Lithium Starting Battery With 210 Amp Alternator

[DonTom]

it was supposed to be a quote.

I actually worked with a couple of companies in Michigan that were rebuilders.

Almost all were designed for continuous duty.

Now with the chinese copies....who knows.

Do you have any opinion on how the Li-Bim works, which is 15 minutes on and 20 minutes off and back to 15 min on and 20 min off and keeps on repeating?

I figure the charge will be around the same, perhaps a little more than double the charge rate (>60 amps?) for less than half the time compared to a 30-amp DC2DCC on full time. But does that mean the heat in the alternator will be around the same too after several hours of running at its 40% duty cycle?

In reality, will probably not be an issue as I will probably always be near full charge anyway before driving off, from genny, solar or shore AC power.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Do you have any opinion on how the Li-Bim works, which is 15 minutes on and 20 minutes off and back to 15 min on and 20 min off and keeps on repeating?

I figure the charge will be around the same, perhaps a little more than double the charge rate (>60 amps?) for less than half the time compared to a 30-amp DC2DCC on full time. But does that mean the heat in the alternator will be around the same too after several hours of running at its 40% duty cycle?

In reality, will probably not be an issue as I will probably always be near full charge anyway before driving off, from genny, solar or shore AC power.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I have no need for Li-bim as I am not running lithium batteries.

However I do know a bit about alternators.

I imagine you could construct a spreadsheet to monitor the temp of your alternator, however it would be kind of moot because alternators are designed to run at 100 percent output ie: jump start with dead battery.

I have been in this business for 30+ years and have never seen an alternator fail due to bearing overheat failure.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

For use as a starter battery, if that's all it's used for, why bother with the expense and other issues of using a lithium battery, other than maybe the weight difference?

 

[DonTom]

why bother with the expense and other issues of using a lithium battery, other than maybe the weight difference?

The weight difference is a nice one by itself in my Class A. The battery is difficult to get out, will not fit out the hood opening and must be lowered to the ground to be removed. But there are a few other advantages too, such as lasting up to eight times longer than flooded lead acid.

But I decided to go with AGM, as there are also several disadvantages of LI starter batteries and some of them are not all that clear, such as the max alternator size, cold weather starting, etc. AGM is at least well proven to work well as starter batteries, not so much with Lifepo4.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Will 14.?V be the new norm as apposed to 12V...

42V has been right around the corner for decades. Higher efficiency, greater power, smaller wires. Just have to overcome a century of product entrenchment.

It will likely take LA becoming more expensive per unit than Li to force change than any performance advantage. Right now LA works well enough. No driving reason to change. Perhaps creating a "lifetime" SLI could push OEM's in that direction. As a retrofit Li solves no problems.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

But I decided to go with AGM

Sounds like a good decision. I have the original AGM battery that came in my 2017 Kia Sorento, with 87K miles on it and still going strong.

I know what you mean about the heavy lifting of the batteries. In my first motorhome, a 2000 Tiffin, I bought a new starter battery, not because the one in the RV was shot, but because the new battery had a carry strap and the old one didn't. On that rig, I stored it off-site, and I would remove the battery every winter. I always thought I'd drop the old battery on the grill work and smash it to pieces, reaching over and into the battery tray.

 

[DonTom]

but because the new battery had a carry strap and the old one didn't.

I had the same issue in my Class A. But the battery had the inserts for the battery straps that we can buy on Amazon.

And even if no such place for a strap, you can still get other types such as:

-Don- Reno, NV