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My 2018 TAB 400 Battery Upgrade

ChasBGChasBG Member Posts: 10
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
We recently purchased a 2018 TAB 400 with the single large AGM.  I'm sure this has been discussed many times but I thought it might be useful to add another install to the knowledge base.

I bought two of the new LiTime trolling motor batteries.  These have low-temp shutdown and got very good reviews from both Will Prowse and Ross Lukeman.  They seem like a great value.  I was able to apply a discount code on two batteries from the LiTime scratch and dent section for $482 total.  I added a Victron IP22 12/30/1 smart charger and 712 smart BMS and shunt.  I've got each battery connected to buss bars directly through 100A Blue Sea ANL fuses.  I flipped the stock inverter to put it where the old battery was and installed the two new batteries and the buss bars and shunt under the middle bunk storage hatch.  I've plugged the IP22 into the outlet for the fridge.  When I'm on shore power I switch off the batter switch and the charger charges the batteries without interference from WFCO and the WFCO powers the 12v loads.  It seems to be working great.  The Victron smart app is very handy for setting things up and monitoring it.  Looking forward to adding a Victron smart solar controller and suitcase panel soon.

2018 T@B 400 "Fara"
TV = 2021 Ford Explorer Sport "Misty"
Other camper - 1971 Mitchell Truck Camper on 1970 F250 Camper Special "The Turtle"
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Comments

  • HammickHammick Member Posts: 80
    Very nice install.  Those LiTimes are supposed to be great batteries.  I would do more research on the low temp shutdown though.  I don't think they have low temp shutdown unless LiTime has upgraded the BMS on the newer models.  No worries as the Victron chargers have configurable low temp shutdown.
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  • ChasBGChasBG Member Posts: 10
    The trolling motor batteries do have low temp shut off.  Will Prowse took his sample apart and was very complementary about the construction of the batteries and commented on the new BMS used for this battery.  Here are the two videos that sold me on this battery.

    2018 T@B 400 "Fara"
    TV = 2021 Ford Explorer Sport "Misty"
    Other camper - 1971 Mitchell Truck Camper on 1970 F250 Camper Special "The Turtle"
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  • HammickHammick Member Posts: 80
    ChasBG said:
    The trolling motor batteries do have low temp shut off.  Will Prowse took his sample apart and was very complementary about the construction of the batteries and commented on the new BMS used for this battery.  Here are the two videos that sold me on this battery.

    Thanks.  I watched the first video.  Looks like a great battery and I'd definitely be buying those if my TAB didn't come with the Battleborns.  
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  • rfuss928rfuss928 Member Posts: 1,021
    ChasBG  Make sure any connections to your positive bus bar are fused appropriately for their wire gage.  Typically 30 amps for the 10awg to the converter.  You have 200 amp service from your batteries to the bus bar and the smaller gage wires need to be fused close to their connection.  Those smaller  wires will get very hot, very fast well before the 100 amp fuses will blow should a short occur.
    Be careful.  Have fun!
    Bob

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  • ChasBGChasBG Member Posts: 10
    edited March 25
    rfuss928 said:
    ChasBG  Make sure any connections to your positive bus bar are fused appropriately for their wire gage.  Typically 30 amps for the 10awg to the converter.  You have 200 amp service from your batteries to the bus bar and the smaller gage wires need to be fused close to their connection.  Those smaller  wires will get very hot, very fast well before the 100 amp fuses will blow should a short occur.
    Be careful.  Have fun!
    Bob
    Yep the 30A to the WFCO fuse panel through the original battery switch is still there, the IP22 has an integrated 40A.  One reason I took separate jumpers from the battery to the buss bar is so I could use 4 AWG instead of 2AWG.  The bend radius of 4 AWG is a lot easier to deal with in confined space.  Each of those has it's own dedicated 100A ANL within the recommended 7" of the battery, so I actually have 100A service x2 to the buss bar.  4 AWG is adequate for about 8ft at 12VDC/100A and I may have a total of 1.5ft between each battery and buss bar.  The inverter still has it's 150A ANL. 
    You'll also notice that there are separate returns from the negative buss bar to the shunt and from the shunt to the negative terminals on the batteries.  The lengths of the positive and negative jumpers are very close to equal so the batteries charge evenly.  This is a better approach than daisy chaining the batteries which results in a combined amperage from the end battery to the buss bar (bigger wire and bigger fuse required) as well as unequal resistance between the two batteries.

    I do think it's probably a good idea to put an in-line fuse on the IP22.  I have one I just have not installed yet.
    2018 T@B 400 "Fara"
    TV = 2021 Ford Explorer Sport "Misty"
    Other camper - 1971 Mitchell Truck Camper on 1970 F250 Camper Special "The Turtle"
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