Basement heating? Does warm air circulate down there for Lithium Ion Batteries?

[Marco]

Hi there,

I have a 2020 Grand Design Reflection 297 RSTS. I'm going to be installing some lithium ion batteries and can either put them under my bed or in the basement pass through compartment at the front. I've heard Lithium Ion batteries should not get cold or it cause problems. I think when I bought the RV the dealer told me the basement compartment was heated as well, but I couldn't seem to find any written documentation of the fact. Does anybody know if the basement pass through compartment is heated and if it would be OK for the batteries? Thanks!

[howson]

Marco -- TucsonJim has a 297RSTS and also has LifePO4 batteries, so I'm sure he'll have a lot of info for you. One piece of information that will help--which brand of battery do you have? Battle Borns have a built-in Battery Monitor System (BMS) that protects the battery if too cold (or too hot). Do you know if what you have has a BMS?

[Marco]

Marco -- TucsonJim has a 297RSTS and also has LifePO4 batteries, so I'm sure he'll have a lot of info for you. One piece of information that will help--which brand of battery do you have? Battle Borns have a built-in Battery Monitor System (BMS) that protects the battery if too cold (or too hot). Do you know if what you have has a BMS?

Oh thanks so much for the tip. I haven't decided on which battery to choose yet. I think I will definitely try to get one with low temperature shut off. Even if the battery does have that feature though, I don't want the batteries cutting off all the time in winter. That's why I'm hoping the basement is heated or that there is heat circulating in it. If anybody knows, would love to hear your experience and thoughts. Thanks!

[howson]

Marco

My 315RLTS is similar to your trailer as it has a front passthru. This part of the trailer is not specifically heated (or cooled) but it is where I have my batteries. I don't cold weather camp, so no experience in that environment, but there is little insulation between the "living" area and the passthru, and yes the underbelly of my 315RLTS is heated (as I suspect Jim or others will confirm on the 297RSTS). Second Chance -- you cold weather camp, right? d2reid ?

The two pics below were taken during a major project to replace the soft hose in my trailer. The first gives the general location of one underbelly vent near/under the streetside of the camper's passthru, right where all the plumbing is located. The second pic is the same vent, but looking up (laying on my back).







Howard

[Second Chance]

...USER="1293"]Second Chance[/USER] -- you cold weather camp, right? d2reid ?...


Howard

We don't "camp" - we "glamp." In answer to your question though, yes, we winter wherever we happen to be for whatever purposes. This past winter, it happened to be Aberdeen Proving Ground at the tip-top of the Chesapeake Bay. It can get cold there. We purchased our BBs before they started making the model(s) with the built-in heaters, so I purchased the thermostatically-controlled heating pads and installed those on the batteries. Our batteries are in the front generator/tool compartment which does not have heat ducted in like the basement. It is protected from the wind and will get a very small amount of heat from the basement behind and the bedroom closet above - but I didn't want to take any changes.

Rob

[howson]

Second Chance (Rob) -- I forgot about the heated version of the battery. Marco -- might be an option to consider if you'll be camping in a lot of cold environments: https://battlebornbatteries.com/prod...h-12v-battery/

Let me emphasize (as stated in my tag line) I have no ax to grind or association with the company. Just a very satisfied customer.

[Guest]

The low temp cut off is flawed IMO where within one deg you get to provide full charging to the battery and one deg colder it can shut off. It does not work this way where current needs to be reduced over a temperature range. Its much better to monitor battery temperature where there will be a great deal of conduction heating from the living space of the rig to the basement. So I would monitor this first and either charge after the cabin has been heated to bring the batteries up to temp or use the heating pad that Rob has stated.

All drop in lithium batteries have a BMS. Its best to not rely on a battery BMS but to monitor battery use to keep the parameters in check with other means and use the BMS as a backup if its important.

With heat in the early spring and late fall and AC in the summer, we have never come close to being out of range for charging at 0.5C as measured with the Victron BMV712 temp probe.

Jim

[d2reid]

Is -22F cold? If it is then we cold weather camp. Ok, that's not the normal temperature when we winter at a ski resort. Mostly it get's down into the teens and will approach freezing in the day time. We will get a zubzero snap for a few days but it always passes.

So batteries... When I learned that the lithium didn't like chilly weather I pulled back from them and went with 6v golf cart batteries. The bumper hitch trailer in the picture is different than my 5th wheel. The very forward compartment on my 5th wheel is not heated, that's were the batteries live. They are in a compartment under a skirt, but still, that area will get freezing temps. I don't monitor the temps there, I just figure it's a cold compartment.

The heated batteries came out after I upgraded my batteries.

Sorry I don't have an answer here. While I agree that Lithium batteries are the latest greatest I didn't pull the trigger because my cost vs benefit threshold was not satisfied. Cold temperatures were a part of that decision.

[Guest]

Dalas,

-22F is cold. Even with lead acid batteries it would be a benefit to somehow keep them warm since they lose a great deal of energy at those temperatures. With lithium, they could be stored in the heated area.

Jim