house batter

[REF]

It does look like the same one that Sportsmobile is selling on line, does anyone know when they switched from using lifeline? Or are they still using lifeline and these are just offered as a lower cost replacement? Unless it's a generic made by the same company? I don't know, it's half of what the others cost, if that's enticing, go for it. Look up the specs for a 4D from deka(east penn) and lifeline and see how they compare.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by REF

It does look like the same one that Sportsmobile is selling on line, does anyone know when they switched from using lifeline? Or are they still using lifeline and these are just offered as a lower cost replacement? Unless it's a generic made by the same company? I don't know, it's half of what the others cost, if that's enticing, go for it. Look up the specs for a 4D from deka(east penn) and lifeline and see how they compare.

I'll take a stab that it was about 08-09 when SMB switched from Lifeline to Deka. The problem there was the Deka batteries had slightly higher lugs, so the company let SMB trim the lugs to fit on the installs that required the same height the Lifeline batteries offered. I can't say why they switched from Deka to Universal Battery Co but I'd guess it was the price that might of had something to do with it but also might of been the overall size of the Universal just was easier to install.

[janliness]

On my rig the previous owner said he got the battery replaced at Sportsmobile West 5 years ago. I assumed it would be a Lifeline, but it was the Deka.

I replaced it with a Deka for about $380 from a local source. I see no reason (e.g. proof) that a Lifeline would last longer, and if it did that it would be worth the extra $$$. If I'm paying, say, $400/5yrs or $80/year for the Deka how would that compare to $600/7yrs or $85/year for the Lifelife? I consider that a wash in price, but real considerations:

1) Installation: I did it myself in 1-1/2hrs (including many coffee breaks) with a transmission jack obtained on Craigslist for $40. If you have a dealer do it, you may have want to go longer between changes because of cost and inconvenience.

2) Longevity: If you're going/staying out of country on a regular basis, having the better equipment can be insurance. I don't plan on anything other than weeklong trips domestically, so that's not as important to me.

3) Usage: THE MOST IMPORTANT. I can kill any premium battery within a year, guaranteed! If you forgot any of the myriad of things to turn off or disconnect when not using your SMB for a week or so, you can drain your battery. Do that a few times in a way the battery doesn't like and it will become diminished. If you're still learning the care and feeding of your battery (like me) it doesn't make sense to possibly kill off a premium battery.

If you're in my area feel free to borrow the jack! Hensley Electric in Colorado Springs has the good deal on Deka 4D batteries around here...

later,
jan

[kzemach]

We use our rig infrequently, and after (gulp) 8 years our house battery is basically useless. Now that we have a solar panel on the roof which we didn't before (should help keep voltage up on long trips) and I'm going to add in a pulse module (helps prevent buildup on the plates; that's a different discussion), I'm going with the less expensive variant (same as SMB is selling now), which I found for $389 and free shipping.

All that said, if you use your rig a lot, I'd go with a more expensive version. I work in the battery group for an EV company that will remain nameless, and will state that Deka builds great batteries based on our testing (for the non-lithium ion portion). You can't go wrong with them. So IMO, if you want reliability and great performance, Deka is the right mix of price and best performance, even if that's not what I went with.

Also, will parrot what the other posters have said. Do NOT over discharge your batteries, even once if you can help it.

[1der]

Has anyone gone with Lithium House batteries? Am I off base here ?

A 100 Ah Li battery is virtually equal to a 4D in usable Ah capacity and should have a life almost twice as long as an AGM. It weighs 33 lbs and costs $900.

Maybe for a replacement the issue is the battery charger is already a sunk cost, but looking at a new build, does Li make sense?

Interested in what people know as we are starting a new build. )

Thanks,

Ray

[kzemach]

Originally Posted by 1der

Has anyone gone with Lithium House batteries? Am I off base here ?

A 100 Ah Li battery is virtually equal to a 4D in usable Ah capacity and should have a life almost twice as long as an AGM. It weighs 33 lbs and costs $900.

Maybe for a replacement the issue is the battery charger is already a sunk cost, but looking at a new build, does Li make sense?

Interested in what people know as we are starting a new build. )

Thanks,

Ray

I've given the Lithium Iron Phosphate variants a reasonable look, for a few reasons, not the least of which is:

A. They generally follow a similar voltage profile to lead acid, where as any of the 'standard' li-ion chemistries post much higher voltage profiles, making integration a bit of a problem.

B. Great cycle life. Granted, their energy density is crap compared to 'standard' lithium ion, but that's in the noise when the de facto standard is lead acid!

I looked at stuff from Valence, A123, and International Battery (the latter two of whom have developed test items at 24V for the military recently to replace the 6T vehicle batteries). In the end, I didn't find anything that seemed like it was ready for prime time, but I'd loved to be proven wrong. If you find something promising, do post. It's not just the improved cycle life that I find interesting, but the reduced weight, which is significant.

-Ken

(PS- do note that cold cranking amps, and especially charge RATE when the batteries themselves are very cold is a concern for Li-Ion)

[kzemach]

PS- when I was looking at Li-Ion, I was looking at LiFePO4 batteries that contained internal charge controllers that allowed them to be hooked in as direct replacements for lead acid, so that your already-installed charger wouldn't have to be replaced.

[1der]

Thanks Ken, yes it was the Li Iron ones I was looking at. The other intriguing feature was ability to accept high and fast charging rates which make the solar input more attractive. Perhaps we should start a new thread on Li for house batteries. Do you feel house and starting batteries should be the same, or is okay to keep AGM or Lead acid for starting and use LI for house?

[1der]

Double post, sorry