200FI lithium at 3.2 V each.. connected in series for a 48 Volt system.

OKAY  I googled them....they sure don't give those babies away!!

 

[Kathy & Bill]

LOL.  CYA = cover your ass..

Sometimes I can be pretty brain dead.....  lol

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

AGM do not vent under normal use when NEW, as they age they vent during charge cycles and they require VENTING

I think that is a bit of an overstatement.  All so-sealed batteries have emergency venting capability and the technical name for AGM is a "valve regulated lead acid battery".  In other words, not hermetically sealed.  So yes it can vent under severe conditions, but they are rated for use in unventilated compartments, including in passenger areas. And it's not just an advertising claim - vehicle safety regs permit AGMs to be installed in passenger compartments.