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08-18-2015, 02:37 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2016 19 / Toyota 4Runner 2019
Posts: 343
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TracerPower battery pack
Anybody tried one of these for backup power? looks like an amazing amount of energy in a lightweight package, although quite costly.
TracerPower.com Tracer LiFePO4 Battery Packs
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Hugh
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08-18-2015, 03:15 PM
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#2
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 - "Felicity"
Posts: 2,945
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hughharden
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Wonder if they're sold anywhere outside the UK. Shipping could be costly and complicated due to the chemistry involved.
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Charlie Y
Need custom storage to your design? Don't drill holes!
www.RVWidgetWorks.com
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08-18-2015, 03:23 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2016 19 / Toyota 4Runner 2019
Posts: 343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tractors1
Wonder if they're sold anywhere outside the UK. Shipping could be costly and complicated due to the chemistry involved.
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I've done a quick search but can't find any North American suppliers. Shipping is about $100 from UK.
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Hugh
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08-18-2015, 03:30 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Signal Mountain (Chattanooga), Tennessee
Trailer: Escape 21 November 2014; 2022 GMC 1500 3.0L
Posts: 681
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hughharden
I've done a quick search but can't find any North American suppliers. Shipping is about $100 from UK.
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Try an Amazon or Google search using the battery chemistry:
LiFePO4
You'll find some choices. No knowledge about these, but am curious.
Bill
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08-18-2015, 03:58 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2016 19 / Toyota 4Runner 2019
Posts: 343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill and Earline
Try an Amazon or Google search using the battery chemistry:
LiFePO4
You'll find some choices. No knowledge about these, but am curious.
Bill
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Found one supplier in Ontario Canada,
Smart Battery
24AH 12V is $472 CDN plus shipping
The 25AH UK one was $399US (507 CDN) plus shipping
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Hugh
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08-18-2015, 06:43 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013, 17B 'Mini Pearl' and a 2010 Highlander
Posts: 400
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They are a slightly different chemistry than LiPo batteries.
LiPo are used in remote controlled cars and airplanes and mostly, now, drones.
If LiPo batteries are punctured or over charged or under charged they give off a very high temperature stream of gas.
I believe around 600 degrees.
These batteries have none of those problems.
They were used in the Dewalt battery powered tools for awhile before the company building them almost went bust.
The company was A123 and I think they were rescued by a Chinese company.
Check their website www.a123systems.com
They use a very different charging system than the ones we have on our trailers.
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John
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08-18-2015, 06:56 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2016 19 / Toyota 4Runner 2019
Posts: 343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jxoco
They are a slightly different chemistry than LiPo batteries.
LiPo are used in remote controlled cars and airplanes and mostly, now, drones.
If LiPo batteries are punctured or over charged or under charged they give off a very high temperature stream of gas.
I believe around 600 degrees.
These batteries have none of those problems.
They were used in the Dewalt battery powered tools for awhile before the company building them almost went bust.
The company was A123 and I think they were rescued by a Chinese company.
Check their website www.a123systems.com
They use a very different charging system than the ones we have on our trailers.
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Wasn't thinking of using them to replace the escape batteries just as a power pack to use if the batteries on the escape get too low after extended time without driving or sunshine. Would charge at home before I left.
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Hugh
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08-18-2015, 07:12 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013, 17B 'Mini Pearl' and a 2010 Highlander
Posts: 400
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hughharden
Wasn't thinking of using them to replace the escape batteries just as a power pack to use if the batteries on the escape get too low after extended time without driving or sunshine. Would charge at home before I left.
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I would think the cost is prohibitive.
here is a 26Ah 12v
BT-12V26 | 12 Volt - 26Ah Rechargeable SLA Battery
$106 cdn.
but it weighs 20 lbs.
but a cheap Canadian Tire charger can charge it up for you.
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John
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08-18-2015, 07:16 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2016 19 / Toyota 4Runner 2019
Posts: 343
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jxoco
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That looks like a great alternative. Thanks for that.
__________________
Hugh
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08-18-2015, 07:22 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jxoco
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For those lucky enough to live in the land of the dollar:
12 V, 26 Ah, SLA Battery
$66 US.
Everything else is the same as the above.
--
Alan
(Info tidbit: SLA is short for Sealed, Lead-acid. Same basic chemistry as ordinary batteries but no water to check, very low self-discharge, doesn't leak when on its side. Charge once or twice per year and ignore it.)
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08-18-2015, 07:41 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013, 17B 'Mini Pearl' and a 2010 Highlander
Posts: 400
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanmalk
$66 US.
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That's a Good deal.
What DO you Americans do with all of your savings?
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John
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08-18-2015, 07:41 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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Guess I don't get the point, besides needing there own charging setup, they are very low Ahr, meaning you'd need at least a few of them to amount to anything significant. Do they have the same 50% drain limits? if so you only have 12Ah usable per battery. A bit more then that on the SLA's.
Wouldn't it be more cost effective to just add another full size battery? What are we talking, another 40 or so pounds over the Lithium?
Something like these I can see, at least if the price comes down. 200 Amp-Hour Lithium Battery | Lithium Batteries
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Happy Motoring
Bob
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08-18-2015, 08:49 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hughharden
Wasn't thinking of using them to replace the escape batteries just as a power pack to use if the batteries on the escape get too low after extended time without driving or sunshine. Would charge at home before I left.
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Quote:
Guess I don't get the point,...
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As a power pack for a couple of hours - it would probably do the trick. On a regular basis? Not very practical.
Personally - I'm waiting for that 40 pound lithium battery with 200 Ah that costs $99.
Still waiting...
--
Alan
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08-18-2015, 08:50 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jxoco
... What DO you Americans do with all of your savings?
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Buy trailers...
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08-18-2015, 10:46 PM
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#15
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jxoco
What DO you Americans do with all of your savings?
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We save them for a trip to Canada.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-18-2015, 10:56 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Lithium batteries - including these LiFePO4 types - do need special treatment. A nice feature of those packs from the UK is that they are not just batteries:
Quote:
Integrated Electronic ‘Battery Management System’ (BMS) provides the following protection:- Overcharge & over-discharge protection
- Thermal protection
- Over current protection
- Short circuit protection
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Quote:
Originally Posted by padlin
Do they have the same 50% drain limits?
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No, it seems generally agreed that these lithium batteries can be safely discharged repeatedly down to a few percent of their capacity - that's about half of their advantage over lead-acid (the other half being that they are less dense so the same volume of battery weighs much less).
I agree that the cost/benefit situation doesn't yet favour lithium for most RV purposes.
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