150ah lithium battery upgrade 2005 Bailey pageant. Advice

[GarryH]

Good evening all. Looking for some advice to install a lithium battery to my caravan. I only want to use it for the 12v system so not interested in the full inverter setup for off grid.

Question is what exactly do I need as research on google and YouTube is baking my brain? My towing vehicle is a 2021 Kia sportage diesel hybrid

 

[GUMPY]

I changed the following:
The on board PSU for a Victron IP22 15amp charger, which gets very little use.
The solar controller for a Victron MPPT 75/10 and the 30watt solar panel to a 130watt one.
This pretty much keeps the battery fully charged even when we are away using the van.
As for charging from the car when I first set it up I tried it without a B2B charger and the car charges the battery at 14.4v - 5 amps. If it had been any higher I would have fitted a B2B charger. On a long journey (200 miles) this can cause the battery BMS to shut down but that's what it's designed to do.

So just set it up and check voltage and current from the car (can be done on most battery BMS) if it's below the figures above you are good to go. If higher fit a B2B charger.

 

[Woodentop]

Good evening all. Looking for some advice to install a lithium battery to my caravan. I only want to use it for the 12v system so not interested in the full inverter setup for off grid.

Question is what exactly do I need as research on google and YouTube is baking my brain? My towing vehicle is a 2021 Kia sportage diesel hybrid

Exactly which Pageant (which is a range of models) will get a more details response.

 

[JTQ]

Discussing caravan market Lithium batteries with Powrtouch's technical a couple or so years back they were guarded about these in the context of powering their movers. Basically they had had problems with them and recommended keeping to LA.

That's as said from at least two years back, by now I would think "we" have accumulated a lot of real life experience in that aspect.

Have these adopters of Lithium found any problems in that regard?

One aspect I found in reading/studying the battery specs was those of the time seemed specified for up to 100A output, whereas the mover I had was specified as drawing a peak of 120A. That in my case was only a paperwork issue as in part because of that I a stayed with another LA GEL.
My mover application is probably quite demanding, close to the limit of the units capability. Indeed later it mechanically failed and has been replaced with a more capable one.

 

[GUMPY]

Have these adopters of Lithium found any problems in that regard?

Not at all, mover only draws 20-30 amps most of the time on the flat.

 

[Hutch]

My power touch evolution , motor mover has an 80 amp fuse in the supply system.

 

[otherclive]

A few years old but in other posts on this Forum Prof John has differentiated between max current draw and steady current draw. Important to compare like with like in any discussion. Chart below details max and steady current draws for a range of movers.

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[GarryH]

Exactly which Pageant (which is a range of models) will get a more details response.

Series 5

 

[JTQ]

Not at all, mover only draws 20-30 amps most of the time on the flat.

Thanks, but the point I observed related to the peak current draw and the battery's maximum current rating. I was aware that the current would ease off if the van is moving on the flat. My case it was not on the flat, both leaving and returning the car port I drop down a hollow and haul out of it.

 

[Woodentop]

Series 5

Sorry, I'm not being pedantic but the caravan also has a name. Our first van was a S5 Pageant Majestic - a small four berth. Majestic is the model name, Pageant is the range, and Series 5 indicates the year.
You are not alone - many newcomers make the mistake of not giving the full model and name, when they do they usually get much more help.

 

[GUMPY]

Thanks, but the point I observed related to the peak current draw and the battery's maximum current rating. I was aware that the current would ease off if the van is moving on the flat. My case it was not on the flat, both leaving and returning the car port I drop down a hollow and haul out of it.

Mine draws 80amps max still below the 100amps max recommended by Fogstar