2023 Tab 400

Venat · April 27

Hey everyone,

I am very fortunate to have recently purchased a used 2023 Tab 400 from an incredible previous owner.

It's an Overland version however it does not have the lithium back. So it has the base 100Ah Battleborn battery,1200W inverter and I believe a 310W solar panel.

We are mostly weekend / 3 day weekend campers. Previously renting trailers. I want to be able to run the AC (conservatively) off grid during this period.

My initial plan was to order some new batteries but the Battleborn batteries are quite expensive, I recognize I could potentially mix batteries in parallel but I've also heard that the charger may get confused. The trailer also doesn't seem to have any way to see the battery capacity (as far as I am aware).

My question is can I safely buy some cheaper 100Ah 12volt batteries and connect them in parallel or would I be better off just getting a Powerstation and using it as a 110 volt external hookup.
(something like this)

The one benefit of going the PowerStation route is during winter my neighborhood suffers from frequent power outages and this could help power us.

Thank you kindly!

AnOldUR · April 27

I'd ditch the Battle Born. They have reported defects. There are many quality LiFePO4's in the 300Ah range that can be found in the $300 to $400 range.

Regardless, running your AC for more than a few hours will take a lot of battery and solar to support it. It works, but don't expect a lot. We're not gas/propane generator fans, but that's the only way to use AC for extended periods while dry camping.

edit to add that if your trailer is parked at home, you can use it as a power station during outages. You'll might need to upgrade the inverter, but that will cost you less than purchasing a power station and be better for dry camping.

Venat · April 27

AnOldUR said:

I'd ditch the Battle Born. They have reported defects. There are many quality LiFePO4's in the 300Ah range that can be found in the $300 to $400 range.

Regardless, running your AC for more than a few hours will take a lot of battery and solar to support it. It works, but don't expect a lot. We're not gas/propane generator fans, but that's the only way to use AC for extended periods while dry camping.

Thanks that was the other idea, I'm not a fan of waste so I was hoping to continue to use the very unused Battleborn battery but seems to make sense to just replace it with a big boy battery.

RTWCTS · April 27

You'll also need to upgrade your inverter and related wiring if you plan to run AC while boondocking @Venat. Search out discussions on the lithium upgrade package for the 400, they'll describe the components better than I can.
To know your battery capacity, you can get a shunt. Many folks go with the Victron brand since that matches your MPPT solar controller in the T@B (they can be linked together). There are, of course, other reputable brands.
The rooftop solar on my 2023 T@B 400 is not a 310W panel. I believe it is closer to 200W. I don't think they started using the bigger panel until a later model year.
After chasing boondocking power with multiple trailer upgrades, the surefire way I found to run AC boondocking was the purchase of our Silverado EV, with a 205KWH battery. We can just hook up the 30A plug into the bed powerbase outlet. Running everything on electricity in our 2023 T@B 400 uses about 7% of the truck's energy capacity per day. We still usually run on trailer batteries when boondocking, except when the heat becomes insufferable
Good luck on your power journey. I hope you have as much fun learning as I have!

Venat · May 2

AnOldUR said:

I'd ditch the Battle Born. They have reported defects. There are many quality LiFePO4's in the 300Ah range that can be found in the $300 to $400 range.

Regardless, running your AC for more than a few hours will take a lot of battery and solar to support it. It works, but don't expect a lot. We're not gas/propane generator fans, but that's the only way to use AC for extended periods while dry camping.

edit to add that if your trailer is parked at home, you can use it as a power station during outages. You'll might need to upgrade the inverter, but that will cost you less than purchasing a power station and be better for dry camping.

Hey this is also what the dealership suggested. Any particular brands you'd recommend? From what I understand just getting one that is 300Ah 12v should be a direct hot swap. Do I need to change any settings on the solar controller?

AnOldUR · May 3

It's probably safe to use the same setting that you're now using for your Battle Born, but I'd check with the setting recommendations from what ever battery manufacture that you go with.

If you upgrade to a larger inverter, you'll probably have to go with larger wire size between the battery and inverter. Other than that, it's a direct swap.

Venat · May 6

AnOldUR said:

It's probably safe to use the same setting that you're now using for your Battle Born, but I'd check with the setting recommendations from what ever battery manufacture that you go with.

If you upgrade to a larger inverter, you'll probably have to go with larger wire size between the battery and inverter. Other than that, it's a direct swap.

Thanks so much.

2023 Tab 400

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