Lithium Battery Question

[Camp CA]

My 2020 Montan has a solar flex system with 2 stock Interstate 100 ah lead acid batteries. Problem is the system cannot operate the rv refrierator to cool it down prior to a trip without draining the batteries. Will replacing them with 2 lithium 100ah batteries work better? If there a lower cost option than Battleborn's battery at $949 each? Will the stock converter or any other electrical component be impacted?

[brooks340]

Your old batteries have a usable capacity of 100ah (assuming they are configured in parallel and you don't draw them down below 50%). Upgrading to 2 lithium 100ah batteries, again assuming they are wired in parallel, would give you 200ah total with a safe usable amount of 160ah ( 80% 0f 200ah ). So this would give you more initial capacity. You would need to check the model of your converter/charger to ensure fit can handle the charging profile of the lithium batteries as it is different than your old lead acid batteries. There are many lithium options, you'll have to do some research to pick a brand you're comfortable with. I would check out the SOK batteries, they get good reviews and are quite a bit cheaper than BB. I'm not disparaging BB, they make a fantastic product, but they are pricey. If you don't want to go the lithium route you could buy 4 6v deep cycle batteries, wire them in series/parallel and get 200ah+ of usable capacity. Lithium gives you longer life, less weight, more usable capacity, quicker charge rates but they are not the only option.

[AZ Traveler]

Steve,

The easier solution is to set your reefer to run on propane to cool it down. A RV reefer is a power hog when run on electric but uses very little electricity on propane.

[Daryles]

What AZ Traveler said + if you can freeze gallon milk jugs of water (make sure they don't split) then put them in the freezer and fridge to help get things started. You can use the melted fresh water for drinking/cooking as you go.