Which lithium system is best for you?

Lithium batteries power many people's RV life. Consider the following as you make your selection:

• How much Amp-hour capacity do you want?

  This is usually limited by budget, space constraints and weight limits. Nobody complains about having too much lithium as long as it fits and isn’t making too much of a dent in the budget. AM Solar tech support can give you a recommendation if you need help.
  A couple of useful rules of thumb:
  -Every 200Ah of lithium capacity will run an air conditioner for about 1 hour.
  -An alternator charger will be able to add about 100Ah of energy per hour of drive time.
  -It will take about 400W of solar to charge 100Ah of energy in one day.

• How much current do you need?

  You will need about 100A per 1000W of inverter capacity. In other words, a 3000W inverter may require three or four lithium batteries (depending on the model) to be able to supply its loads. Remember that parallel-connected batteries can provide double the current of a single battery. You will also need to consider the charging current. If you have a Cyrix or relay-based battery combiner, your lithium battery bank will need to be able to handle 150A of charging current.

• Will your target amp-hour rating and current limit fit in the battery bay?

  We offer a variety of lithium battery brands that come in a variety of sizes. Look at the dimensions closely. Make measurements. Check tongue weight limits. Verify that the RV battery bank current matches what your inverter and loads will draw. The price estimates in the chart below assume that the batteries will fit with no modifications to your rig.

• What kind of environment will your batteries be in?

  Too cold: If you plan to use your rig in areas where the temperature could drop below freezing make sure you have batteries that have an automatic charge disconnect or a feature that will prevent them from freezing. Putting a charge on lithium batteries that do not have a cold charge disconnect system at temperatures below 0° C can damage the batteries.
  Too hot: Heat can be an issue for some lithium batteries. If you camp in hot areas consider how warm your battery bay might get and think about ventilation.
  Too dirty: Although batteries are dust and moisture resistant, consider that they are expensive and may last a decade. You might consider a custom battery box.

  Do you want Bluetooth monitoring?
  Some lithium batteries come with elaborate built-in Bluetooth monitoring systems that can show everything from temperature to state of charge. Other lithium batteries do not come with any form of Bluetooth monitoring but can be paired with external monitors. Bluetooth monitoring is rarely a necessity, but it can make troubleshooting easier.

• What kind of company do you want to buy from?

  Lithium batteries are a big investment and have the potential to outlast your rig. You may want to expand your system in the future, in which case you would need matching batteries. You may be worried about warranty replacements. You may be worried about obsolescence. You may want something that is the same brand as your other components in your system in case there is a problem and you don’t want tech support to point the finger at “the other guy.”

• Does it fit the budget?

  A lithium battery is an investment. Perhaps your ideal lithium system ends up being $6,000 but you only have a budget for $2,000 of batteries. If so, let’s talk about AGM. An AGM battery is less expensive than a lithium battery because the material is expensive and hard to come by.