12v or 6vx2?

rich67

Ok I’m getting ready to upgrade the setup on my T@g Boondock, as the marine battery is pretty much toast. I have the factory solar system and the Norcold 12v. I want the best bang for my buck without going overboard on price. I have found an AGM 12v with 100ah for $500, or I could go with two 6v golf cart batteries (not sure what kind of battery, but they are rated at around 130ah each) in series for around 400 for the whole setup. My concerns are: 1) I want it to fit in the stock battery/ propane box, (2) I need about 4-5 days of good run time off grid with minimal generator assistance in good weather, and (3) want it to be compatible with the existing VictronConnect charge controller that comes with my T@g. In other words, I’m trying to do this on a budget and yet still maintain a good degree of sustainability and minimal worry. If anyone has any battery recommendations without heading into the price of the Battle Born batteries, please feel free to post those up as well. Thanks, I need to get this done in the next couple months to prepare for some upcoming ventures.

Sharon_is_SAM

@rich67 - the Victron Connect will work with any 12V setup. You can find cheaper 12V 100 Ah AGMs - look at Duracell and Renogy. You can also get a larger, single 12V AGM. @Fourman110 installed two 6V Duracell, but it doesn’t look like the LPG will fit. I think you can get around 230 Ahrs with the 6Vs. In cloudy weather, that will give you at least 100 Ahrs before you need to recharge.

JamesDow

I was in your same situation. I bit the bullet and spent the money for lithium ($799). Part of my decision was based on the faster rate of recharge with lithium. No name lithium can be had for $200 less than what I paid. One consideration is how much cold camping you intend to do. Some battery types do better than others.

Below is a link to my writeup.

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/1278/changing-to-lithium-battery-with-standard-2018-t-g-non-boondock#latest

Fourman110

@Sharon_is_SAM said:
@rich67 - the Victron Connect will work with any 12V setup. You can find cheaper 12V 100 Ah AGMs - look at Duracell and Renogy. You can also get a larger, single 12V AGM. @Fourman110 installed two 6V Duracell, but it doesn’t look like the LPG will fit. I think you can get around 230 Ahrs with the 6Vs. In cloudy weather, that will give you at least 100 Ahrs before you need to recharge.

Sharon is Sam is right on my setup. With two 6v batteries the 25 gallon gas tank won't fit. But.... 25 tank is complete overkill in my book. Its kind of like having a 100 gallon water tank on the little teardrop... just overkillWe cook 2 or usually 3 meals a day for a week and maybe use one 1lb cylinder. It just takes a $6 adapter to switch. Details on how I did it are included in my My Mods post. Some people use a 5 lb refillable instead.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

rich67

Thank you guys..I’m now checking out lithium, which seems like it will be better for our use…

rich67

Just ordered my 12v 100ah lithium iron phosphate. Looking forward to checking it out...

JamesDow

Update on charging my Renogy 100AH Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery.

Plugged my Renogy 100 Watt solar suitcase into the battery this morning.

8:00 AM - High clouds, no direct sun on panel. -- Battery Scope-Of-Charge = 93.9% (Output 13.6 Volts per Voyager solar controller)

10:00 AM - High Clouds, no direct sun on panel. -- Battery Scope-Of-Charge = 100.0% (Output 14.0 Volts per Voyager solar controller)

This is the first time I have got to 100% as confirmed by my Renogy Monitoring Screen connected directly to the battery management System (BMS) using RJ45 communication cable.

Under normal boondock camping charging in plus 90 degrees exterior temps, I have the norcold refrigerator on (31 degrees during the day) and are often charging up phones, and USB power blocks as necessary. These additional draws interfere with getting up to 100% in the field.

I am pleased with these results. I have high confidence that on my upcoming 40 day cross country trip, I will not run into power issues. I also added today a on/off switch to the charging line from my Tow Vehicle (TV) to the T@G. This will allow me control as to when I want to use the TV alternator to charge and it also can eliminate any draw from the T@G battery back into the TV battery.

JohnnyLoco

I stopped trying to reinvent the wheel at home, hunting camps, and the T@G. I use a regular deep cycle on the tongue and portable lithium wonder units for serious concerns. I did 6v series and charging components for 30 years but times have moved past all or that.

https://ecoflow.com/pages/delta-pro

https://www.bluettipower.com

rich67

LifePo4 install done. Fit in the existing box like a glove, and is half the weight of the lead acid battery that came with the Tag. I had to adjust some settings on the solar charge controller, specifically had to switch over to Lithium. I can say that while I was hooked to shore power for a short time, the battery charged up FAST. Can't wait to give it a shot boondocking and with the panels charging it. I have to devise some kind of tie-down; I am thinking a simple strap system that is anchored to the bottom of the box over a tray.

JamesDow

Congratulations! Love the easy install (no box). Simple strap should do the trick.
Good price on the battery.
Hope you do not run into any low temp charging protection issues.
.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQUhjDkQY5Q

rich67

Yes, I noticed the low temp shutoff via the controller is set to 41 degrees Fahrenheit..but I am not sure if that means the controller will take charge of the low temp issue, or if it relies solely on the battery electronics to halt low temp charging. Thanks for the link, very informative.