Following Will Prowes, I was able to put solar in my 40' 5th wheel and everything works...my plug in's, my full size house fridge freezer, my Wynter freezer, abd my smaller appliances and all at once...I am a retired female living alone....in Colorado.. Thank u SOOO much Will...u r my hero, I have 265 in solar and 4 agm batteries...going lithium in 2023...😁😁😁
@666J6R6M6666 Very few DIY solar products are UL/HOA approved. If you want a 100% code-friendly system, you need a professional installer. If you have the skill/confidence and lax codes in your area, DIY solar/battery systems can save a huge amount of money over professional installtions.
Hmm, retired female... Colorado... alone, could use a handy gentleman, who's self sustaining... Ummm, yeah, my name's Garry, I'm a retired Judge/craftsman, pleasure to make your acquaintance Donna. What books are you looking at now?
You can also get a solar charge controller that has low temperature disconnect and use that with lithium batteries that don't have a BMS with low-temperature disconnect
Thank you, Bob Wells, always leading the way to bring RVers the latest and best information and equipment reviews. Will Prowse is absolutely amazing to watch and he demonstrates and explains all things electrical, so well. The two of you make a great support team.
Thank you, Bob. Huge gratitude for this marvelous, game changing, life changing good news. So well presented, easy to understand. Love that Will Prowse fella, you introduced. Wishing you, team and all, happy trails. 🙏🏼🐾🎶
I always go with your recommendations. I went with a Bluetti AC200P and I love it. One of the reasons I went with it was because I wanted a product that would last a long time. A solar generator worked best for me because of my situation. I appreciate you and the information you share.
Hello Bob, I've lived off road over 20 years. And watching your videos as enlightened my life. Finding better ways to chill my food power my home. I never been able to afford the higher price batteries on my budget. But I see there are better batteries now. Thanks so much
We put solar on our house but SCE suddenly began messing with us and has turned off power to our end of the street 4x this year. So we are looking at batteries & this is really helpful info. Thank you Bob!
You probably hear this all the time, but you really are a great guy Bob. You have helped so many people who you will probably never meet, and I am one of them. Lived in my truck and teardrop for many years and used to watch your videos a lot, made me feel like I wasn't so alone. Anyhow, I've had housing for a while now, but may be losing it soon. But at least now, I know that I can do it and will not be crippled with fear by the thought of doing it once again. Just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my Heart for being the genuine man that you are.
Four months too late for us, but great advice and video! I had 2 top end AGMs installed in January rather than Battle Born. It’s all a learning process and your videos are so helpful! Making many notes preparing for our next rig. Thank you Bob.
Great comment, this is a rapidly changing market, batteries are way cheaper than they were a year ago, and probably more expensive than they will be a year from now. Buy what you need when you need it and not before. I just bought 412 Ah of SOK batteries for about $2200. Happy, but I won't follow the price after they're in use, it'll drive me crazy.
I have the SOK 206 amp hour battery and it was the best $1029 I ever spent. I run ICECO 65, lights, TV, DVD player, computer and it never drops below 90% with one 175 watt solar even on rainy days
Great Video Bob!!..Very well explained and since I'm now just getting into solar on my Class C, I find all, and I mean all, of your videos and opinions greatly appreciated and very helpful. Will probably go with the less expensive battery for my application, but the superior battery choice would be well worth the investment. Keep up the great work my friend..we all appreciate you very much! Stay safe and enjoy your living! Hope to meet you someday..Bill in Las Vegas..
We read Will’s book on building a solar system. Easy to follow and we now have three Battleborns in our rig. Awesome because I never worry about running out of power. The only time they do not charge is in thick smoke.
Bought the SOK 206 ah when it first came out. Put it in a small plastic cooler with a $15 reptile aquarium pad heater and paired it up with the Renogy DCC50S MPPT charge controller which charges from solar or alternator or both at the same time. Got 2x 200watt solar panels and run everything through a 3000-watt inverter. Keep in mind the max continuous amp discharge of your battery (100 amps=1200 watts w/this model) I always double up on my needed inverter's spec'd wattage output to prolong its lifetime. I'm a happy camper! Great battery and the company stand behind their products.
Good point about premium acid battery being the same as the low-end lithium battery; so the Lifepro ($389.00-...10/17/-22) is the best for my situation. Your channel is the best as you cover many possibilities of RV traveling/living. Thank you 🙏
I follow Will, too. I recently purchased my first LiFePo4 battery in components an d assembled it myself. 280 amp hours for $750. I learned a lot by doing it this way.
Thank You Bob I will need to upgrade my Batteries in about a year. I believe. Using First Interstate deep cell and they are AGM however haven’t missed a lick.
Good you mentioned the cold climate issues with lithium batteries in general, if in a camper take them out in cold weather especially for charging. A great product with limitations.
Will Prowse is a great recommendation. He is one of the most knowledgeable RUclipsrs when it comes to Solar, Batteries, Power Stations and more. Everytime I watch one of your videos I understand why I trust you because of the people you associate with. Thank You for all you do.
Will is definitely the go-to guy for anything related to solar. You can also buy beehive heaters and take them to your batteries to keep them warm. To have them come on automatically you would have to connect them to an electronic thermostat or a switch if you know the temperatures going to fall down below or close to freezing I wouldn't go past 40° personally
Thanks for the info. When I buy battery's it will be the SOK. In the 1980s I installed large home solar systems and the major flaw they all had was the lead acid battery's, they were expensive required routine Maintenace very heavy and potentially explosive. They would last about 5-6 years and replacing them cost as much as half of the electricity the system made. The systems only made sense when commercial electricity was not available.
Good video. I have had my SOKs for 2 yrs. Love them. I can go 4 days without having to skimp on my usage with my two 100AH SOKs. One thing you may want to mention, if the viewer is currently running lead acid, they will also need to upgrade their battery charger/converter or at least change the settings.
good point we went with 2 BB then SOK came out and got 2 they play very well together I should also mention the LiFePO4 battery Isolation manager if you plan on using your Alternator LiFePO4 will burn up an Alternator
@@zeeb6 Interesting - Battle Born came out with a video saying that their batteries are "Plug and play" for those who currently have lead acid batteries - that nothing in the charging system or the alternator needs to be changed (due to the onboard BMS)
I have two 200 amp hour Ampere time batteries in my Toyota Dolphin which work with my 1040 watts of solar to help power a small air conditioner and my fridge etc. bc of the worry of cold (I am in Florida currently and there were a few days earlier this year it did get cold) so my friend who set up my system had me get a heating pad and we plugged the Rv in those few nights. I had to go out every few hrs to restart the heating pad (for safety reasons it shuts off on a timer) but he helped save my batteries. I don’t want to stay in cold places anyway but having those heating pads definitely came in handy. I like the idea of the temp gauge. Will ask my friend abt that as well. Thank u for this video!
Was just out camping and my 6 year old lead acid battery on my trailer was struggling. I am going to go with an SOK. I watch Will Prowse's channel. Will take his recommendation and buy used panels for the solar. My current solar setup is not permanent. Afraid the portable panel may walk away some day.
Thank you so much for doing these videos. They've helped us a lot in deciding what to get. I did buy two 100 amp hour lithium batteries for $365 a piece. So far they work great. I'm betting that by the time these batteries die that I'll be able to replace them for half of what these original batteries cost so I really didn't want to spend five or $600 per battery at this time.
Lithium has really changed being able to live comfortably in the boonies without those awful generators in the last couple of years:) Yes, Will Prowse is the man for solar and lithium technology. Good point about not having use of the battery and damage if it freezes and then try to charge! Freezing is ok, but trying to charge while frozen is terrible. Yeah SOK to protect the cold battery. It has a low temp guage and will cut off if too cold. . SOK has a bluetooth with heater to charge. 630. Love the smaller size too.
I got the Ampere Time 200ah-Plus that allows for a full 200 amp discharge if it needs it. It was around $950 at the time last year. I spoke with the manufacturer in China about my method to heat it if it needs it. I told them that somebody makes a 12v heating blanket for RV water tanks. That's good enough. I ventilate the mechanical room where the batteries go. A small 12v computer fan pulls living space air out through the mechanical room where that warmer air can keep the plumbing and the batteries warm enough to charge. If I get cold I can turn on the heat blanket for the Lifepo4 battery. In summer, three more ducted computer fans can be turned on independently to move hot air out of the van, including the mechanical room. Batteries can get too hot to charge also. My Charge controller has a temperature sensor that watches out for too much heat and shuts things off if it gets too hot. The Ampere Time has a protection circuit built in for too hot also. Great stuff Bob.
Best videos on RUclips. Brings to viewing audience the answers to questions most are wondering about. Well done to Bob Wells, you and your outstanding team have made life living as a nomad informed and outfitted by top resourceful brands. Shout out to Will Prowse the brand guru. 💕living & learning vicariosly with Cheap RV Living 🌵🌞🌵.
being on a very fixed income and building my solar system piece- meal I went with the 12V-100AH AGM as it was just under $200.00. A Life-po 4 at 390.00 is just out of reach. I still need to buy one more 100 watt panel, to efficiently charge the battery for the 1500 watt inverter. And this is all in the hopes that sometime this summer we will buy a new to us travel trailer. So that additional hundred bucks is alot. Love your videos thanks for keeping us all well informed and entertained.
Hi Bob Been watching you for years. Retired brought a campervan years ago because of you and your channel. Then had health problems. Finally about to take a trip out west to Ca. Hope to meet you at the BYOV Just traveling through. Skennedy.. Don't mind helping out.
Another option to keep your lithium batteries from freezing. Just add a solar hot water system to warm tanks of antifreeze in the same room as the batteries! Need circulation for a hotwater panel use an older photo voltaic panel to run a pump when the panel reaches X tempature all running on older PB or LI batteries
We just bought 3 206amp hour SOK batteries. We also went off Will Prowse's recommendations. We have 9 100 watt HQST's and put them in an array and have installed them on the top using our ladder racks. We are only at the beginning stages of our build. We have a 2011 E-250. Hopefully we will have nothing but the best of luck with these.
Like you, Bob , I have two Battle Born batteries. They are great! When the SOK came out, I wanted to add them to the BB. DON’T DO IT. The battery management systems will not work together. Great video👍👍
Your videos are great 👍 I have 2 SOK battery's in my minivan for boondocking and I am very happy with them One 100ah was used for 2 cpaps and a fan all night and still enough juice to power a fan all day. If you can afford the SOK battery, do yourself a favor and buy these.
Some have suggested that one get an extra tank heater pad for the batteries & add it to your tank heater's circuit so that keeping your tanks from freezing also keeps your batteries from freezing as well.
Just remember that if you have a motorhome or campervan, etc. - any vehicle which charges the "house batteries" along with the chassis battery (most do) that there MAY BE additional up-front expenses and changes you need to make. It's not as simple as plopping the new lithium batteries in and expecting them to work perfectly. Lithium batteries have a much different "charging profile" than your old lead acid batteries. If you simply swap out your lead acid for lithium without any other changes, your new lithium batteries will never fully charge - due to the different charging profile. You will need a "battery isolation manager" - a small $175 device (usually mounted in your engine bay) which keeps your chassis battery AND your house batteries charged using the proper current. Of course if your house batteries are completely isolated, and you never charge your house batteries off the engine alternator, a battery isolation manager isn't necessary. BUT... having that additional charging option it is a HUGE convenience. In addition, you will need a solar charge controller which is "lithium compatible", which simply means a selectable charge profile optimum for lithium batteries. So... when tallying up your total "lithium conversion" cost, remember to consider these "gotchas". It's often possible to have an additional $300 over and above the cost of the batteries alone.
Easily once you ad all the hardware and accessories running to your converter,your Mppt charge controller,your BMS, a shunt etc etc there is a lot more than just throwing a battery in and calling it a day. If you want it done properly you won't skip all the stuff to manage and watch your batteries as they're not cheap when you stsrt buying bigger banks running 24v or 48v banks things get real expensive real fast.
Hi BOB, You know I forgot how good your video's are.. I have about 11 Mobility Scooters and half the units had the batteres go bad because I didn't charge correctly.. YOU are my reference for the LifeOo4 batteries.. I'll start out with 2 bats for my tiny Go Go Ultra 3 Whl scooter. . My big ones are EW-1000 4 whlrs.. 17 mph (5 batteries). I'll wait 'till this coming winters over with before buying more batteries.. Moving from GavinNewsomeHell to Tennessee about Dec.. God Bless ya Bob, stay frosty :)
Thanks for the review and info about the SOK - I too watch Will Prowse and have for eons. I've watched you many years ago when I thought I was going to sell my condo and go full time RVing but that never happened. I still love watching you though. You have a very interesting RUclips channel and I still love it. Keep up the good work.
Just a friendly reminder: Take off all jewelry before working with batteries. If you have a metal ring, and it manages to short out the battery, your finger will be amputated. If you have a watch with a metal band and bezel, the bezel will be welded in place. Even an ordinary lead battery can do this!
Suggestion if you going to buy one of these 100 amp hour batteries, you might want to buy 2. Helps with larger loads,charge at high rate.I have chins (same maker as ampere time)300amp hour battery works pretty well for my needs. Runs 2 12volt frigs, 700 watt instapot, computer. Struggles with 900watt coffee maker.
I will be ordering 2ea. SOK batteries with heaters to install in our Full time travel trailer. Because of my health condition and needing AC during the heat of the day we will be charging via generator and not always solar but lithium is still the way to go. It appears I can charge the batteries by generator in 3 hours daily which in turn will give us 21 hours of quiet, clean power daily. Differently a win win situation for our Nomad life!
Hi Bob. Most just say “Lithium battery” but it’s actually a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. The scientific symbols for those three elements are Li (Lithium), Fe (Iron), and P04 (Phosphate). This is where “LiFeP04” comes from.
Also described as LP04, lfp, lithium iron, And CATL have just introduced one with Manganese added to the mix to improve performance which adds an M into the abreviation.
I tried to watch Will but he is so technical for a person like me, I just didn’t get what he was saying....but that’s just me.... I think he’s a great teacher for someone with previous knowledge on electrical stuff
I own both the Enjoybot Chins 300ah and Signature Solar Eg4. Both great batteries at an affordable price. Will also recommends them. Eg4 has low temperature cut off but the Chins does not but they also have a heated model as well. I think the Chins is a renamed Ampretime or made in the same factory. Also $20 cheaper when I purchased mine.
HEY BOB, IVE BEEN LIVING IN MY VEHICLES FOR ABOUT 16YRS NOW AND NEVER HAD SOLAR OR BATTERIES, I REALLY WANT THEM BUT JUST COULD NEVER REALLY AFFORD TO MAKE THE JUMP.... NOW I REALLY THINKING OF DOING IT, IM SAVING MY MONEY AND IM ABSOLUTELY INTERESTED IN A GOOD SYSTEM..... THANK U FOR ALL U DO, BEEN WATCHING U FOR MANY YEARS AND ACTUALLY TRY AND GET SOME OF THE PRODUCTS YOU SUGGEST, KEEP UP WHAT UR DOING, UR HELPING US OLD FOLKS GET BY....
I have had my two SOK 12v 206ah batteries with Bluetooth since January 2023. This battery charges faster than my lead acid batteries, more capacity and are lighter. This was the best battery upgrade and well worth the $1k/battery. I call them my Super OK batteries.
Haha buddy I'm an Alaskan bush rat born in Kodiak and from the Mentasta area South West of Tok and every Die Hard battery I ever had did just that!! Froze n busted wide open. ( But not the gel cells under the cowlings of my Super Cub) or under my bed in my current cabin in the NE mountains of Washington State. I have 14 Long duration 100 amp gel cells under my bunk. Perfect match foot print. At $550 each then warranted for 5 years. They are currently 18 years old and still charging and doing their job. But like me they're old and tired. Still doing the job. I'm knocking on 80 and still doing the job --- but tired. Haha Best $7,000+ I ever spent. Thinking bout these new style batteries?? But --- if it ain't broke don't fix it.?? Maybe not . Dandahermit
I knew that lithium batteries could not charge in freezing temperatures, but I did not know that they could and as a result would be damaged! I am pretty sure my Lion battery's BMS handles that, but I was debating getting a battery with a heater when a knowledgeable person made a good point - in my camper the battery is inside and if I am out in cold weather I will be maintaining a temperature above freezing and so the battery will be above freezing and will have no problem charging. In the future I wil probably move up into a bigger camper and the batteries maybe outside the heating area - in that case I will likely get one with a heater. When it comes to the two brands presented here, I would definitely go for the SOK which has a heater for 30 dollars more, and the other one with the heater is almost the same price. Of course if you have a limited budget, definitely get the cheaper one and just don't charge it when it is freezing. Fantastic info Bob, even though I am pretty familiar with this subject or others you cover, I always learn something, and I think this is essential info for someone getting into solar and knows nothing.
I bought four SOK 206Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries after watching Will's review of them a few months ago. I haven't had a chance to set them up yet. Each battery had twice the amp hours as the battleborn.
@@gufredd9675 BattleBorn makes great batteries, however if you can find an individual 200 ah battery they are $1898 for BB vs $1029 for SOK, A lot of folks can't afford that kind of $
Just got a pair £400 each 100A lithiums for my mobility scooter. Saved 20lbs over lead. Goes 3x as far per charge. Thanks for the “Don’t charge when freezing tip!”
I flipped over to Amazon and noticed a 300AH that is same size as the original RV coach battery. Would love a review. Although expensive it is less expensive than buying 3 100AH batteries
My travel trailer came with a small solar system. 160 watts and agm batteries. The system works well for what it is. I would love to upgrade to lithium, but I’ll wait until the current batteries need replacement.
My travel trailer’s battery (one of two) blew up the other day and I need to replace it, of course, but I am confused about the difference between these batteries that run the lights in the trailer and the AGM batteries that I have in my van that connect to Solar and run fridge, lights, everything. The trailer does not have solar yet and is now hooked up to electricity but I don’t know what I will need when I travel with it. So my question is, since I have to replace the batteries anyway, should I go with lithium? I don’t plan on installing solar on the trailer. Or would it be smarter to replace the van batteries with lithium instead? I could possibly run the trailer power off of that with an extension cord.
I bought 3 of the SOK's for my rig from the get go. 300 AH of Lithpo4 for $1790, I'm beyond happy with them. I'm from Minnesota and still stay in cold areas, so having the BMS that protects the batteries was worth the extra cost. Add that to the lifespan of these batteries, and I think it was money well spent. Great video!
I was so excited to see this as I am just shopping now for a new system I can’t find these SOK as you explain the higher price of the heated one - for under $1100! Wow In 3 months the price doubled ?? Do you know a cheaper supplier? Thanks Bob Been watching you for 5 years now - I live full time in my RV now for a year ☺️ **never mind! I’m looking at the 206 amp 🤦♀️
Following Will Prowes, I was able to put solar in my 40' 5th wheel and everything works...my plug in's, my full size house fridge freezer, my Wynter freezer, abd my smaller appliances and all at once...I am a retired female living alone....in Colorado.. Thank u SOOO much Will...u r my hero, I have 265 in solar and 4 agm batteries...going lithium in 2023...😁😁😁
⁰
will prowes is wonderful
@666J6R6M6666 Very few DIY solar products are UL/HOA approved. If you want a 100% code-friendly system, you need a professional installer. If you have the skill/confidence and lax codes in your area, DIY solar/battery systems can save a huge amount of money over professional installtions.
Hmm, retired female... Colorado... alone, could use a handy gentleman, who's self sustaining...
Ummm, yeah, my name's Garry, I'm a retired Judge/craftsman, pleasure to make your acquaintance Donna. What books are you looking at now?
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sorry, I'm totally joking 😅.
I couldn't resist, the world needs far more humor!
;
You can also get a solar charge controller that has low temperature disconnect and use that with lithium batteries that don't have a BMS with low-temperature disconnect
Awesome information 😊
It also works out to be 1/3 the price.
Thanks Ausia
Thank you, Bob Wells, always leading the way to bring RVers the latest and best information and equipment reviews.
Will Prowse is absolutely amazing to watch and he demonstrates and explains all things electrical, so well.
The two of you make a great support team.
Building out a van next month and this is exactly the info I need! Thanks for everything Bob!
Thank you, Bob. Huge gratitude for this marvelous, game changing, life changing good news. So well presented, easy to understand. Love that Will Prowse fella, you introduced. Wishing you, team and all, happy trails. 🙏🏼🐾🎶
Love all your videos Bob! They’re always very informative and easily understandable, thank you
I always go with your recommendations. I went with a Bluetti AC200P and I love it. One of the reasons I went with it was because I wanted a product that would last a long time. A solar generator worked best for me because of my situation. I appreciate you and the information you share.
Hello Bob, I've lived off road over 20 years. And watching your videos as enlightened my life. Finding better ways to chill my food power my home. I never been able to afford the higher price batteries on my budget. But I see there are better batteries now. Thanks so much
We put solar on our house but SCE suddenly began messing with us and has turned off power to our end of the street 4x this year. So we are looking at batteries & this is really helpful info. Thank you Bob!
You probably hear this all the time, but you really are a great guy Bob. You have helped so many people who you will probably never meet, and I am one of them. Lived in my truck and teardrop for many years and used to watch your videos a lot, made me feel like I wasn't so alone. Anyhow, I've had housing for a while now, but may be losing it soon. But at least now, I know that I can do it and will not be crippled with fear by the thought of doing it once again. Just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my Heart for being the genuine man that you are.
Great job Bob! Thanks for all you do. I follow Will Prowes and he is the gurus when it comes to solar.
It always is a pleasure to see you describing the everyday items you choose and use. Thanks
Excellent advice. I am in my prebuild/planning phase and this video taught me some very good things.
Glad to see you finally went to Lithium’s. I’ve been on them since Jan 2019 and love them! Well worth the money.
Bob you bring the best product reviews and recommendations on RUclips. Thank you.
Thanks Bob. Hello from Australia. I am learning very slowly about solar so I appreciate your insight.
Four months too late for us, but great advice and video! I had 2 top end AGMs installed in January rather than Battle Born. It’s all a learning process and your videos are so helpful! Making many notes preparing for our next rig. Thank you Bob.
Great comment, this is a rapidly changing market, batteries are way cheaper than they were a year ago, and probably more expensive than they will be a year from now. Buy what you need when you need it and not before. I just bought 412 Ah of SOK batteries for about $2200. Happy, but I won't follow the price after they're in use, it'll drive me crazy.
? 7th 8
@@Relaxed161 Ontario
Battleborn makes a good product but it's absolutely overpriced by over double.
Great advice and Will is the man when it comes to solar systems and Lipo batteries!
I have the SOK 206 amp hour battery and it was the best $1029 I ever spent. I run ICECO 65, lights, TV, DVD player, computer and it never drops below 90% with one 175 watt solar even on rainy days
That's incredible
@@michellelaclair yes it is. I started with two 6 volt batteries and killed them in one year.
@@LJ-jq8og I think my SOK 206 weighs around 55lbs if i remember correctly
Great Video Bob!!..Very well explained and since I'm now just getting into solar on my Class C, I find all, and I mean all, of your videos and opinions greatly appreciated and very helpful. Will probably go with the less expensive battery for my application, but the superior battery choice would be well worth the investment. Keep up the great work my friend..we all appreciate you very much! Stay safe and enjoy your living! Hope to meet you someday..Bill in Las Vegas..
Thank you for this. Danny had me looking at the links tonight. Have a great rest of the week.
Great info. Definitely watch Will for some great knowledge about solar and battery systems
I hit that 👍 Bob! It was awesome to meet you at the RTR! Thank you for another great informative video!!! 👍
We read Will’s book on building a solar system. Easy to follow and we now have three Battleborns in our rig. Awesome because I never worry about running out of power. The only time they do not charge is in thick smoke.
Love your videos Bob... Been watching Will Prowse for years, very smart.
Bought the SOK 206 ah when it first came out. Put it in a small plastic cooler with a $15 reptile aquarium pad heater and paired it up with the Renogy DCC50S MPPT charge controller which charges from solar or alternator or both at the same time. Got 2x 200watt solar panels and run everything through a 3000-watt inverter. Keep in mind the max continuous amp discharge of your battery (100 amps=1200 watts w/this model) I always double up on my needed inverter's spec'd wattage output to prolong its lifetime. I'm a happy camper! Great battery and the company stand behind their products.
You have such a gift for explaining things, nice job..
Great information... Thank you Bob! 👍😁 I definitely want to look into both of these.
Good point about premium acid battery being the same as the low-end lithium battery; so the Lifepro ($389.00-...10/17/-22) is the best for my situation. Your channel is the best as you cover many possibilities of RV traveling/living. Thank you 🙏
I follow Will, too. I recently purchased my first LiFePo4 battery in components an d assembled it myself. 280 amp hours for $750. I learned a lot by doing it this way.
I wish I had the confidence to try that. I bought 2 Battleborn. I got 2 100ah for almost $2000. Ridiculous.
John what exactly did you buy
@666J6R6M6666 Why not use your name so we can know the source?
@666J6R6M6666 HOA's??? RV use is what we are talking about here. Not home usage.
Thank You Bob I will need to upgrade my Batteries in about a year. I believe. Using First Interstate deep cell and they are AGM however haven’t missed a lick.
Thanks for the review Bob, always good information.
Bob, the indepeth information you share is invaluable. Thank you Dear Sir.
Good you mentioned the cold climate issues with lithium batteries in general, if in a camper take them out in cold weather especially for charging. A great product with limitations.
Will Prowse is a great recommendation. He is one of the most knowledgeable RUclipsrs when it comes to Solar, Batteries, Power Stations and more. Everytime I watch one of your videos I understand why I trust you because of the people you associate with. Thank You for all you do.
Will is definitely the go-to guy for anything related to solar. You can also buy beehive heaters and take them to your batteries to keep them warm. To have them come on automatically you would have to connect them to an electronic thermostat or a switch if you know the temperatures going to fall down below or close to freezing I wouldn't go past 40° personally
Thanks for the info. When I buy battery's it will be the SOK. In the 1980s I installed large home solar systems and the major flaw they all had was the lead acid battery's, they were expensive required routine Maintenace very heavy and potentially explosive. They would last about 5-6 years and replacing them cost as much as half of the electricity the system made. The systems only made sense when commercial electricity was not available.
I'm just amazed at how little wind noise your mic picked up with all that bluster. Whichever setup you're using, it's doing GREAT!
Good video. I have had my SOKs for 2 yrs. Love them. I can go 4 days without having to skimp on my usage with my two 100AH SOKs. One thing you may want to mention, if the viewer is currently running lead acid, they will also need to upgrade their battery charger/converter or at least change the settings.
Did you get them in the US
@@waynejoseph1603 I ordered them and had them delivered to my US address.
good point we went with 2 BB then SOK came out and got 2 they play very well together I should also mention the LiFePO4 battery Isolation manager if you plan on using your Alternator LiFePO4 will burn up an Alternator
@@zeeb6 Interesting - Battle Born came out with a video saying that their batteries are "Plug and play" for those who currently have lead acid batteries - that nothing in the charging system or the alternator needs to be changed (due to the onboard BMS)
What is the difference in the lithium battery charger?
I have two 200 amp hour Ampere time batteries in my Toyota Dolphin which work with my 1040 watts of solar to help power a small air conditioner and my fridge etc. bc of the worry of cold (I am in Florida currently and there were a few days earlier this year it did get cold) so my friend who set up my system had me get a heating pad and we plugged the Rv in those few nights. I had to go out every few hrs to restart the heating pad (for safety reasons it shuts off on a timer) but he helped save my batteries. I don’t want to stay in cold places anyway but having those heating pads definitely came in handy. I like the idea of the temp gauge. Will ask my friend abt that as well. Thank u for this video!
Was just out camping and my 6 year old lead acid battery on my trailer was struggling. I am going to go with an SOK. I watch Will Prowse's channel. Will take his recommendation and buy used panels for the solar. My current solar setup is not permanent. Afraid the portable panel may walk away some day.
Bought my 230 W panels from SanTan Solar for less than $90 each. Very happy with them- in service about 10 months, now.
Thank you so much for doing these videos. They've helped us a lot in deciding what to get. I did buy two 100 amp hour lithium batteries for $365 a piece. So far they work great. I'm betting that by the time these batteries die that I'll be able to replace them for half of what these original batteries cost so I really didn't want to spend five or $600 per battery at this time.
Those batteries should last well over 10years.
Lithium has really changed being able to live comfortably in the boonies without those awful generators in the last couple of years:) Yes, Will Prowse is the man for solar and lithium technology. Good point about not having use of the battery and damage if it freezes and then try to charge! Freezing is ok, but trying to charge while frozen is terrible. Yeah SOK to protect the cold battery. It has a low temp guage and will cut off if too cold. . SOK has a bluetooth with heater to charge. 630. Love the smaller size too.
I got the Ampere Time 200ah-Plus that allows for a full 200 amp discharge if it needs it. It was around $950 at the time last year. I spoke with the manufacturer in China about my method to heat it if it needs it. I told them that somebody makes a 12v heating blanket for RV water tanks. That's good enough. I ventilate the mechanical room where the batteries go. A small 12v computer fan pulls living space air out through the mechanical room where that warmer air can keep the plumbing and the batteries warm enough to charge. If I get cold I can turn on the heat blanket for the Lifepo4 battery. In summer, three more ducted computer fans can be turned on independently to move hot air out of the van, including the mechanical room. Batteries can get too hot to charge also. My Charge controller has a temperature sensor that watches out for too much heat and shuts things off if it gets too hot. The Ampere Time has a protection circuit built in for too hot also. Great stuff Bob.
Thankyou bob!!!
That's smart, tank heaters would be perfect and cheap.
Best videos on RUclips.
Brings to viewing audience the answers to questions most are wondering about.
Well done to Bob Wells, you and your outstanding team have made life living as a nomad informed and outfitted by top resourceful brands.
Shout out to Will Prowse the brand guru.
💕living & learning vicariosly with Cheap RV Living 🌵🌞🌵.
being on a very fixed income and building my solar system piece- meal I went with the 12V-100AH AGM as it was just under $200.00. A Life-po 4 at 390.00 is just out of reach. I still need to buy one more 100 watt panel, to efficiently charge the battery for the 1500 watt inverter. And this is all in the hopes that sometime this summer we will buy a new to us travel trailer. So that additional hundred bucks is alot. Love your videos thanks for keeping us all well informed and entertained.
Always check Craigslist & Facebook marketplace.used batteries one up sometimes
LOVE this video. Helps a lot, Bob.
Hi Bob
Been watching you for years. Retired brought a campervan years ago because of you and your channel. Then had health problems. Finally about to take a trip out west to Ca. Hope to meet you at the BYOV
Just traveling through.
Skennedy..
Don't mind helping out.
Another option to keep your lithium batteries from freezing. Just add a solar hot water system to warm tanks of antifreeze in the same room as the batteries! Need circulation for a hotwater panel use an older photo voltaic panel to run a pump when the panel reaches X tempature all running on older PB or LI batteries
We just bought 3 206amp hour SOK batteries. We also went off Will Prowse's recommendations. We have 9 100 watt HQST's and put them in an array and have installed them on the top using our ladder racks. We are only at the beginning stages of our build. We have a 2011 E-250. Hopefully we will have nothing but the best of luck with these.
Thinking about buying SOK LifePO4. Thanks for sharing your info.
Like you, Bob , I have two Battle Born batteries. They are great! When the SOK came out, I wanted to add them to the BB. DON’T DO IT. The battery management systems will not work together. Great video👍👍
Your videos are great 👍
I have 2 SOK battery's in my minivan for boondocking and I am very happy with them
One 100ah was used for 2 cpaps and a fan all night and still enough juice to power a fan all day. If you can afford the SOK battery, do yourself a favor and buy these.
Some have suggested that one get an extra tank heater pad for the batteries & add it to your tank heater's circuit so that keeping your tanks from freezing also keeps your batteries from freezing as well.
Just remember that if you have a motorhome or campervan, etc. - any vehicle which charges the "house batteries" along with the chassis battery (most do) that there MAY BE additional up-front expenses and changes you need to make. It's not as simple as plopping the new lithium batteries in and expecting them to work perfectly.
Lithium batteries have a much different "charging profile" than your old lead acid batteries. If you simply swap out your lead acid for lithium without any other changes, your new lithium batteries will never fully charge - due to the different charging profile. You will need a "battery isolation manager" - a small $175 device (usually mounted in your engine bay) which keeps your chassis battery AND your house batteries charged using the proper current. Of course if your house batteries are completely isolated, and you never charge your house batteries off the engine alternator, a battery isolation manager isn't necessary. BUT... having that additional charging option it is a HUGE convenience.
In addition, you will need a solar charge controller which is "lithium compatible", which simply means a selectable charge profile optimum for lithium batteries. So... when tallying up your total "lithium conversion" cost, remember to consider these "gotchas". It's often possible to have an additional $300 over and above the cost of the batteries alone.
Good to know I had forgotten about that so thanks.
Easily once you ad all the hardware and accessories running to your converter,your Mppt charge controller,your BMS, a shunt etc etc there is a lot more than just throwing a battery in and calling it a day. If you want it done properly you won't skip all the stuff to manage and watch your batteries as they're not cheap when you stsrt buying bigger banks running 24v or 48v banks things get real expensive real fast.
Hi BOB, You know I forgot how good your video's are.. I have about 11 Mobility Scooters and half the units had the batteres go bad because I didn't charge correctly.. YOU are my reference for the LifeOo4 batteries.. I'll start out with 2 bats for my tiny Go Go Ultra 3 Whl scooter. . My big ones are EW-1000 4 whlrs.. 17 mph (5 batteries). I'll wait 'till this coming winters over with before buying more batteries.. Moving from GavinNewsomeHell to Tennessee about Dec.. God Bless ya Bob, stay frosty :)
Thanks for the review and info about the SOK - I too watch Will Prowse and have for eons. I've watched you many years ago when I thought I was going to sell my condo and go full time RVing but that never happened. I still love watching you though. You have a very interesting RUclips channel and I still love it. Keep up the good work.
Nice review. I use Dakota Lithium for my HAM Radio equipment for off grid with solar panels to charge them.
Just a friendly reminder: Take off all jewelry before working with batteries. If you have a metal ring, and it manages to short out the battery, your finger will be amputated. If you have a watch with a metal band and bezel, the bezel will be welded in place. Even an ordinary lead battery can do this!
Thank you, Bob. Appreciate the information!
Selco thermal switch
Suggestion if you going to buy one of these 100 amp hour batteries, you might want to buy 2. Helps with larger loads,charge at high rate.I have chins (same maker as ampere time)300amp hour battery works pretty well for my needs. Runs 2 12volt frigs, 700 watt instapot, computer. Struggles with 900watt coffee maker.
I am not hesitatingly saying 'This was awesome!' thanks for all the info Bob, I lear something every time! O
I use a stack of Lead Acid batteries I got from wrecking yards. They can be wired together to produce your preferred voltage and many amps.
I will be ordering 2ea. SOK batteries with heaters to install in our Full time travel trailer. Because of my health condition and needing AC during the heat of the day we will be charging via generator and not always solar but lithium is still the way to go. It appears I can charge the batteries by generator in 3 hours daily which in turn will give us 21 hours of quiet, clean power daily. Differently a win win situation for our Nomad life!
Great video bob. I watch wills channel alot. The SOK also comes with a 10 year warranty and I think the ampere time is only a 3 year warranty
My Ampertime has 10 y warranty
wow, haven't watched Bob in many years. What a difference! Plus over 600k subs.
Awesome thanks for the info w/o hype. We go RVing a lot & are contemplating solar.
Hi Bob. Most just say “Lithium battery” but it’s actually a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. The scientific symbols for those three elements are Li (Lithium), Fe (Iron), and P04 (Phosphate). This is where “LiFeP04” comes from.
Also described as LP04, lfp, lithium iron,
And CATL have just introduced one with Manganese added to the mix to improve performance which adds an M into the abreviation.
I tried to watch Will but he is so technical for a person like me, I just didn’t get what he was saying....but that’s just me.... I think he’s a great teacher for someone with previous knowledge on electrical stuff
There are a lot of videos out there that explain solar very basic.
Go back and watch his earlier videos.
The more you watch the more you learn.
Keep that mindset that "I can do this "!
Thanks, Bob, great info!
I own both the Enjoybot Chins 300ah and Signature Solar Eg4. Both great batteries at an affordable price. Will also recommends them. Eg4 has low temperature cut off but the Chins does not but they also have a heated model as well. I think the Chins is a renamed Ampretime or made in the same factory. Also $20 cheaper when I purchased mine.
Don't forget this one, DJLBERMPW Lithium battery,12V 300AH LiFePO4 Battery Deep Cycle Battery
HEY BOB, IVE BEEN LIVING IN MY VEHICLES FOR ABOUT 16YRS NOW AND NEVER HAD SOLAR OR BATTERIES, I REALLY WANT THEM BUT JUST COULD NEVER REALLY AFFORD TO MAKE THE JUMP....
NOW I REALLY THINKING OF DOING IT, IM SAVING MY MONEY AND IM ABSOLUTELY INTERESTED IN A GOOD SYSTEM.....
THANK U FOR ALL U DO, BEEN WATCHING U FOR MANY YEARS AND ACTUALLY TRY AND GET SOME OF THE PRODUCTS YOU SUGGEST, KEEP UP WHAT UR DOING, UR HELPING US OLD FOLKS GET BY....
Great video... much needed information 😊
Thank you. I appreciate the lecture .
LOL!! 9:52 A miniature person inside! 😀😃🤣🤣😁😄
I would get 2 apere time batteries and 2 heat covers for them. Thank you for your advice you are great.
I have had my two SOK 12v 206ah batteries with Bluetooth since January 2023. This battery charges faster than my lead acid batteries, more capacity and are lighter. This was the best battery upgrade and well worth the $1k/battery. I call them my Super OK batteries.
Haha buddy I'm an Alaskan bush rat born in Kodiak and from the Mentasta area South West of Tok and every Die Hard battery I ever had did just that!! Froze n busted wide open. ( But not the gel cells under the cowlings of my Super Cub) or under my bed in my current cabin in the NE mountains of Washington State. I have 14 Long duration 100 amp gel cells under my bunk. Perfect match foot print. At $550 each then warranted for 5 years. They are currently 18 years old and still charging and doing their job. But like me they're old and tired. Still doing the job. I'm knocking on 80 and still doing the job --- but tired. Haha Best $7,000+ I ever spent. Thinking bout these new style batteries?? But --- if it ain't broke don't fix it.?? Maybe not . Dandahermit
I agree! If you don't need it why buy it!
I knew that lithium batteries could not charge in freezing temperatures, but I did not know that they could and as a result would be damaged! I am pretty sure my Lion battery's BMS handles that, but I was debating getting a battery with a heater when a knowledgeable person made a good point - in my camper the battery is inside and if I am out in cold weather I will be maintaining a temperature above freezing and so the battery will be above freezing and will have no problem charging. In the future I wil probably move up into a bigger camper and the batteries maybe outside the heating area - in that case I will likely get one with a heater. When it comes to the two brands presented here, I would definitely go for the SOK which has a heater for 30 dollars more, and the other one with the heater is almost the same price. Of course if you have a limited budget, definitely get the cheaper one and just don't charge it when it is freezing. Fantastic info Bob, even though I am pretty familiar with this subject or others you cover, I always learn something, and I think this is essential info for someone getting into solar and knows nothing.
I bought four SOK 206Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries after watching Will's review of them a few months ago. I haven't had a chance to set them up yet. Each battery had twice the amp hours as the battleborn.
@@gufredd9675 BattleBorn makes great batteries, however if you can find an individual 200 ah battery they are $1898 for BB vs $1029 for SOK, A lot of folks can't afford that kind of $
Just got a pair £400 each 100A lithiums for my mobility scooter. Saved 20lbs over lead. Goes 3x as far per charge. Thanks for the “Don’t charge when freezing tip!”
Since I live on battery power, I'm so glad I came across this video.
I love you, man..You are an inspiration.
I am still learning. I have narrowed down some of it but to me solar and lithium are the way to go.
Well it's good to get the info on AGMs! Will be waiting on a lithium battery as the price comes down.
loved your videos. thank you, buddy.
I have an SOK 12V 206AH LiFePO4 Battery that I bought just before Christmas for $909.00 with free shipping and no Sales Tax. It absolutely Rocks.
I scored 8 100a SOK's for my solar setup, lots to learn in this game
Very good info! Thanks!
At first I thought "Who IS this guy?!" INSTANTLY liked your content. Thanks!!!
Thanks for the information!
I flipped over to Amazon and noticed a 300AH that is same size as the original RV coach battery. Would love a review. Although expensive it is less expensive than buying 3 100AH batteries
Have you checked Will Prowse's channel for a review? He regularly dissects and reviews batteries as they hit the market.
@@TrevorBoughtABus I have not seen Will on the 300AH but will double check. I rarely miss one of his videos. Thanks
I installed two of these in February. Love them. Added heater and Victron temp sense.
In sure the 300 is just as good as the 100ah ones. I would buy it if it was cheaper per amp hour.
I've not decided what I'm going to do regarding solar, other than keep my AGM battery as long as possible.
I have 2 battle burns for 2 yrs 330w panel I run the washer Cpap & lights in Az winter some heat full charge about 3K not cheap but works splendid
Just what I needed all the info I needed. Was worried I would get the wrong one or get ripped of thanks.
My travel trailer came with a small solar system. 160 watts and agm batteries. The system works well for what it is. I would love to upgrade to lithium, but I’ll wait until the current batteries need replacement.
My travel trailer’s battery (one of two) blew up the other day and I need to replace it, of course, but I am confused about the difference between these batteries that run the lights in the trailer and the AGM batteries that I have in my van that connect to Solar and run fridge, lights, everything. The trailer does not have solar yet and is now hooked up to electricity but I don’t know what I will need when I travel with it. So my question is, since I have to replace the batteries anyway, should I go with lithium? I don’t plan on installing solar on the trailer. Or would it be smarter to replace the van batteries with lithium instead? I could possibly run the trailer power off of that with an extension cord.
I bought 3 of the SOK's for my rig from the get go. 300 AH of Lithpo4 for $1790, I'm beyond happy with them. I'm from Minnesota and still stay in cold areas, so having the BMS that protects the batteries was worth the extra cost. Add that to the lifespan of these batteries, and I think it was money well spent. Great video!
Thank you Bob ,I need all this info
I was so excited to see this as I am just shopping now for a new system
I can’t find these SOK as you explain the higher price of the heated one - for under $1100!
Wow
In 3 months the price doubled ??
Do you know a cheaper supplier?
Thanks Bob
Been watching you for 5 years now - I live full time in my RV now for a year ☺️
**never mind!
I’m looking at the 206 amp 🤦♀️