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Old 11-28-2022, 09:00 AM   #1
Flashracer
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Lithium batteries in Montana

Who has done this? I have a 2022 Montana 3121RL and just want a good battery to last. I do not boondock? Will lithium batteries work with factory setup?
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Old 11-28-2022, 10:47 AM   #2
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Henry,

Lithium with an internal BMS like Battleborn is pretty much plug and play. You would just need to change your converter settings. If you do not boondock you may want to look at the cost benefit before buying one. You can typically get 5-7 years from lead acid batteries at 20% of the cost.
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Old 11-28-2022, 12:53 PM   #3
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Flash,
Even though you don’t boondock, we don’t plan to either, if you find yourself in a park and all the power goes out you might find having lithium batterie(s) to be helpful. Yes they are more expensive but there are benifits in a pinch.
Lead acid batteries should only be drained to about 50% of capacity before damage is done whereas lithium can be drained down to 10%.
We have had 2 instances in a year and a half where park power was lost.
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Old 11-29-2022, 11:39 AM   #4
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I have done the conversion on My 2021 394 RL It was super easy 1)Set converter switch to Lit . if you have factory solar then # 2) set JABONI SOLAR PANEL 30A CHARGE CONTROLLER REMOTE to Lit 3) install your lithium batteries , The best lithium Batteries are Battle Born however there are a lot of other manufactures and the price has dropped considerably
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Old 11-29-2022, 02:12 PM   #5
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We have installed 6 Relion 100ah LIFPO4 batteries a year ago, we plan on boondocking. They have performed well so far and have battery management internal to them. They have good cold weather ratings. As previously mentioned, you must change your converter to Lithium setting so the charging algorithm is acceptable for the lithium battery chemistry. It will not damage the battery if you don't, but will not completely charge the new battery. The upside is wet batteries can only be discharged 50% whereas lithium can discharge to 10% capacity safely. You get a lot of extra battery for the space and money.
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Old 11-29-2022, 03:26 PM   #6
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We added 2 batteries at the Rally this year. Why? We were tired of traveling all day with a residential frig only to find we were short of power to unhook once we arrived. By attending a Lippert training school while at the Rally I learned that my truck can’t equal the drain the frig draws on the battery. We bought the device that sends the battery info to an app on the phone and we’re beyond delighted to find our batteries were at 86% on our trip from the Rally to upstate New York. For us it was worth the cost for the peace of mind while traveling.
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Old 11-29-2022, 03:26 PM   #7
Daryles
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If you don't boondock, it's not worth the extra expense.
Your converter probably has a FLA to Lithium switch.
The ONLY drawback to lithium is they do NOT like to be charged in below freezing temperatures.
It will GREATLY shorten their life.
I have 552Ah of lithium batteries. I made my own battery heater for them (holding tank heating pads) for when we do boondock in cold weather.
If we are on shore power I have a 120vac plug in battery heater stretched out edgeways along the front of the battery compartment floor. It keeps that compartment warm in below freezing temperatures.

Since you dont boondock, I would get a pair of good FLA or AGM batteries. You can charge them anytime.
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Old 12-04-2022, 01:12 PM   #8
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Only negitive I see other than price is the batteries will stop charging if below 32 degrees and shutdown under 20 degrees. If you are always warm no issue. You can get a big agm for about $300. Giving you 210 amps which half is usable.
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Old 12-04-2022, 01:23 PM   #9
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Battle Born batteries or the new Dragonfly (parent company of Battle Born) batteries being installed at the factory from Keystone have integrated heat that allows them to take a charge below -4F and Battle Born’s have 100% depth of discharge or you can drain them to 0% without harm.
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Old 12-04-2022, 07:52 PM   #10
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I have 3 Interstate SRM 24 FLA Deep Cycle batteries that easily last 24 hours boondocking. I also carry a WEN 56380i 3800-Watt generator. Besides normal loads of house lights, water pump and furnace use, I also have a portable 40 qt. freezer in baggage compartment. Whenever battery voltage drops to 12.1 volts I start the generator and recharge them.
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Old 12-05-2022, 06:29 AM   #11
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There is a new lithium battery that is designed to be charged below freezing: Volthium. It is self heating. Dealer said you can also display the status on your phone by Bluetooth. Pricey about $2000 cdn for a 200ah but exactly what I was waiting for. A must for cdn RVer.
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Old 12-05-2022, 07:26 AM   #12
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To my way of thinking the cost difference is about $540.00 for all the advantages of Lithium. 200A usable wet will cost about $1200.00 for 4 good batteries, 2 Battleborn's are $1740.00, difference of $540.00.
For us cold is not an issue, we very seldom cant use the heat pump and really only use the batteries to run the frig for several hours while we are packing out for a trip, but the satisfaction of knowing I don't have to replace them every few years or worry about them is big for me.
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Old 12-05-2022, 12:32 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flashracer View Post
Who has done this? I have a 2022 Montana 3121RL and just want a good battery to last. I do not boondock? Will lithium batteries work with factory setup?
Thanks
I guess I'm not sure what you mean by "want a good battery to last". Do you mean you want the battery to have a longer lifetime? More years? Or do you mean you want a batter that has more power to keep going longer without a charge? There are different answers for these.
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Old 12-06-2022, 10:02 AM   #14
Paul M
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Batteries

I have a 2020 3121 with residential frig, I installed 2 200 amp hr sok lithium with built in heaters. I do a lot of overnights at harvest host and can go 20plus hours with just the frig. Just changed converter switch to lithium. Est. Cost around $1000.
You can’t drain a wet battery to 0%,but you can lithium, if you have to, and not damage it,you get twice the amp hrs. If needed,
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Old 12-06-2022, 01:25 PM   #15
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Henry, you got a lot of good information from the responders. We have had conventional batters, 6v golf cart batteries and now lithium. There are a number of advantages to lithium batteries. First, the lithium batteries maintain 12v until they are discharged. Our electronics don’t like less than 12v. Second, lithiums charge faster than lead acid or AGM. This summer we will be in Teklanika campground in Alaska. Generators are only allowed 4 hours per day. Third, weight per amp is significantly less. The comparable “usable” battery size is significantly smaller. When we didn’t boondock and lived back east (with an RV fridge) we got along fine. But, we didn’t run inverters. A fourth advantage (can only speak to Battleborn) is the impact of discharge in cold weather. We took our last Montana in for service during the winter. The dealer moved it to a storage spot until service. In that time, our four 6v batteries discharged, froze and cracked. RV dealer took no responsibility. Battleborn EMS automatically shuts down before damaging the battery. I am sure others are the same. Just my $.02 worth. Best of luck.
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Old 12-09-2022, 09:48 AM   #16
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I have a 2021 3761Fl and would like to consider switch to a lithium battery. I dont' know whether my converter will work, I have seen posts about switching the converter to lithium mode but don't know hot to do that either. Please help.
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Old 12-09-2022, 11:44 AM   #17
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I'm fairly certain that you have a Progressive Dynamic's power center which has lithium capabilities.

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Converte...saAjXqEALw_wcB
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Old 12-09-2022, 12:59 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TripleP View Post
I have a 2021 3761Fl and would like to consider switch to a lithium battery. I dont' know whether my converter will work, I have seen posts about switching the converter to lithium mode but don't know hot to do that either. Please help.
Ok, open your circuit breaker panel.
You will find a white tag with your converter model number on it. Example PD4575K18LS8 (mine).

Look up your model here (download the manual)

https://www.progressivedyn.com/power-converters-2/

It will tell you if it is lithium ready (comes with a FLA/ Lithium switch).

NOT the end of the world if it doesn't have a lithium switch.
I changed over to lithium batteries 3 years ago. I kept my original converter (not lithium ready).
That's ok. It gets it to about 90% State of Charge (soc). I use the Charge Wizard mode button to boost it before going boondocking. I also have 400W solar panels with my Victron 100/30 MPPT set to lithium mode. This gets me to 100% SoC.

Here's some good reading regarding lithium batteries.

How to find happiness with lithium batteries
https://www.solacity.com/how-to-keep...tteries-happy/
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Old 01-25-2023, 03:56 AM   #19
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Generator and Battery install

I am looking to put in a generator and lithium batteries in my Montana. Does anyone have a reliable person/place in Central Florida they could recommend?
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Old 01-25-2023, 05:32 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Joint Venture II View Post
I have 3 Interstate SRM 24 FLA Deep Cycle batteries that easily last 24 hours boondocking. I also carry a WEN 56380i 3800-Watt generator. Besides normal loads of house lights, water pump and furnace use, I also have a portable 40 qt. freezer in baggage compartment. Whenever battery voltage drops to 12.1 volts I start the generator and recharge them.
Well I have to correct some information I put in a previous post, After arriving in Arizona and finding night time temps to be colder then expected I find my 3 batteries can not keep up to the furnace load at night just to maintain 65* temps inside the trailer. Even with the freezer unplugged from 12V power, running the generator to 10PM I find my batteries are at 11.4V at 6AM in the morning. Needless to say, I am destroying the FLA batteries in short order. Bit the bullet and bought a 270amp Lithium battery and a 30amp Lithium charger to replace factory charger. Before the need to run the furnace at night my 3 Interstate batteries did a great job but cold weather is just too much load for them.
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