Lithium Battery Installation

[JSiggy]

I've decided to uprate my Coachman caravan 12 volt system by going down the Lithium Battery route.
At present I have an AGM battery powered by a BCA 13.8 v transformer and a 120 watt Solar panel with a PWM Controller...
The Lithium battery would have a Battery Management System (BMS) within the battery.
Any recomendations or experience in this area would be appreciated

 

[JTQ]

Correct solar charging routine controllers for Lithium batteries are readily available, ensuring I had a quality one of these would be one thing I would use.

Ensuring the battery chosen was engineered to charge and do so safely at low temperatures matching those your van could be exposed to.

 

[IanB1485]

There is a lot said about getting the correct charger for Lithium batteries, however I have an Eco worthy 280A.hr LI PO4 battery and use a Meanwell NPB 360-12-TB 2 stage charger /psu to charge it (set for lead acid) and it charges up the battery to 100% no problem , the unbuilt BMS sorts out the charging and when full stops the current to prevent overcharging ( the battery also has bluetooth and WIFI connectivity which allows you to see whats going on with the battery. Also when off grid the battery which is way too big to fit into the caravan sits at the side and the caravan inbuilt charger which is a simple 13.8V unit and it, combined with the solar regulator also charges up the battery to 100% with no problem)

 

[Islander31]

We went down the lithium route a couple of yearrs ago. Went with a 105ah Fogstar drift battery as it seemed to tick the most boxes - the biggest for me being a good BMS system and also inbuilt heating to allow it to charge in lower temperatures.

Before buying I sent the info on the Sargent charger profile to Fogstar to have them confirm that it would be suitable - which it was and charges the battery to 100% with no issue. I would considerr taking this step once you decide on a batterey as it saves them claiming your charger wasnt the right profile if you have to make a warranty claim down the line.

We also changed the solar charge controller to a Victron one which really helps getting the most out of the solar panels.

This is the best upgrade we have made to our caravan - never have issues with the battery going flat when van isnt in use and for offgrid we have never been short of power