9. Lithium Upgrade - How much did it all cost to upgrade to Lithium from AGM in the campervan

In this vlog we run through the costs of the components for the lithium setup I have installed and then look at the lifetime costs compared to AGM and pros and cons., This is part of a series of 10 vlogs which go through the different steps of the installation and what I have used. There's a playlist which you can watch at:    / leisurebit  

The battery I've installed is a 460AH Lithium battery, We look at a couple of different sizes and work out the cost per amp hour. I've also got an inverter in the setup so I can use some mains electrical accessories such as the microwave, toaster, electric hob and coffee maker when off-grid.

The van came with a battery to battery (b2b) charger as it's an auto with Start-Stop so I used this rather than replacing as it has a lithium compatible setting - if you don't have one of these you would need a suitable battery to battery charger. The van also came with a solar panel so that would be extra if you don't have one already, all be it I upgraded the solar charger.

This is part of a series of videos around my Lithium battery installation which covers each stage and component. I'd recommend watching the full series and the final video to get the most benefit before you embark on this type of project.

When working with electrics, please ensure you're confident in what you're doing and switch the power off before making any changes, make sure connections are secure and appropriate size fuses or breakers are used to protect your van and equipment. Be particularly careful when working with or around mains electric also.

If you decide to do this yourself, this video is just a guide on how I have gone about it to suit my specific purposes and may not be the best way of going about it. Any mods you undertake you need to personally assess the risk before going ahead and whether it's needed or right for you.

I got my battery from Roamer Batteries The battery comes with a 10 year warranty.

The key things from the install:

12V 460AH Lithium (LIFEPO4) battery from Roamer Batteries:
https://roamerbatteries.com/shop/p/12...

The Inverter I chose was a GIANDEL 3000W
Learn more: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G2Z34B...

The changeover relay to automatically switch over the sockets:
Finder, 230V ac Coil Non-Latching Relay DPDT, 16A
Mfr. Part No.: 62.32.8.230.004
https://uk.rs-online.com
Search for: 292-8427

Victron Energy BlueSmart IP22 Charger:
https://www.victronenergy.com/charger...

For the connector for the power supply I used the male plug from the pack below:
1Pair AC250V 10A IEC C14 Male C13 Female, 3 Pins Terminals Inline Adapter Plug Power Socket Connectors
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XT72W1...

The battery maintainer I chose to use is the Sterling Power Battery Maintainer:
https://sterling-power.com/products/b...

There is also the VanBitz Battery Master as an alternative:
https://www.vanbitz.com/the-van-bitz-...

MTTP or Maximum Peak Performance Tracking solar controllers can give 10-30% more usable energy, particularly on overcast days.

The app and Bluetooth feature are handy for tracking information on performance and current state and also allow you to make sure the settings are correct for your setup.

The solar controller I used is the Victron SmartSolar Charge Controller 75/15 - more information on that particular controller on the link below.
https://www.victronenergy.com/solar-c...

Everything I purchased is a personal purchase and not sponsored in any way.

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Follow David, Rachel and Roxy 🐾, our Labrador, as our story unfolds of our adventures and travels in our Elddis CV20 campervan/motorhome 🚐 to campsites, stopovers, day trips, motorhome shows and more, predominantly across the UK 🇬🇧.

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