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Technical Guide to Upgrade Lithium Batteries in Your RV‘s Electrical System
2021-03-15

Technical Guide to Upgrade Lithium Batteries in Your RV‘s Electrical System

 Melasta Lithium batteries are a drop-in replacement for SLA, AGM, or conventional lead-acid batteries. The most typical size battery for recreational vehicles is the group 27 size 100Ah battery and the Melasta Lithium 100Ah battery is a drop-in replacement, implying it is the very same size and measurements as the recreational vehicle home battery it is changing but with considerably more performance.

Does "drop-in replacement" indicate you can simply plug in, play it and call it great?

No. Although you can merely install the batteries into your recreational vehicle and take pleasure in increased efficiency, you might not get your Melasta Lithium‘s full capabilities without extra modifications to your recreational vehicle, truck, or vans‘ electrical system. Here are the modifications we suggest to get the most out of your Melasta Lithium recreational vehicle home battery upgrade:

1. Lead-acid battery chargers charge at a lower voltage and stop when the battery reaches the limit associated with lead-acid batteries. Because that voltage is lower than when a lithium battery is full, your Melasta Lithium will just have an 80 to 90% charge, implying an upgrade to a lithium battery charger will unlock more power. For bigger automobiles, recreational vehicles, or off-grid cabins, you might want to consider a larger inverter & battery charger, which is a lithium specific battery charger, battery display, and DC to AC inverter (turns battery power into wall sockets for home electronic devices) integrated into one box.

2. An isolated DC-DC charger will safeguard your engine‘s alternator from wear and tear. Additionally, it might have a smart battery display, which checks how much power is left in your batteries, and how much you are presently charging them.

3.  If you are utilizing solar panels to charge your batteries, then alter your solar controller setting to lithium or upgrade to a lithium-specific solar controller. To get the most out of any solar system that uses lithium batteries you will require a solar charge controller that has a lithium setting.

All Melasta Lithium 100Ah batteries consist of a complimentary lithium-specific battery charger, so if you are charging your home batteries then you can just utilize an extension cable and no modifications are required. More of the battery chargers and solar controllers present in the market these days are dual-purpose, with a lead-acid and a lithium setting.

Knowing the modifications that you need, is a lithium battery upgrade still worth it?

Yes, it is!

Good Lifetime Value with Melasta Lithium Batteries

1.       Melasta Lithium LiFePO4 batteries will offer double the functional power or double the run time of lead-acid. More power/run time suggests more time on the roadway without needing to plug in the evening. They also enable camping or boondocking off-grid with the self-confidence that your batteries will get you through the night.

2.       Melasta Lithium batteries last much longer than AGM or lead-acid and will require to be changed less typically, supplying peace of mind and higher lifetime worth.

3.       Melasta Lithium weighs 60 % less than deep cycle lead-acid batteries. Less weight suggests more maneuverability and speed and less wear and tear on your rig. Moreover, the batteries are light enough that you can quickly set up and service them yourself.

4.        Melasta‘s lithium iron phosphate works down to negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius) which means that you can take a trip in all seasons.

5.        The self-discharge rate of a Melasta Lithium battery (i.e., just how much power is lost every month the battery is not being utilized), is 1/4 that of a lead-acid battery, just 1 to 2% a month. If you take a break in between activities your batteries will still have plenty of power the next time you are on the road.

6.       Melasta Lithium iron phosphate is enhanced for solar power with 50% more performance than a lead-acid battery.

7.       You require fewer batteries when you utilize a Melasta Lithium. Historically if you power your home electronic devices with a deep cycle lead-acid battery you will just be able to utilize half of the capacity of the battery prior to the voltage is too low to run anything. With Melasta Lithium you can utilize all of the power of the battery, suggesting that a 100 Ah battery from Melasta Lithium is equivalent to 200 Ah in lead-acid batteries.

8.       Dakota Lithium has a service warranty as well. That implies you can install your batteries once, rather than changing heavy lead-acid batteries every couple of years.

Lithium Battery Size

Here‘s an easy guide to battery recommendations. These suggestions presume you are either re-charging your battery bank every couple of days by linking to shore power, or charging through your generator in your engine when you drive, or with photovoltaic panels.

Size of Recreational Vehicle/ Van

Appliances to Power 

Recommended Battery

10′ to 14 feet

Lights, radio, electronic devices (laptops, computers, cellular phones, and so on), small fans

MB-12V 54Ah x1

15′ to 20 feet

Fans, lights, radio, stove, electric cooler, electronics, small fridge

MB-12V 100Ah x1
OR 
MB-12V 170Ah x1-2

21′ to 30 feet

Fans, lights, radio, stove, electric cooler, electronics, small fridge, small tv

MB-12V 100Ah x2
OR
MB-12V 170Ah x1

31′ to 40 feet

large fans, lights, radio, stove, electronics, medium fridge, large tv

MB-12V 100Ah x2-4
OR 
MB-12V 170Ah x2

40’+ feet

Air conditioning, electronics, TV, fridge, lights, radio, stove & oven

MB-12V 100Ah x4-8
OR
MB-12V 170Ah x2-5

 

Size of Solar Panels

Melasta Lithium batteries are the finest option if you are thinking about including solar panels in your recreational vehicle, van, or trailer due to the fact that they possess the highest efficiency rating for solar power. This implies that you can get more power from each solar panel, and can utilize more of the power you gather.

Here is a suggested solar panel size chart:

Size of Recreational Vehicle

Suggested Solar Panel Capacity

Recommended Battery

10′ to 14′

100 to 115 Watt Rooftop

MB-12V 100Ah x1-2

15′ to 20′

150 to 170 Watt Rooftop

MB-12V 100Ah x1-2

21′ to 30′

300 Watt rooftop

MB-12V 100Ah x2

31′ to 40′

500 to 600 Watt rooftop

MB-12V 100Ah x2-4

40‘+

700 to 1100 Watt rooftop

MB-12V 100Ah x4-8

 

For more information about the lithium battery kindly contact our support team at [email protected]