Community Forums

augerdogger · 07-06-2019, 08:35 PM

Nice installation. I will consider Li batteries when I need replacements, my two previous RV's had Lifeline and they would last 5-7 years. I have used Lifeline AGM's, 8 at a time, for over 17 years. I did a cost benefit analysis and Li won if you plan on keeping the RV. Discharge to 80% vs 50% means fewer batteries for the same capacity. Li charge more rapidly. Downside is temperature, we use our RV about every 2 weeks year round and have seen -20F in Denver and Amarillo, the other extreme is 117F north of Las Vegas. Cooler tempreatures, <32F, means heating the batteries, higher may require cooling.

Our current RV is NOT user friendly with programming the SilverLeaf, everything is PW protected and Newmar doesn't help.

Coral · 07-07-2019, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by augerdogger

Our current RV is NOT user friendly with programming the SilverLeaf, everything is PW protected and Newmar doesn't help.

If you have an older Silverleaf system the following components need to be sent back to Silverleaf Electronics for firmware upgrade: TM102, Both Displays (365s), HMS350. Talk to Art or Gary at Silverleaf.

Master Tech in Elkhart IN also can do it if you want to have it done.

The access password is 42 but be careful with what you change.

jblessin · 07-16-2019, 10:37 AM

I just spent some time on the phone with Silverleaf about the same upgrade on our 2018 MADP. Seems you were very much a pioneer on this Coral. I have what appears to be a very good install guy here in Vancouver that has done a number of high end boats with the Lithionics batteries but is unfamiliar with the Silverleaf Total Coach control. Will be working with the both of them to get this accomplished in the next few months. Did you have to do anything with the Xantrex Freedom charger? Also, did you have to do anything with regards to your alternator/regulator setup up or do the upgrades to the Silverleaf take care of that issue?
Thanks for any help on this upgrade.
Jim

Coral · 07-16-2019, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jblessin

I just spent some time on the phone with Silverleaf about the same upgrade on our 2018 MADP. Seems you were very much a pioneer on this Coral. I have what appears to be a very good install guy here in Vancouver that has done a number of high end boats with the Lithionics batteries but is unfamiliar with the Silverleaf Total Coach control. Will be working with the both of them to get this accomplished in the next few months. Did you have to do anything with the Xantrex Freedom charger? Also, did you have to do anything with regards to your alternator/regulator setup up or do the upgrades to the Silverleaf take care of that issue?
Thanks for any help on this upgrade.
Jim

I have Magnum MS 2812 inverter not the Xantrex Freedom charger. I am currently in the process of adding an additional 240 amp of charging capacity. Once it is done I'll shoot pictures and write it up.

Regards to the alternator/regulator Silverleaf take care of that too.

Beach Livin · 11-01-2019, 10:45 AM

Thanks for posting your Lithionics upgrade. I ordered a 2 550 AH Lithioncs system for my Ventana 3717. Your post w/ pictures are extremely helpful in designing the system and planning for the install.

The Ventana does not have the Silverleaf system so it will be paired with the existing Magnum 2812 inverter/Precision Circuit Power Controller. Also being installed is a 1020 Watt solar system. 6 Zamp 170w panels with a Victron controller.

Will also get rid of the battery tray and enclose the battery bay. Will probably do the same thing you did.

Any lessons learned that might be helpful ?

The installation will happen in early December will post pictures when complete.
Thanks again for being the trailblazer.

Coral · 11-01-2019, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach Livin

Thanks for posting your Lithionics upgrade. I ordered a 2 550 AH Lithioncs system for my Ventana 3717. Your post w/ pictures are extremely helpful in designing the system and planning for the install.

The Ventana does not have the Silverleaf system so it will be paired with the existing Magnum 2812 inverter/Precision Circuit Power Controller. Also being installed is a 1020 Watt solar system. 6 Zamp 170w panels with a Victron controller.

Will also get rid of the battery tray and enclose the battery bay. Will probably do the same thing you did.

Any lessons learned that might be helpful ?

The installation will happen in early December will post pictures when complete.
Thanks again for being the trailblazer.

YES, we could not get the MS 2812 to charge correctly and float at the correct voltage. We ended up replacing it with a Xantrex 3012 and life is good. Lithionics and Magnum and Silverleaf could not get the MS2812 to work. Other than that I love the Lithionics.

Beach Livin · 11-01-2019, 06:08 PM

Thanks,
Do you know if the magnum 2812 worked stand alone without the Silverleaf interface. Or are lithionics batteries just incompatible with the Magnum 2812 inverter. Either way I'll find out in December and post here.

Rvlegaleagle · 11-01-2019, 07:25 PM

Did you consider the Magnum MSH3012 Hybrid as an inverter/charger?

Coral · 11-02-2019, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach Livin

Thanks,
Do you know if the magnum 2812 worked stand alone without the Silverleaf interface. Or are lithionics batteries just incompatible with the Magnum 2812 inverter. Either way I'll find out in December and post here.

Not sure, we did not test with stand alone..

We could not get it program through Silverleaf correctly, so we decided to go with Xantrex because it was known to work. Lithionics wants 2 stage charging and specific voltages neither of which we could get with the MS2812.

SteveUpp · 11-29-2019, 08:53 PM

I've ordered (2) 600AH Lithionics batteries and am going to squeeze them into the battery bay of a New Aire. The only Silverleaf component I will have to update is the TM102 to fully integrate the BMS with the coach. We do boondock and are looking forward to doing a lot more in 2020. We've stayed in some really beautiful spots and I really prefer boondocking to RV resorts with neighbors in the window next to us.

The biggest challenge is trying to seal the bay. The New Aire has a fairly open battery bay that lets in a lot of dust while driving on dirt roads. I'm going to have to play Tetris to cut the plywood into the right shape to fit between the various ins & outs. The majority of the work I expect is going to be in battery bay preparation. The Lithionics part is super straight forward.

I ordered the BMS with a HighTemp cutoff of 121F, instead of the default 113F. And I ordered the batteries with built-in thermostatically controlled heaters. I still need to figure out how to provide ventilation when temperatures are high.. a work in progress.

One convenient new thing I haven't seen mentioned, is that the new TM102 firmware is supposed to allow you to configure the chassis/house battery bridge to set an SoC threshold where the bridge will start charging the chassis battery. When we're on solar I expect that when the battery is above the configured SoC, the bridge will automatically cross-connect the chassis battery thereby keeping both the house and chassis batteries charged. Today, I have to manually enable the bridge (via the dash switch) to charge the chassis battery via solar. This, in combination with being able to set the AGS based on the battery SoC should mean that it will be a fully set and forget system.

Kingaroy · 12-01-2019, 03:30 PM

Steve,
How did you get 1620 watts of solar on the roof of your New Aire 3341? I have a 3341 and could fit only 700 watts. I would like to see a picture of your roof. Also, I gave Lithionics the dimensions of the house battery space and they said two 560AHs was the max that would fit. I am happy with my installation but could have used more solar.

SteveUpp · 12-02-2019, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingaroy

Steve,
How did you get 1620 watts of solar on the roof of your New Aire 3341? I have a 3341 and could fit only 700 watts. I would like to see a picture of your roof. Also, I gave Lithionics the dimensions of the house battery space and they said two 560AHs was the max that would fit. I am happy with my installation but could have used more solar.

I have previously posted some info on my solar install here: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/sola...re-433849.html

I'm going to remove the battery tray. Without the tray, the bay is: 26.5"W (width) x 30"L (depth). I've ordered the GT-12V600A-8D-DIN-12HK batteries which are: 13"W X 23"L. I'm going to install them so that the 23" length of the batteries goes fore-and-aft in the battery bay. The cables for these type of batteries come out of the top, so I don't have to have room for cables coming out the end like some of the Lithionics other batteries.