SOK Lithium Battery on Amazon

JeffroNC

Due to the fact that we are home and I have too much time on my hands, I have been "researching."
Will Prowse did a favorable review on an SOK battery. I found this 100 AH model on Amazon. Link
It appears that it is a drop in replacement for the batteries in my 2019 TAB 400. US AGM 2224
2 SOK GC2 batteries = $1200
2 Battleborn GC2 batteries = $2100
Just saying. :-)

Comments?

Verna

My first question, @JeffroNC, are you really needing batteries right now?  Your AGM’s are expected to last 6+ years. 

Secondly, my 2019 400 did very well with 200 watts of solar and the batteries were able to keep up with 5 months of no electricity boondocking in Arizona. Cold fridge, cold ARB fridge/freezer, Alde on propane, water pump, 10 speed Fantastic Fan and lights. No generator.

So, the SOK is a bit more than half of the cost of Battleborns, one of the best on the market. How long have the SOK’s been in production? The Battleborns are tried and true. 

The Lithium’s can’t take the cold. I know Asheville is warmer than Indiana, but are you still going to need to protect the lithium batteries from the cold. To me that is a hassle. 

My new 320 was built on the premise that there is enough solar to allow it to be supplied with more lithium battery power as they get less expensive. But, is the SOK brand out there to bring the lithium batteries price down? Can the SOK compete with the established name brands as far as quality. I have too many questions and not enough answers to jump right now. My new dual AGM batteries should give me 6 years to think about it😉

4ncar

Is 100ah enough? 

Horigan

Having been intimately involved in the Boeing 787 battery issue, there is no way I would buy a Li battery for my T@b, or anywhere near my home, with only 12 reviews.  You want a battery from a well respected and experienced Li battery supplier.  An internal cell failure from a poor quality battery will burn your T@b down.

Plus 100ah isn't enough.

Tabnero

https://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/cylindrical-vs-prismatic-cells.php
these batteries are cheaper because they are prismatic and not cylindrical

Denny16

Also, Jeff would be replacing his two 6-volt AGM batteries with a total 200 amp rating (gives 100-140 amps useable) for two of these 12VDC 100 amp lithium’s, wired in parallel (instead of series like the AGM ), so,he would have 200 amps with 180-190 amps available, and a lighter payload.  If Jeff’s batteries are under the forwar part of his under bed pax locker (original 2019 location) having less weight here is a possible advantage, and having the same size is critical, as this space is restricted in total battery length to 20-21 inches.  Having same size, means the existing battery cover will also work.  So I see his attraction to these lithium replacements.

That said, I tend to agree with Verna, the 2019 Boondock with factory 193-watt solar and a dual 6-volt, 200 amp AGM batrery bank should give him enough power for most Boondock camping requirements.  We had the last of the single 220 amp AGM nüCamp batteries, that was not kept above its minimum charge level by the original owner, and had to be replaced.  The seller, (we bought previously owned late 2018 TaB400) replaced the OEM battery with another 200 amp Interstate AGM, same approximate size, which just fits in the battery location.  

So while Lithium has its appeal, the current setup is not broken, works well so far, and is going for the long haul.  Lithium prices will continue to drop, as quality and safety features improve.  So we are waiting until the AGM dies, then possibly get Lithium or ...?
cheers

VictoriaP

Verna said:

The Lithium’s can’t take the cold. I know Asheville is warmer than Indiana, but are you still going to need to protect the lithium batteries from the cold. To me that is a hassle. 

I just want to clarify here for newcomers who might be unaware. Lithium RV batteries (typically labeled LiFePo4) perform just fine down to 0°F. What Verna is referring to is that standard lithiums cannot be *charged* below 32°F or you will damage them. Many current brands have temp monitoring (BMS—Battery Monitoring System) that will not allow this to happen. Brands with models marketed specifically for cold temps have internal heaters that use the charge to raise the battery temp to a safe charging level before actually charging the battery.

If you’re in a region where cold temps affect your camping, look for a low temperature lithium, or plan to find a way to keep the battery area above 32°F. If you aren’t a winter camper, go with a cheaper non-heated solution and just store the batteries indoors over the winter. Because they aren’t as heavy as AGMs, it’s not nearly as difficult to do that. (Personally, I can’t lift my AGM, and it’s smaller than the ones in the 400.)

Marceline

VictoriaP said:

If you’re in a region where cold temps affect your camping, look for a low temperature lithium, or plan to find a way to keep the battery area above 32°F. If you aren’t a winter camper, go with a cheaper non-heated solution and just store the batteries indoors over the winter. Because they aren’t as heavy as AGMs, it’s not nearly as difficult to do that. (Personally, I can’t lift my AGM, and it’s smaller than the ones in the 400.)

For me, the lighter weight of the lithium battery has been a huge advantage. I store my trailer on a friend's property, and if I don't have a full charge on the battery when I park it I can just pull the battery out and take it home to put it on a charger. I would actually like to come up with a battery connection that would bring all the positive lines together so that I could easily take them off and put them back on. Some kind of busbar? Does anyone have any ideas?

CrabTab

What if you used a busbar with an Anderson or similar connector between the busbar  and the battery @Marceline? For simplicity you could even use the same connector at your charging station... 

Denny16

You should be able to get the bus connector nüCamp uses on the TaB400, I have one on order through our dealer:

The little black box between the battery box (far right) and inverter.  It has a buss connection for positive and negative connections.  The large wires going into the battery box connect the battery to the buss box.

Cheers

4ncar

@Horigan: my question was rhetorical, for the record.

JeffroNC

Thanks folks. Lots to think about. My batteries seem to be fine currently. I was fortunate to get the TAB a week after it was received by the dealer. Therefore, nobody had a chance to leave the lights on until the battery was dead. :-)

I have found that if I am in the sun, the solar does keep up. However, without a good solar day, I need to run my generator about every two days. I only need a couple of hours since I swapped out the converter for a Progressive Dynamics unit but still hate the noise.

Other than the basics, such as water pump, lights, 2-way fridge, and Aldi, we watch a recorded show on the TV, charge our devices, and I run my CPAP with the humidifier on.

The teardown Will did really impressed me. The same construction is used in the 100 Ah version. And, yes they fit in the current space. (under the bed in my 2019 400) As I understand it, the cold weather issue is that they should not be charged below freezing. The BMS in the battery takes care of that.

I might attack this with a DC to DC charger on the truck but too much idling is not good for the very expensive engine!

I need to get back to camping. Being home is too expensive.