All Things You Need to Know about RV Lithium Battery

The RV battery consists of two parts: the starter battery and the life battery. Starting the battery is responsible for the operation of the vehicle’s ignition, driving lights and driving system equipment power supply, etc. , simply put, it is the power reserve and output of the vehicle. The living battery is responsible for the support of household appliances, lighting and living equipment in the living area. The functions of the two are different but related. There are clear specifications and experience in the assembly, use, and maintenance of automobile starter batteries, but life batteries are much more vague.

There is an essential difference between the use requirements of living batteries and starting batteries. Starting the battery requires a large amount of current to be released in a short period of time to realize the ignition function of the car; while the life battery of the RV requires a stable current output over a long period of time to meet the needs of daily life.

RV Battery Application Trend

The application of RV life batteries is divided into two periods：

1. Early,lead-acid batteries or colloidal batteries were used as the living batteries of RV. Like the most used deep-cycle lead-acid batteries in RV, they can keep the power very low without affecting the life of the battery, but this kind of battery generally has disadvantages such as low power storage and large weight compared to the popular lithium-ion batteries.

2. In recent years, with the development of lithium battery technology, the safety and reliability of lithium batteries have been greatly improved. More and more RVmanufacturers have directly installed or optional lithium batteries for users at the factory, and RV users also like to modify the RVafter purchasing it. Compared with lead-acid batteries, the weight is smaller and the storage capacity is greater.

Characteristics of RV Lithium Batteries

The discharge process is balanced during normal lithium battery operation. In theory, the discharge of lithium batteries should pay attention to the discharge speed and depth. The discharge depth is the ratio of the discharge capacity to the nominal capacity.

The general specification is: lithium batteries between 2. 75V-3V can be used to charge the battery, because it is forbidden to “discharge” rechargeable batteries below 2. 75V, which also constitutes excessive fluctuations in the internal structure and electrolyte. Secondly, the overreaction of the negative electrode of the lithium battery causes its dielectric film to change shape, embed, and fall off, resulting in permanent loss. Lithium batteries are not suitable for over-discharge, and over-discharged lithium batteries are also very bad. Lithium batteries are very fragile, and their adaptability to charge and discharge fluctuations is much worse than nickel batteries, which will bring additional risks. Using the correct discharge method to discharge the lithium battery can make its service life longer.

Characteristics of RV Lithium Battery:

1. High weight-to-energy ratio and volume-to-energy ratio；
2. High voltage. The voltage of a single lithium battery is 3. 6V, which is equal to the series voltage of three nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries.
3. Self-discharge can be stored for a long time, which is an outstanding advantage of the battery；
4. There is no memory effect. Lithium batteries do not have the so-called recall effect of nickel-cadmium batteries, so lithium batteries do not need to be discharged before charging.
5. longevity. Under normal working conditions, the number of lithium battery charge and discharge cycles can reach more than 500 times.
6. Can be quickly charged. Generally, the charging capacity of lithium batteries can be 0. 5~1 times, so that the charging time can be shortened to 1~2 hours.
7. Can be used in parallel at will；
8. Since the battery does not contain heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, it is non-polluting to the environment and is currently a very advanced green battery.
9. The cost is too high. Compared with other rechargeable batteries, lithium batteries are more expensive.

Why do More and More People Recommend Lithium Batteries for RV?

(1) More Available Capacity

Unlike lead-acid batteries that rarely discharge more than 50% of their power, lithium batteries can regularly discharge 80% or more of their rated capacity.

For example, a 100Ah battery-if it is a lead-acid battery, you can only get 30~50Ah of power, but with lithium batteries you can use 80Ah or more. It is about twice as much as an equivalent rated lithium battery pack, just like using an AGM battery.

(2) Long Cycle Life

The cost of lithium batteries is about three times that of AGM batteries, but the longer life makes lithium batteries worth the money. Lithium batteries can be charged 5000 times and retain 80% of the original capacity, while the best deep-cycle AGM batteries usually only cycle 500-1000 times.

(3) High Output Current

Lithium batteries can be powered down at high current rates without losing Ah capacity, while lead-acid can be reduced to 40% of the Ah rating at high discharge rates. This means that lithium battery packs are much better when powering high-current loads such as microwave ovens or air conditioners.

(4) Fast Charging

The lithium battery can be quickly charged to full capacity because it can reach 0. 5C while the lead-acid is only 0. 2C. And the absorption mode is in the final stage of charging, not the typical 80% of lead-acid. This greatly reduces the charging time.

Note:

(1) When the battery is not in use for a long time, be sure to turn off all power supplies on the rv and check whether the battery still has discharge current!

If you don’t turn off all electrical appliances, even if the battery is very small, the battery will run out. Although the battery has a built-in smart BMS for over-discharge protection, long-term zero battery power will seriously affect battery life. Before parking and sealing the box, carefully check whether the power supply is turned off and charge the battery every three months.

(2) Battery Storage：

The environment in which lithium batteries are stored should be dry. It is not allowed to place the battery in places where it may leak, such as on the ground, so as to avoid short-circuiting the battery caused by leaking heating and rain windows. The battery pack should be kept away from combustible, flammable, and explosive items, and the old and new batteries should be stored separately. The battery should be stored with the class D fire extinguisher and respirator.

(3) Do not use high-power electrical appliances at the same time：

3000W is designed for most RV power supply systems, which can withstand the operation of high-power electrical appliances such as air conditioners and induction cookers. However, in order to protect the power supply system, attention should be paid to the power limit when using it, so as not to use high-power electrical appliances at the same time when turning on the air conditioner, such as induction cookers or hair dryers. Excessive current may cause the protection of the RV power supply system, resulting in power failure.

How to Choose RV Lithium Battery

1.Understand the brand and specifications. If you do not understand the label capacity of lithium batteries (such as 2200mAh or 4400mAh), you can use inferior batteries or recycle waste batteries to reassemble. The market is full of many cheap lithium batteries, which are made from batteries or disassembled batteries. Of course, the cost is cheap, but the life is short and the quality is unstable. Careless use may damage the phone or even burst.

2.Whether to guarantee standby time. The standby life refers to the continuous service life of the equipmentfrom the installation of the lithium battery to the next charge. Generally, lithium batteries sold on the market cannot guarantee the service life of customers. This is due to the unstable battery quality. Many cheap batteries have a short service life due to the use of inferior batteries.

3.Whether there is a safety protection circuit. The characteristics of lithium batteries determine that lithium batteries must be added to the protective plate. In order to avoid the occurrence of environmental phenomena such as overcharge, over discharge and short circuit of lithium batteries, lithium batteries without the protective plate will have hidden dangers such as deformation, leakage, and detonation. Under the fierce cost competition, various battery factories seek lower price-level protection circuits, which may be the basis of equipment, filling the market with explosive lithium batteries. Consumers can’t tell from the appearance whether there is a protective circuit board, which is the best choice for committed merchants to buy.

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