Kingsize24
Well-known member
Looking forward to it
2024 Casita 17' Spirit Deluxe
- Thread starter Tex68w
- Start date
Looking forward to it
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
Epoch 300Ah 12V Lithium Battery has been ordered. I am looking forward to going from a usable 50Ah on my current 100Ah AGM to a usable 270Ah with this 300Ah Lithium. I am happy to report that it will fit in the current battery box compartment as well so I won’t have to extend the wiring and eat up much needed interior storage space under the dinette like I had anticipated.
12V 300Ah Heated & Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery - Epoch Essentials
Get the 12V 300Ah heated & Bluetooth LiFePO4 battery from Epoch Essentials. Charge in sub-zero conditions, control with iOS and Android apps, and enjoy the benefits of smart battery management. 4,000+ cycles, 11-year warranty.www.epochbatteries.com
Nice! You're going to love having that much lithium. That's also a very impressive capacity for the form factor. Each of my 100ah batteries is only about ~5-8cm smaller in each dimension, despite packing 1/3rd of the capacity.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Yea I am pumped about the size for the power output. I owe @Kingsize24 for turning me onto Epoch batteries. I hope it turns out to be the battery I expect it to be.
Paying attention to tongue weight is paramount in a Casita. I had an Orbital Machine Works lpg tank storage box and it was great. Unfortunately no longer made. I have a 2000w inverter and a 30a DC-DC charger which I wish I installed first. My buddy has DC-DC charger and unless camping in same location seldom uses his solar panels. I can run fridge and everything for 6 days with Battery and no solar Panels used. I used a 5 pound bottle for outside cooking and could do away with the outside bottles since I no longer have the 3 way Dometic fridge. The Dometic worked great on gas and AC and terrible on 12v. Always looking for updates, will know better once we spend a month in Moab when we return in October. Happy Trails
Tex68w
Beach Bum
I am not so concerned with the tongue weight, not to mention I use a 3/4-ton diesel to tow it with. Adding the Stromberg-Carlson rack and gennie box wouldn't add all that much to the front of the trailer (100lbs) and I'd only use it to house items like the jack pads, wheel chocks, electrical and water hookups, etc. so minimal extra weight in the box itself. That said, I still haven't committed to this addition just yet and I might go another route to keep the front of the trailer cleaner.
On my current 100Ah AGM I can barely go 24 hours boon docking with the fridge, LED lights and Maxx fan running, that's kind of pathetic really. I hope to have 72+ hours of safe use unassisted by solar or generator with the new battery. I will install the 1500w inverter soon as well which will help immensely with small power needs when off-grid.
We haven't had any issues with the fridge but I know it's a hot button topic and many do, in time. lt's pretty impressive how little propane these trailers use even with the fridge running on gas full-time. I do need to retain the propane tanks as we have a furnace and water heater that use it as well.
Like anything else it just takes time and experience to figure out which setup works best for your use case and needs and we are slowly getting there.
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Tex68w
Beach Bum
I also added a ball valve hose bibb to the fresh water tank drain. From the factory they come with a crappy PVC thread on hose cap. This will allow me to use the fresh water from the outside without having to access the outdoor shower hookup should I need to wash my hands/feet or dishes quickly or simply to get a drink of water. It will also grant me the ability to fill up the fresh water tank from below via connecting a hose to it should I choose to do so.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
That hitch looks great! Seems like it's bolted on? What's the rated capacity for something like that?
Tex68w
Beach Bum
He said safely 350lbs but beyond that he starts to worry about rating it more so for the frame integrity of the camper than the hitch itself. I'd think you'd find your limiting factor to be how much weight can hang out back and the induced trailer sway more so than the capabilities of the hitch and trailer frame. It's a very nicely finished product, very happy with the end result.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Well the Epoch 300Ah Lithium battery fit in the Casita battery compartment like a glove. I trimmed the packing foam it came in and she sits in there snug as a bug in rug. I'll be sure to place some additional foam on the top to help keep it in place when I head back this evening to check on it's charge status. 300Ah might be lightweight for some here but this will be a game changer for this camper and our off grid capabilities. We will now have 5.5 times the usable amp hours as we did with the 100Ah AMG that was already considered an "upgrade" from the factory over the standard lead acid battery lol.
I also attached this handy dandy water tank gauge decal designed for this specific water tank so that we have a quick visual reference of approximately how many gallons of water we have on board when boon docking. We have the upgraded 25 gallon water tank but most claim it only has 23 usable gallons. It's enough capacity for our needs and the trips we do at this time. Should we go full-time in the future we will likely need more but odds are we will move to a larger trailer at that time.
I also attached this handy dandy water tank gauge decal designed for this specific water tank so that we have a quick visual reference of approximately how many gallons of water we have on board when boon docking. We have the upgraded 25 gallon water tank but most claim it only has 23 usable gallons. It's enough capacity for our needs and the trips we do at this time. Should we go full-time in the future we will likely need more but odds are we will move to a larger trailer at that time.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
"25 Gallon Tank"
"Holds Approx 22 Gallons"
"Holds Approx 22 Gallons"
Tex68w
Beach Bum
"25 Gallon Tank"
"Holds Approx 22 Gallons"
Yea, no clue where they think those few gallons go lol.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
I tried initially charging the new lithium battery through the campers converter and on board charger but the voltage profile is beyond what the converter is willing to put out. It took the battery from the 48% it shipped at up to 97%/292Ah but it wants to go into float at 13.45v where the new battery sits at 13.6-13.8v. I tried two of my motorcycle chargers and they took it up to 98%13.55v before they went into float. I need to check and see at @Kingsize24 suggestion if the converter has a switch to allow for a higher voltage profile. I went ahead and purchased a 12v/20a charger for lithium batteries that should be able to push it that last 2% to reach the full 300Ah for this initial charge. Beyond this initial charge I am fine with 95-97% charge when traveling as I can always put it on the charger back in storage to take it the last few percent once home.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
I'm not 100% sure, but fairly confident that there's more difference to charging lithium batteries than just the remaining few percent at higher voltage. Over the long term your non-lithium-supported converter may end up damaging the lifespan (if not more) of the battery. The battery you bought is pretty expensive, so I'd personally want to charge it properly as much as possible.
Look up your converter's manual and check to be 100% certain whether or not it can support lithium (sometimes there may be a dip switch or something else to configure).
Also check your solar controller (if you have solar), as that also needs to be configured for a lithium profile.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
My converter is lithium capable, it says it right on the front and in the paperwork. Solar controller is good to go as well. This is more about the voltage profile and the battery being a lot newer tech and capable of a much higher voltage rate than what the chargers are setup for before they go into float in anticipation of overcharge.
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