Portable lithium project

[larrie]

Am working on a 100 amp hour portable lithium project that can be moved back and forth from my 2002 E350EB to my Jeep. The Kisae DMT1250 charger that I am using has selectable charging rates between 5 to 50 amps. I would like to set the charging rate the same for both vehicles. I know that the Jeep has a 160 amp alternator. Does anyone know what the stock alternator output current is on a 2002 E350?

[posplayr]

The 95A and 130A alternators are the most typical. You probably have the 130 amp. You can tell the difference based on the attached pictures. Rated performance is also attached.

[1der]

Some vans came w two alternators, upper and lower, at 110 amps each.

[larrie]

Thanks. That is just what I needed.

[posplayr]

Originally Posted by larrie

Thanks. That is just what I needed.

Post up what you are doing for the 100 Amp-hr Lithium battery

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...ild-28632.html

[larrie]

Portable Lithium System

Those of you that watch my travel video know I that I use two different vehicles to go camping in. One is a 2002 Ford E350 camper van and the other is a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I move some of my basic camping gear, like sleeping pads and bags, fridge, stove, etc. from one vehicle to the other. No sense in duplicating items. As I started taking longer trips with the Jeep I realized that I needed a second battery system for it. After much research and pricing systems I settled on a lithium setup in a milk crate after watching a Will Prowse video. The advantage of this system is that it can be moved to either vehicle. The parts I purchased were not all the ones in the video.

Parts List
DC to DC charger: Kisae DMT 1250 fifty amp, dual input (alternator/solar) charger.
Battery: SOK 100 amp LiFePO4
Capacity meter: AiLi Voltmeter Ammeter Voltage Current Meter Voltmeter Ammeter
Assorted Anderson plugs
Wire
Fuse box
Main circuit breaker at battery: RKURCK 80 Amp Circuit Breaker Manual Reset Inline Fuse
120 volt to 12 volt converter: DROK AC 110V-220V to DC 0-48V Converter

The DC to DC charger was recommended by Greg, Scalf77. It is more expensive that some. The advantage to me was that it has a sensing line that tells the charger when the engine is running so the lithium battery does not suck the juice out of the starter battery. The built in MPPT solar charger is also a nice Unit charges from one source at a time. I also like that it can be set to charge at anywhere from 5 to 50 amps in 5 amp increments.

The SOK battery was the only battery I could find that was 100 amp and would fit in the milk crate.

The power converter is only used at home top up the battery before a trip.

On a recent trip to southern Utah, in the Jeep, I had my fridge and a small freezer running off the system. The freezer ran almost continuously in the 80 F weather. During the day the Jeep would fully charge the system in about two hours of driving. We camped around 4:00 pm and started again around 9:00 am. Combined the fridge and freezer used about 20% of the battery capacity during the time we were parked.

Am happy with the way the system works. The only issue I had was with the circuit breaker in the engine bay where the system connected to the starting battery. The engine bay would get hot and the thermals in the circuit breaker would trip it. It was annoying to have to reset it. I will be changing that breaker to a different one.

On a side note, my electronic devices are charged while driving. I added multiple USB and 12 volt outlets to both vehicles. The only device I charge at night is my watch. The main power draws in the van are the fridge, heater, and Fantastic Fan. I have a 400 watt inverter that is only use while driving to charge my laptop.

Packed for travel


Power connections

[Wisco150]

I really like the picture you included pointing all of the components out. I’m looking into building something similar. Thanks for all of the work you put into it and documenting it for others to learn.

[rt66paul]

Yeti and many other companies have made "solar generators" That everything is together in one package, it is just plug and play. I suspect it is as cheap as cobbling together a package on your own. The units have suitcase solar panel(s), some also can generate from the wind. You could mount a collapsible post for the wind turbine to your van, and/or place the solar panels in the sun while camping. You can also charge these from house current, so you are covered for a weekend or an extended trip.

[BCam]

Originally Posted by rt66paul

Yeti and many other companies have made "solar generators" That everything is together in one package, it is just plug and play. I suspect it is as cheap as cobbling together a package on your own.

Just as cheap - I really doubt it, but they are prettier.

Better - Pretty much a mixed bag.

Will Prowse, who Larrie mentions and links to in his post, has done tear down tests on many different commercially available units, some are good, some name brand units have major issues. Check out some of his videos and judge for yourself.

I tried to focus just on solar generators but I couldn't sort by date and the most current videos are the most relevant. In any case, it's pretty easy to spot the relevant videos. The build Larrie mentions is the first video in row 7. The battery Larrie used is reviewed in the last video of row 2:

https://www.youtube.com/c/WillProwse...t=dd&flow=grid

(the above link sorts the videos by date (most current first).

Note: Will Prowse is generally acknowledged as knowledgeable and honest.

[rt66paul]

I am sure that if you do your homework and know what you are doing, you can put something cheaper. It has been my experience that when I do that, something has a choke point and I have to replace a part of the system. You can get a solar system for $700 that should do the job(it is all in what you want and need, more money gets you more power), or at least help what you have(assuming a dual battery system for your RV). Having the solar generator and suitcase solar panels, the ability to charge from house current and maybe from a wind turbine will certainly help.
Building something from scratch, not trying tp bolster up an older system, is much different.
By the time you figure out which panels you want to use, get a converter that is a good match and do the wiring, using the correct connectors, route everything so you have no leaks, etc., you have done a ton of work on a system that may not have a warranty. This is fine for some, but plug and play means you can use it tomorrow. Many RVers do not want permanently affixed panels on their roof, they like to be able to top off the battery with panels they place in the sun, while parking in the shade.
These companies are building a product that was not around a few years ago. I suspect that as they get more popular and there is more feedback, the innovators that really build these products will come out with super efficient systems for a better price.
Being on the edge of technology is very expensive for the normal Joe, these all in one products are what most of us need.