Lithium Battery in a T4 California (T4 Westfalia Camper for CA market)

[neofeudal]

Can I replace my lead acid battery with a Lithium battery and that's that? Will the built-in charger work fine to charge a Lithium battery? Or might this get *complicated* (in which case, I'll just put in a new lead acid battery, I think!). Thanks!

 

[sidepod]

If it’s the original charger I doubt it’ll work with lithium.

Replace with gel not lead acid.

 

[Cooper68]

Huge amount of info on Lithium here……

Lithium LifePo4 12v Batteries - Time For An Upgrade?

Lithium Batteries are the future, (keep checking back for the latest news/edits) ************************************************** Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread ************************************************** Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --...

www.t6forum.com

 

[yossarian]

You can but it would be very complicated. Problem 1 a Lithium battery can absorb enough power to melt your alternator. Problem 2 some lithium chemistries are quite flammable. Problem 3 lithium needs protection from extreme temperatures.

It's doable and some batteries are marketed as drop in replacements but it's sure to be complicated.

 

[AlanC]

Problem 4 is that a Lithium battery requires a different charging system to Lead Acid.
A built-in Battery Management System (BMS) may work but may not. Given the cost of Lithium, is it worth it?

Alan

 

[neofeudal]

Thanks guys! I went with two 80Ah AC Delco Marine batteries (AGM type), to be wired in parallel. If anybody anticipates trouble with that, do let me know! Thank you again for your help!

 

[sidepod]

It’ll be interesting to see how the overhead display behaves with a battery that big ie the number of bars showing with a full charge.

The reason I say this, is I previously had a 140Ah battery. Recently replaced with a 180Ah and the display doesn’t seem to work quite as well. I’m not convinced it’s charging fully. That said, I’ve tested the fridge for duration and it’s fine.

Let us know.

 

[neofeudal]

I seem to be just seeing the first bar and last bar. Not sure if that means it is not getting a level reading...assuming that is the case. Battery charged well, though, and refrigerator kicked on as it should. So I am pretty happy. Would love to know teh elevel, though!

 

[Mike Rogers]

It is definitely possible to use a Lithium battery, and with prices coming down quickly you might want to go in that direction given all their advantages. I removed the Westfalia charging system altogether and installed a dedicated DC-DC battery charger that also allows solar panel inputs. (uses solar when there is enough power available from them).
Choosing a battery (probably hundreds out there now), you will have to make sure of a few things:

1 ) the BMS (battery management system) on the battery itself must protect against the usual stuff - High current drain, low voltage/high voltage cutoff, high battery temperature etc.. Most lithium batteries on the market now have all that... BUT they don't all have LOW temperature protection (that is usually available for an additional $200 or so). Lithium batteries are damaged if you attempt to charge them when they are below 0 deg C (32 F). If you never see that cold, then don't worry about it. Some offer heating systems to enable the battery use in winter.

2) You need a DC-DC charger system to allow safe charging from your vehicle alternator/main battery or a solar system. The charger will effectively limit the current drain from your main to something reasonable like 30A, and as well to stop stealing power from the main battery when the available voltage is getting too low. You seriously NEED this to protect your main battery. If you try to drop the Li battery in without it, it will draw too much power and overload your alternator and possibly burn up some important wiring! Here is an example of a good DC-DC charger system:

Renogy 30A MPPT DC to DC Battery Charger 12V Car Battery Charger On-Board Charger​

You should also add an in-line fuse between your alternator and the charger just to be absolutely safe.
Many Li batteries also have a bluetooth output that allows you to see what is going on (%charge, current draw, voltage, temperature etc) from your smartphone. That is a nice option for real geeks like me.
Unfortunately you will have to give up on some of the functionality of the Westfalia charging system. I can only see the battery voltage on the overhead panel now.

 

[sidepod]

Quality intel.