Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavery
I've been running a 230ah LiFeP04 battery in our TM for almost 2-years now and well over 10K miles. I don't have any devices between our TM and the TV (2012 Silverado). I have never had an issue with the TV alternator (crappy AC Delco alternator).
Having said that. I have solar on the TM and I never let the LiFeP04 battery get below 80% while in storage (I store the trailer in a carport). Before we leave on a trip, I leave the TM in the Sun for a few days to bring the battery up to 100%.
I think that most of the people that say that you need some device to protect your alternator have something to sell. Before anyone posts, "Oh YA!!!! my alternator burned up when I switched to LiFeP04"........ alternators fail all the time, lithium battery of no lithium battery. So a burnt out alternator is little "proof" that the battery had anything to do with it.
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Hi Wavery,
Do you know what kind of charge rate you're getting from the Tow Vehicle to the TM in amps? I'm sure that would depend on how depleted the lithium battery was to start with. I assume also that in most cases the alternator would not provide high enough voltage to top off the last 10 to 20% on the battery so that's another advantage of having a DC to DC charger.
I haven't tried mine yet but if the tow vehicle can provide 15 amps or so then it might not be worth it to have a charger if it charges only at 20 to 25. And probably wouldn't want to charge faster than that because then it would require an upgrade on the wiring in the tow vehicle, TM, or both.
So do you know what rate your Tow vehicle charges up your TM batteries?
Just curious.. Thanks.