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Old 08-14-2019, 09:41 AM   #1
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Lion Energy Lithium?

I couldn't find any mention of this relatively new lithium option in the forum. Has anyone else researched their Safari UT 1200 lithium?

Highlights I have found so far:

90 a/h (vs 100 for Battle Born)
21 lbs (vs 31 for Battle Born)

Smaller than Battle Born, and I think a pair will drop into the ETI battery box that came with my dual 6v. The size difference (and weight) is a result of the cell makeup. Safari uses less larger prismatic cells while Battle Born uses more small cylindrical cells. I will leave it to wiser members than me to weigh in on which is better.

Ray from LoveYourRv has a blog post and video on these batteries as he was given a set to test/review. His initial reaction has been positive but its very early. They list the price as $999 but seems like the selling price is more typically $799. He has a "code" for that price.

I'm in no way affiliated with the company or blogger mentioned (I didn't link but they are easy to find), just interested in the electrical experts opinion on these.
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Old 08-14-2019, 09:48 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeS View Post
I couldn't find any mention of this relatively new lithium option in the forum. Has anyone else researched their Safari UT 1200 lithium?

Highlights I have found so far:

90 a/h (vs 100 for Battle Born)
21 lbs (vs 31 for Battle Born)

Smaller than Battle Born, and I think a pair will drop into the ETI battery box that came with my dual 6v. The size difference (and weight) is a result of the cell makeup. Safari uses less larger prismatic cells whhttp://www.lakeshoreimages.com/lithium.htmlile Battle Born uses more small cylindrical cells. I will leave it to wiser members than me to weigh in on which is better.

Ray from LoveYourRv has a blog post and video on these batteries as he was given a set to test/review. His initial reaction has been positive but its very early. They list the price as $999 but seems like the selling price is more typically $799. He has a "code" for that price.

I'm in no way affiliated with the company or blogger mentioned (I didn't link but they are easy to find), just interested in the electrical experts opinion on these.
I haven't seen them, but did install a pair of Battleborn 100 amp hour batteries in the Escape box. They make a GC2 format version. They are listed at $1049.00, but Battleborn gave me $50.00 off for each.

They are high enough that with cables the is nor room for the top to go back on, so I cut the outside of the case down for the wiring. Some photos and description of the change here.

So far I am very pleased with the change.
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Old 08-14-2019, 09:22 PM   #3
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In spring 2017 I bought a Lion Energy jump starter, which has (or is supposed to have?) a lithium-ion battery in it. I charged it up and put it in the truck in case of emergency. 8 months later I pulled it out and checked it, and found that the battery was flat empty. So I called them on the phone to ask about warranty (it's supposed to be 1 year). Their customer service guy, or whoever, told me that the battery running flat in 8 months was to be expected and was no sign that anything was wrong with the unit. He advised me that they recommend recharging the jumper once a month.

I think that experience speaks for itself.

Since then I do recharge the thing every 2-3 months, and I have actually jumped a person's battery with it, so it works... as long as it's got the juice. I paid a good chunk of change for the thing, so I figure I'd better get some use out of it. But I won't buy that brand again.
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Old 08-14-2019, 10:36 PM   #4
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Any li battery will discharge slightly without charging. My goal zero battery’s recommend keeping on its charger or at least every few months. While there aren’t as bad as nicads, basic charge maintenance will be necessary. I put mine on the charger in my truck occasionally to top it off. My camera batteries do the same thing without use they lose a little each day.
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Old 08-15-2019, 02:20 AM   #5
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odd, my small LiIon powered things stay charged for months and months. I have a flashlight that has a single 18650 in it, and I only use for emergencies like late night car crashes on the road outside my house... (its insanely bright) after sitting a YEAR its still got most of its charge. now, maybe LiFePo4 has more self-discharge.

for sure lead acid needs to be charged at least monthly, if not kept on a battery tender full time.
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Old 08-15-2019, 08:53 AM   #6
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With the battery disconnect switch open, and starting at 80% (the recommended long term storage SOC by Battleborn) my pair of Battleborn 100 amp hour batteries dropped .1 volt over a month. The only thing connected was the Victron battery monitor.
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Old 08-15-2019, 09:58 PM   #7
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I could understand a loss of, say, 5% per month from the original charge. I use lithium 18650 cells for flashlights all the time, and they simply don't lose 100% of their charge in 8 months while just sitting. An aged cell or one that is otherwise bad (perhaps poor mfg?) would do that, though.
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Old 08-20-2019, 02:03 AM   #8
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LFP self-discharge should be more on the order of 1-3% per month. >10% per month definitely implies something was wrong with either the design or the construction there.
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Old 10-27-2020, 03:45 PM   #9
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Has anyone else jumped on this special at Costco: https://www.costco.com/lion-energy-s...100663833.html. $1399 member pricing for a pair. I'd intended to wait a few years and then switch to Battleborn, but this pricing is pretty tempting to embark on an off-season upgrade project. According to Lion, dimensions are 10.2L x 6.6W x 8.8H and they weigh in at 23 pounds each.

Thoughts?
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Old 10-27-2020, 03:47 PM   #10
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I think they're not quite as robustly-constructed as the Battleborns, but at that price I think it's worth the gamble. Nice that they're even lighter, too.
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Old 10-27-2020, 03:54 PM   #11
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I think they're not quite as robustly-constructed as the Battleborns, but at that price I think it's worth the gamble. Nice that they're even lighter, too.
I'm leaning toward taking a gamble on them. The idea of effectively doubling my battery capacity, reducing weight, and eliminating the need to water are all really appealing.
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Old 10-28-2020, 06:34 AM   #12
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My Audew 2000A jump starter info recommends topping off every 3 months.
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Old 10-28-2020, 11:08 AM   #13
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Will Prowse actually did a side by side comparison of the Lion energy and Battleborn batteries here . It's been a while since I watched that video, but I recall he preferred the Battleborn because of lug quality, and a better sealed enclosure.
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Old 10-28-2020, 11:18 AM   #14
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Will Prowse actually did a side by side comparison of the Lion energy and Battleborn batteries here . It's been a while since I watched that video, but I recall he preferred the Battleborn because of lug quality, and a better sealed enclosure.
Thanks. This is a really helpful and thorough review. Also nice to know that the Costco price point appears not to be unique based on his review.
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Old 10-28-2020, 12:23 PM   #15
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Will Prowse actually did a side by side comparison of the Lion energy and Battleborn batteries here . It's been a while since I watched that video, but I recall he preferred the Battleborn because of lug quality, and a better sealed enclosure.

Also Battleborn is UL-listed as an entire assembly not just the cells. That is difficult to achieve. He recommends BB for mobile use and the Lion Energy for stationary due to the differences in construction.
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Old 11-04-2020, 11:03 AM   #16
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I'm really leaning toward rolling the dice on the Lion Energy batteries at Costco. I was planning on installing the pair in place of the two 6v Interstates that came with the trailer.

Obviously these are wired in series, so I'd need to wire the Lion energy batteries in parallel. I've got the new GoPower controller that supports lifepo4 batteries.

It seems like a rather straightforward project--drop the batteries in, rewire in parallel, change the settings on the GoPower controller to lifepo4. Or am I missing a step here?

Thanks in advance.
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Old 11-04-2020, 11:20 AM   #17
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Well, you also have your converter/charger to consider in addition to the GoPower solar charger. In my 2018 19, the supplied WIFO converter did not provide a high enough voltage to top balance LiFoPo4 batteries, so I replaced it with one from Progressive Dynamics. The existing charger will work, but not optimally for Lithium. Interesting, Will Prowse just posted a review about a couple more good (better) lithium options.
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Old 11-04-2020, 11:31 AM   #18
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Well, you also have your converter/charger to consider in addition to the GoPower solar charger. In my 2018 19, the supplied WIFO converter did not provide a high enough voltage to top balance LiFoPo4 batteries, so I replaced it with one from Progressive Dynamics. The existing charger will work, but not optimally for Lithium. Interesting, Will Prowse just posted a review about a couple more good (better) lithium options.
Thanks. The earlier video you posted was really helpful, so I'll definitely check out the new one.

It looks like the Progressive dynamics converter works with the WFCO panel, or do you have to replace both?
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Old 11-04-2020, 02:30 PM   #19
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You do not have to replace both. I found this replacement on eBay. Works just fine with my one Battleborn 100 watt battery.
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Old 11-04-2020, 03:43 PM   #20
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IMO it's worth paying a company that has good customer service a little extra for their stuff. Especially when forking over a grand.
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