RV Batteries: Lead Acid vs. Lithium

Keystone RV Company and Dragonfly Energy have partnered to bring cutting edge battery technology exclusively to Keystone RV dealers. Wade Seaburg breaks down the big differences between lead acid and Lithium batteries to help us understand how Lithium-ion batteries can help owners CAMP BETTER.
#1 Safety
At the heart of every Dragonfly Energy battery is a built-in battery management system that regulates everything going to, from and inside the system, so that owners never have to think about it — protecting the battery from high voltage, low voltage, short circuit & temperature constraints. In fact, Dragonfly takes safety so seriously that we put all batteries through a vigorous and thorough QC process, and we also assemble every battery we make right here in the USA.
We’ve also taken the extra step of obtaining a UL listing for our batteries which means a nationally recognized, third-party testing lab has validated our batteries’ safety and performance.
#2 Weight
Lithium batteries are 1/5 of the weight of a standard Lead Acid battery. One 100 amp hour lithium battery is 31 pounds and that compares to 144 pounds of equivalent lead acid battery power.
#3 Environmental Impact
Dragonfly lithium ion batteries are made from 100% safe and renewable materials. Lead acid is made from well, lead which is toxic and harmful to the environment. In addition, at the end of a Dragonfly Energy battery’s life, Dragonagonfly will handle the recycling of the battery. We have provided a phone number and email on the battery for owners to use when that time comes.
#4 Full Discharge & More Efficient Charging
Lithium batteries offer 100% depth of discharge as compared to 50% depth of discharge in a lead acid. Over discharging lead acid, and the battery anxiety that comes with that, is one of RV owners’ biggest fears. Over discharging even once can cause permanent damage. If batteries continue to be discharged more than what they’re rated for, you can shorten their life.

Lithium batteries have a 99% charging efficiency compared to 85-90% in lead acid.

No matter the source of power: grid —which includes your generator, tow vehicle, or solar, your batteries will capture and retain significantly more power in a shorter amount of time with Lithium than with lead acid. As a rule of thumb, Lithium will recharge 2-3 times faster than Lead Acid.

#5 Charging in Cold Temperatures
Another benefit of Dragonfly Energy batteries that are offered that they include a smart internal heating solution to keep batteries at the safe temperature when charging and is charging when the temps fall below freezing.

#6 Voltage vs. Capacity
Another key difference between lead acid and lithium is that lead acid batteries have significant voltage drop as you use their power while lithium maintains a constant voltage until the last 10% of the battery life. Electronics, specifically the inverter and 12 volt appliances perform better and last longer with a constant and flat discharge curve.

#6 Efficiency
The chemistry of LiFePO4 allows for a more efficient transfer of electrons inside the battery than Lead Acid allows, the by-product of this chemical reaction is that significantly more of the power you harvest in your solar array makes it into storage when using Lithium than lead acid.

#7 Freedom.

Dragonfly Lithium-ion batteries, as part of the Solarflex energy package, open up incredible opportunities for campers — from boondocking, to a wider selection of campground campsites, taking advantage of Harvest Host locations, to camping in their friends’ backyard.

You’ve heard the phrase “lead is dead” and that’s probably not too far from the truth. While lead acid batteries are cheaper the first time around, the total cost of ownership is often far greater than investing in quality Lithium Ion batteries from the beginning.

#KeystoneRV #SolarFlex #RVsolar #solarpower #solarenergy #campbetter

For more information visit: https://www.keystonerv.com/solarflex

About Keystone: The #1 manufacturer of fifth wheel camping trailers and the third largest manufacturer of pull behind camping trailers, Keystone RV Company’s most recognizable brands include Cougar, Montana, Sprinter, Outback, Passport, Bullet, Springdale, Alpine, Laredo, Hideout, Raptor and Fuzion. With headquarters in Goshen, Indiana, and manufacturing locations in Northern Indiana and Pendleton, Oregon, Keystone RV Company employees over 5000 manufacturing, sales, and support personnel in 40 plants encompassing more than 3.2 million square feet.

0:00 Intro
0:37 MAKE THE SWITCH
2:44 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
2:55 LEAD ACID BATTERY
5:11 BETTER MATCH FOR SOLAR POWER
5:38 CAMPING FREEDOM
6:00 LEAD IS DEAD