Can you run the Alde heater at a low level when you are driving if it gets cold to keep the lithium

CCC

batteries charging?

XenanMe

It isn’t recommended to drive with the propane on.  In some areas it is actually illegal.  You would probably be better off purchasing a 12 volt battery blanket/heating pad instead.

VictoriaP

Aside from legality & safety issues, leaving the Alde on propane while driving is impractical. People have tried it and the burner blows out. Same often happens when you try to run a 3 way fridge on propane while driving.

If you are concerned about lithium getting too cold, either get self heating lithiums or wire up a 12v tank blanket for them. Don’t depend on the Alde to be of use while in transit.

Or stick with AGMs, which are less finicky temperature-wise.

Sharon_is_SAM

I believe Alde warns to not run the boiler while traveling.

pthomas745

It will work.  The Alde is vented differently than the fridge.  First day in my trailer, drove 200 miles not realizing the Alde was on.  It was pretty warm inside the trailer before I figured it out.

The problem with lithium and temperatures is with charging.  If the batteries are below freezing, they will be damaged if charging is applied.  The BMS in a lithium has a temp sensor (some do not) that will cut off charging below freezing.  Solar controllers can be equipped with them, too. Some batteries have heaters.  So, check the battery manual to figure out how your battery handles this issue.

ChanW

@pthomas745, you actually got your Tab to warm up while on the road?!?

When we tried it, it definitely didn't work. The Alde stayed lit but the Tab had so much "ventilation" at 50mph that it didn't retain the heat. 

Now that I think about it though, that was early on in my 'Tab education', probably before I learned that the AC vent should be covered, as well as the 3-way fridge waste-heat vent, and before I closed up the gap in the insulation under the back shelf (which inadvertantly came from the factory open to the outside! ).

It also was @ 0°F outside.
I knew we had a problem when I saw stalactites hanging from the water faucet!

I might be willing to try it again some cold camping weekend!

pthomas745

It was October in AZ/CA, so only 50 or so!  I'm fairly sure we had cranked the Alde up inside the big garage where the walkthrough happened, sow we probably had to have it at 85 to kick in.  I think your experience is more representative.  Might "work" at a sunny 50, but certainly not well in Icicle Country.

DenisP

An alternative would be a Lithium battery with internal heater.  BattleBorn has heated batteries and there are other manufacturers with heater options.

Dutch061

If you are using Battleborn, they have a very intelligent and capable BMS that will prevent issues. In our 2020 400 BDL, the batteries are all under the bed and I have the Temperature Sensor with the BMV-712. I haven't seen temps below 50 degrees F while traveling, but we stop and warm things up each night. This is even when the daytime temperature was in the mid 30's and high winds.

We had overvnight temperatures in the mid 20's a couple of times and no issues due to the Alde being on.

Brad