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Recommendations for professional lithium battery installer, please

nigpdreadingfc

nigpdreadingfc

VIP Member
Messages
139
Location
Frodsham
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 199 4Motion
Hi
Would any of you good folk have a recommendation for a professional supplier and installer of lithium batteries and DC-DC charger to replace the AGM leisure batteries in my Cali Ocean, please?
I live in the north-west England, so local to this would be a bonus. TIA
 
nigpdreadingfc said:
Hi
Would any of you good folk have a recommendation for a professional supplier and installer of lithium batteries and DC-DC charger to replace the AGM leisure batteries in my Cali Ocean, please?
I live in the north-west England, so local to this would be a bonus. TIA
Click to expand...
Have a look at ‘Camper Vibe’ videos on YouTube, think they used a place in Wrexham for their Mothers van. It might give you a starting point for advice, cost.
 
BeagleMum said:
Have a look at ‘Camper Vibe’ videos on YouTube, think they used a place in Wrexham for their Mothers van. It might give you a starting point for advice, cost.
Click to expand...
Emailed the guys in the vid (they are in Hereford).

Hopefully they can help, coz looking around, the companies that could do this are rarer than rocking horse do-do
 
nigpdreadingfc said:
Hi
Would any of you good folk have a recommendation for a professional supplier and installer of lithium batteries and DC-DC charger to replace the AGM leisure batteries in my Cali Ocean, please?
I live in the north-west England, so local to this would be a bonus. TIA
Click to expand...
My first question would be… Why do you need to change the batteries to lithium, which would be at great expense?
 
Kayleigh said:
My first question would be… Why do you need to change the batteries to lithium, which would be at great expense?
Click to expand...
I'm going to be off grid for up to a week at a time, moving very little during that time and will need to max out battery charge. Because of all the complexities I'm reading about in swapping to lithium, it looks like only being able to fit solar and take a Jackery with me in the winter months
 
nigpdreadingfc said:
I'm going to be off grid for up to a week at a time, moving very little during that time and will need to max out battery charge. Because of all the complexities I'm reading about in swapping to lithium, it looks like only being able to fit solar and take a Jackery with me in the winter months
Click to expand...
Two or even three panels from Solar Camper Solutions may work. If you get the right MPPT it should be capable of charging a Jackery too. It all comes down to envisaged usage vs charging capability.
If you are off-grid for a week and are running low, you always have the option of running the engine for 15 mins to top up the leisure batteries. Not a big deal now and again.
A 3 panel setup would likely cost about the same as purchasing lithium batteries before you delve into any other required changes/complications.
With three panels you would be able to run the fridge permanently in the summer. Extra beer storage when at home!
:cheers
 
Kayleigh said:
Two or even three panels from Solar Camper Solutions may work. If you get the right MPPT it should be capable of charging a Jackery too. It all comes down to envisaged usage vs charging capability.
If you are off-grid for a week and are running low, you always have the option of running the engine for 15 mins to top up the leisure batteries. Not a big deal now and again.
A 3 panel setup would likely cost about the same as purchasing lithium batteries before you delve into any other required changes/complications.
With three panels you would be able to run the fridge permanently in the summer. Extra beer storage when at home!
:cheers
Click to expand...
I'll have to get Roger at SCS on the case. Will more than likely go for the 3 panel solution with the curly cable, Victron 100/20 MPPT and the 12v female socket
 
Kayleigh said:
Two or even three panels from Solar Camper Solutions may work. If you get the right MPPT it should be capable of charging a Jackery too. It all comes down to envisaged usage vs charging capability.
If you are off-grid for a week and are running low, you always have the option of running the engine for 15 mins to top up the leisure batteries. Not a big deal now and again.
A 3 panel setup would likely cost about the same as purchasing lithium batteries before you delve into any other required changes/complications.
With three panels you would be able to run the fridge permanently in the summer. Extra beer storage when at home!
:cheers
Click to expand...
On my last trip to North Cape, Norway, I had fridge and Parking Heater on constantly + lights and iPad / phone charging for 3 days and the batteries showed 12.3 volts with heater and fridge on before driving away and the ambient temperatures were about -7 to -10c at night. I have one 8 yr old solar panel of 100w.
The California can be amazingly frugal if prepare properly.
 
Given @WelshGas comment, maybe start with one panel and add to the setup if necessary.
 
nigpdreadingfc said:
I'll have to get Roger at SCS on the case. Will more than likely go for the 3 panel solution with the curly cable, Victron 100/20 MPPT and the 12v female socket
Click to expand...
In the UK, you should never run out with 3 roof panels.

Fit one of these at the same time, and will also top up your main battery with excess solar.

simplysplitcharge.co.uk

BM12123 Sterling Power 3amp Automatic 12V DC to 12V DC Battery to Battery Charger / maintainer

BM12123 Sterling Power 3amp Automatic 12V DC to 12V DC Battery to Battery Charger / maintainer - Thebattery maintainer is a charging device that enables an extra batterybank to be kept topped up from the main battery bank which has thecharging device(s)...
simplysplitcharge.co.uk simplysplitcharge.co.uk
 
Have a look at Roadpro, and read the info on their website. I went for 150AH Lithium, 200 solar for all batteries, DC to DC and 1500w inverter. Just back from 11 nights offgrid, running fridge 24/7, cooking with electric most days. Arrived home with the battery fully charged. The lot costs about 5% of the cost of a new van so in that sense not that expensive. Before going to Roadpro I made enquiries of several other places but none matched with what I was seeking.
 
vwsween said:
Have a look at Roadpro, and read the info on their website. I went for 150AH Lithium, 200 solar for all batteries, DC to DC and 1500w inverter. Just back from 11 nights offgrid, running fridge 24/7, cooking with electric most days. Arrived home with the battery fully charged. The lot costs about 5% of the cost of a new van so in that sense not that expensive. Before going to Roadpro I made enquiries of several other places but none matched with what I was seeking.
Click to expand...
Did you try with just solar first, but without the lithium battery?
 
vwsween said:
Have a look at Roadpro, and read the info on their website. I went for 150AH Lithium, 200 solar for all batteries, DC to DC and 1500w inverter. Just back from 11 nights offgrid, running fridge 24/7, cooking with electric most days. Arrived home with the battery fully charged. The lot costs about 5% of the cost of a new van so in that sense not that expensive. Before going to Roadpro I made enquiries of several other places but none matched with what I was seeking.
Click to expand...
Did you get your lithiums installed under the passengers seat and in the rear cupboard? Did the Cali's control panel still work and report on the lithiums status?
 
I had solar, 100w on previous van but i went for the full setup as I camp 4 seasons when solar is sometimes insufficient especially as I want to use other 240v appliances via an inverter. Solar may be enough depending on how and when you camp.
 
nigpdreadingfc said:
Did you get your lithiums installed under the passengers seat and in the rear cupboard? Did the Cali's control panel still work and report on the lithiums status?
Click to expand...
Sorry I should have said. I moved away from Cali for latest van because there seems to be too much to go wrong or break - just my opionion, no offence intended. The one lithium battery is the same size as 1 cali battery, has more useable capacity than 2 cali batteries, charges faster and can discharge faster. I doubt a cali control panel would know what is happening without more work and expense. I am happy to use an App for monotoring, the system just does what was intended without any need for a control panel for me to keep looking at. You ought to speak to people who do this for a living. Relying on what gets posted on forums is risky - although I know a bit, there are plenty of other opinions!.
 
vwsween said:
Sorry I should have said. I moved away from Cali for latest van because there seems to be too much to go wrong or break - just my opionion, no offence intended. The one lithium battery is the same size as 1 cali battery, has more useable capacity than 2 cali batteries, charges faster and can discharge faster. I doubt a cali control panel would know what is happening without more work and expense. I am happy to use an App for monotoring, the system just does what was intended without any need for a control panel for me to keep looking at. You ought to speak to people who do this for a living. Relying on what gets posted on forums is risky - although I know a bit, there are plenty of other opinions!.
Click to expand...
I agree, that's why I have been trying to track down a professional outfit that has actually done the work with a Cali
 
vwsween said:
Sorry I should have said. I moved away from Cali for latest van because there seems to be too much to go wrong or break - just my opionion, no offence intended. The one lithium battery is the same size as 1 cali battery, has more useable capacity than 2 cali batteries, charges faster and can discharge faster. I doubt a cali control panel would know what is happening without more work and expense. I am happy to use an App for monotoring, the system just does what was intended without any need for a control panel for me to keep looking at. You ought to speak to people who do this for a living. Relying on what gets posted on forums is risky - although I know a bit, there are plenty of other opinions!.
Click to expand...
So the information on your Avatar is incorrect? You have a Conversion without the California Leisure Electrics , Control Panel and Hydraulic Roof?
If that is the case then installing a leisure electrical system depending on Lithium Batteries is fairly straightforward.
 
Last edited:
WelshGas said:
So the information on your Avatar is incorrect? You have a Conversion without the California Leisure Electrics , Control Panel and Hydraulic Roof?
If that is the case then installing a leisure electrical system depending on Lithium Batteries is fairly straightforward.
Click to expand...
Yes quite correct my van does not have the cali electrics, panel nor roof, though it is a professional conversion with its own/vw electrics. Installation was fairly straightforward but not easy - there were a few design/compatiblity issues that the installer needed to attend to. It would have been easier and cheaper if the original converter had gone for lithium from the start.
 
vwsween said:
Yes quite correct my van does not have the cali electrics, panel nor roof, though it is a professional conversion with its own/vw electrics. Installation was fairly straightforward but not easy - there were a few design/compatiblity issues that the installer needed to attend to. It would have been easier and cheaper if the original converter had gone for lithium from the start.
Click to expand...
That's one advantage of a conversion, all the leisure systems have individual control systems , rather than integrated and so only need a power source which can be AGM or Lithium and which is standalone so relatively straightforward to convert from one to the other.
Hopefully the next generation of the California will discard AGM for Lithium.
 
WelshGas said:
That's one advantage of a conversion, all the leisure systems have individual control systems , rather than integrated and so only need a power source which can be AGM or Lithium and which is standalone so relatively straightforward to convert from one to the other.
Hopefully the next generation of the California will discard AGM for Lithium.
Click to expand...
If one pokes around in the various modules lithium chemistry is a selectable option. What is needed is for VW to do it so that the complete coding can be copied.
 
WelshGas said:
That's one advantage of a conversion, all the leisure systems have individual control systems , rather than integrated and so only need a power source which can be AGM or Lithium and which is standalone so relatively straightforward to convert from one to the other.
Hopefully the next generation of the California will discard AGM for Lithium.
Click to expand...
They might not, most electric cars with huge lithium drive batteries still have a 12V lead acid for the normal electric systems. If ever there was a time to swap the 12V lead acid for lithium you would have though that was it, but they don't seem to be going that way.
 
Steve1 said:
They might not, most electric cars with huge lithium drive batteries still have a 12V lead acid for the normal electric systems. If ever there was a time to swap the 12V lead acid for lithium you would have though that was it, but they don't seem to be going that way.
Click to expand...
I was thinking more about just using 1 lithium leisure battery instead of 2 x AGM batteries with the consequent weight saving. You don't really need the efficiency of a lithium battery for the general electrics.
 
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