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11-21-2020, 04:03 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Fairfield
Posts: 39
M.O.C. #27099
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Battery charging
I am waiting for the delivery date for my 3120 in December. I have it0 coming with a battle born battery. Should I replace the OEM charger that comes with the unit with something more in line with precision charging?
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11-21-2020, 05:00 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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With my 2017 rhere was a module for the stock converter for lithium batteries. If Keystone added the battery you would hope they also added the module. If the dealer is adding the battery than you need to make sure they also added the module.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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11-21-2020, 05:42 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Sequim
Posts: 527
M.O.C. #17176
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I would think if keystone is installing the battle born batteries from factory you should be ok.
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Dan & Sandy Huhn
2016 Montana 3720 2015 Chevy 3500 SWD Duro Max
Prev 2012 High Country 313RE 2012 Chevy 2500 DMax
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11-22-2020, 02:53 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Pensacola (mail forward service)
Posts: 3,198
M.O.C. #13740
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When you do the pre-delivery inspection at the selling dealer, look at the model number on the converter/circuit breaker panel to make sure it is the latest from progressive which supports the battle born batteries OR whatever vendor they are using. Check and verify, do not assume keystone did it right during assembly. Don't sign paperwork and lay out your money until you know everything works as it should...unless you wish to be in a situation where the dealer has your new camper sitting on their lot for weeks or months to fix everything.
__________________
2012 F350 6.7 L dually, 2013 3800RE with 6 pt leveling, Sumitomo 17.5" load range h tires, Samsung 18 cu ft residential fridge, 8k Morryde I.S. with disc brakes. Full timing since 2012.
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11-23-2020, 01:24 PM
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#6
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Winona Lake
Posts: 81
M.O.C. #24885
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katherine1962
I am waiting for the delivery date for my 3120 in December. I have it0 coming with a battle born battery. Should I replace the OEM charger that comes with the unit with something more in line with precision charging?
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Is your rig coming with the Super Solar Flex option or is the dealer installing the batteries?
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11-23-2020, 03:02 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: home base IL, OTR anywhere
Posts: 533
M.O.C. #19382
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles
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does your convertor charger have the Wizard Mode Button (little blue button on the circuit board)
Yes?? Push and hold it until LED goes from flashing to solid. Now you are in Boost mode for a few hours at 14.4 volts. It will reset to 13.6 by itself.
No?? Never mind.
__________________
2017 RAM 3500 Laramie CCLB Dually CTD Aisin, OEM auto level rear air-ride, B&W hitch
2020 3813MS Legacy Cobalt FBP, MORryde 8K IS & pinbox, PI EMS,DIY mods by in-house "craftsman", RV security system Mk1 Beagle Alerter
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11-23-2020, 03:56 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Alton
Posts: 2,698
M.O.C. #24086
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BiggarView
does your convertor charger have the Wizard Mode Button (little blue button on the circuit board)
Yes?? Push and hold it until LED goes from flashing to solid. Now you are in Boost mode for a few hours at 14.4 volts. It will reset to 13.6 by itself.
No?? Never mind.
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Yes, it does have the wizard mode button and I have used it while troubleshooting.
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11-23-2020, 07:19 PM
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#9
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Established Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Fairfield
Posts: 39
M.O.C. #27099
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My rig will have just the solar flex, not the super. So 1 265 watt panel and I am having
the dealer install 1 battle burn lithium battery. Will get a second a little further down the line. The solar flex supposedly comes with a jabonee mppt charge controller. I guess I need to research it.
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11-24-2020, 08:09 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Battleford
Posts: 627
M.O.C. #26690
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katherine1962
My rig will have just the solar flex, not the super. So 1 265 watt panel and I am having
the dealer install 1 battle burn lithium battery. Will get a second a little further down the line. The solar flex supposedly comes with a jabonee mppt charge controller. I guess I need to research it.
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I think you are asking the right questions, and there is lots of knowledge on this forum.
Just to make sense of what you have and what else you might research:
-you are correct, your package comes with a Jaboni 30 amp MPPT solar charge controller. But to be clear, this only manages the charging that comes from the solar panel.
-when connected to AC power (or portable generator), the charging will be handled by the built in charger/converter. With the Super Solar Flex package, this charger is optimized for lithium, as Montana is bundling the batteries with that package. However, with your Solar Flex package, the dealer is adding a lithium battery after. The important thing is that the charger you have from the factory is able to be set to lithium, and that the dealer will change the settings correctly.
-not all factory charger/convertors are made equal, and there is some good advice in earlier posts; check which model you have, and whether that is ideal to keep your lithium battery healthy. If your model is one that will not properly support lithium, then you will really want to have that upgraded. Perhaps if this needs to be done, you could negotiate with the dealer to have it upgraded at a discounted price while they are doing the battery install.
One last note; I know that Montana may still advertise that the panel is a 265 watt, but I think all models now have been updated to the 300 watt panels. You could ask the dealer to check your specific unit to make sure.
HtH!
Brad
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12-02-2020, 01:32 PM
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#11
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North Port
Posts: 271
M.O.C. #10954
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Your converter should have a DIP switch, little itty bity switch on it with a sticker outside of the converter that will pretty much say, using lithium, flip this switch. According to the video keystone put out, all 2021 Montys will have this. Our 3121 does.
See the 4 25amp fuses in Daryles picture? Right under those is where the switch is to flip the converter into lithuim battery mode.
__________________
2021 Montana 3121RL w/ Cobalt Paint
2019 F-450 w/ airbags and 25k BW Companion
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12-02-2020, 02:40 PM
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#12
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Winona Lake
Posts: 81
M.O.C. #24885
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katherine1962
My rig will have just the solar flex, not the super. So 1 265 watt panel and I am having
the dealer install 1 battle burn lithium battery. Will get a second a little further down the line. The solar flex supposedly comes with a jabonee mppt charge controller. I guess I need to research it.
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You'll have a 300w panel and a 30a mppt Jaboni controller. You'll want to change it to Lithium. Basically, hit the menu button until you see "battery type" and then the up arrow until it reads "LIT" and hit the power button to save.
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12-02-2020, 07:04 PM
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#13
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Established Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: VIRGINIA BEACH
Posts: 21
M.O.C. #11864
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Good info on the Battle Born site: https://battlebornbatteries.com/systems/rv/towable/
BiggarView and Daryles have posted good info. I would not rely on Keystone to do the right thing. They would be happy to go cheap and let the system get by at a limited charging level.
This is straight from BB:
In some cases, you might have to replace the current converter/charger that come stock in the application due to the output voltage of 13.6 V. Some very common WFCO and Progressive Dynamics converters will rarely get to their higher boost of 14.4 volts when a lithium battery is connected.
Although these converters will charge your Battle Born Batteries (very slowly), they may never get to a 100% state of charge and will not trigger the passive balancing effect that starts at over 14 volts.
In addition to their standard models, many converter manufacturers now offer LiFePO4 chargers and most are highly compatible with Battle Born Batteries.
You need to know the capabilities of your converter.
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12-03-2020, 05:46 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bastrop
Posts: 2,892
M.O.C. #20753
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and if all of the above fail you, you should be given a manual fr your converter. It will tell you if Lithium batteries are supported and how to switch back and forth.
BTW I would not trust the dealer to do it right. Most likely it is the first one they have seen. So double check their work
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Mocha, one-eyed toothless, hurricane survivor, Pirate dog
2019 20th Anniversary Edition 3701LK
B&W 20K for Ford OEM Puck
2018 Ford F-350 Lariat CCLB PSD DRW KJ5CQH
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12-03-2020, 06:04 AM
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#15
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North Port
Posts: 271
M.O.C. #10954
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffba
and if all of the above fail you, you should be given a manual fr your converter. It will tell you if Lithium batteries are supported and how to switch back and forth.
BTW I would not trust the dealer to do it right. Most likely it is the first one they have seen. So double check their work
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Thats probably fact!! Our dealer (probably the largest in florida) said they have never done a 3rd AC on an InCommand system......gimmie a break.
I literally had to find the parts for them on ebay.
Then .... magically, oh..... we see where to order them from now... this xyz warehouse has the parts.... queue roll eyes...
__________________
2021 Montana 3121RL w/ Cobalt Paint
2019 F-450 w/ airbags and 25k BW Companion
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