Thread: Engel Smart Battery Box 2 - Batteries

Try lead crystal batteries. They are similar to lithium (in that you can discharge them to basically 0, and they charge quickly) without the lithium price.
LEAD CRYSTAL BATTERIES | Powered by Betta Batteries

Hi Garry and I'll cover your last comment first.


These days, there is nothing to be gained in using a PURE sine wave inverter over a MODIFIED sine wave inverter.


The only time a MODIFIED sine wave inverter caused problems was when powering older “transformer” type computers power supplies. These could get very hot when powered from anything but the BEST PURE sine wave inverters.


Today, with the price of pure sine wave inverters around the same price as a good quality modified sine wave inverter, there are not to many NEW modified sine wave inverters available.


As to battery type, before you try to work out which battery type is going to best serve your needs, you need to consider which battery is the LIGHTEST.


I have had quite a few customers who have setups similar to what your are considering, and after just one or two trips, their "PORTABLE" battery box stays in the back of their vehicle at all times while they are away camping. And note, none of them has had a battery bigger than 100Ah and you are thinking about a 140Ah battery. Don’t think about the battery, think about what it is going to do to your back!


Last but not least, that 6 amp DC/DC device is absolutely useless.


If you get a 140Ah deep cycle battery of any type, and you discharge it down to it’s safe limit of 20% SoC, then you need to replace around 110Ah of used capacity and using that 6 amp DC/DC to recharge the battery back over 95%, you will need to drive for at least 20 hours straight.


To add to this problem, you posted you will be running your fridge off the battery while recharging it. You will now need to drive for at least 30 hours straight.


This is not realistic!


Can I make a suggestion?


You posted that you will charge the battery with solar while at a campsite.


You want to power a fridge while at a campsite, but are you going to do some driving trips while your campsite is setup?


If you are staying in the one place, then leave the battery box in the back of your Rangy and run an extension lead to your campsite.


You can also use a “T” junction to allow you to use the solar at the same time.


If you do go for trips, then you will need to look at different way that you might use this type of setup.

Originally Posted by DI5CO

Try lead crystal batteries. They are similar to lithium (in that you can discharge them to basically 0, and they charge quickly) without the lithium price.
LEAD CRYSTAL BATTERIES | Powered by Betta Batteries

Thanks for that tip.

What battery setting are they charged on.

cheers

Hi Garry and Di5co, you need a special charger for Lead Crystal batteries or they will have a very short lifespan.

I would not recommend them for anything but a specially set up system.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Garry and I'll cover your last comment first.

As to battery type, before you try to work out which battery type is going to best serve your needs, you need to consider which battery is the LIGHTEST.

Thanks for the the inverter information.

I have one of my normal 100Ah lead acid batteries in the box at the moment and can lift it OK - would be nice to have a handle on top as well as the sides. 140Ah is the maximum it can take not necessarily what I will put in it.

I was not going to buy one of these, it was a gift so is extra to my current setup which already has a starter/deep cycle in the camper which meets all the basic needs and will start the car if I had an issue with its starter battery. I am not worried about the time the battery pack might charge in the car - if for some reason the battery is real low I will plug the pack directly into my rear Andersen Plug so the inbuilt Dc Dc charger is bypassed so the Pack will get the full blast from the RRS alternator - these battery packs are very flexible in the options you have to charge its battery.

So of the various deep cycle batteries, which do you consider will give me the best "bang" for expenditure.

Cheers

Garry

Hi Garry, good quality AGMs would be Fullriver and an Alrounder is probably the best economic type deep cycle.

Ok thanks - so AGM as against the other type of Deepcycle.

I have heard good things on Fullriver and I have had a good run out of the Supercharge Allrounder. The combined starter/deepcycle Allrounder I have in my camper is now 10 years old and is charged on a smart charger every 4 weeks while the camper is in storage. It started off in my 24v 101 as the aux battery for 12v services and went to flat on a couple of occasions but always came good, then 4 years ago went into the camper. The starter battery in the RRS is also a Supercharge and has been running great.

Thanks for the advice.

Garry

Fullriver batteries are great - I have 2 in my caravan and they've moved there from 3 other previous setups over the last 7 years and they are still going strong. I don't hurt them much though and rarely see them below 70% soc and they are connected to a 500 watt solar system 365 days a year running the 90 litre Engel in the van which never gets switched off or run on 240 as I've found no need for this. I have some neighbours that have gone through 2 sets of 'budget' agm's in 2 years. You do get what you pay for with batteries I've found.