Lithium Batteries: What's All the Hype?

By Peggy Dent

You may have heard some talk about lithium batteries, or know someone who installed them in their boat or RV. If you’re wondering if switching to lithium when it’s time to replace your current battery system will be the right decision for you, here are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros: Advantages of Lithium Batteries

■ Lithium batteries are lighter, cleaner, safer, and need no maintenance.

■ Weigh about half as much as traditional batteries

■ Are completely sealed

■ Never have a corrosive build-up on the terminals

■ Don’t off-gas harmful fumes

The old phone lithium batteries that could catch on fire in your pocket are not the same technology as today’s RV lithium batteries. Consequently, they are not a fire hazard and they’re safer than lead-acid batteries, which can explode under certain conditions. Finally, lithium batteries require no maintenance, there are no fluids to replace or terminals to clean, and once they are installed with a battery management system, they require no additional care.

Lithium batteries have a superior power storage capability, and deliver more power to your RV. Traditional lead-acid batteries are constantly losing power, even when they’re disconnected from the RV’s electrical system, unless the batteries are being recharged via shore power or solar panels. Most RVers have experienced the frustration of getting their RV out of storage just to discover that the house batteries and perhaps even the chassis battery are dead. Additionally, lead-acid batteries can only deliver about half of their maximum stored capacity. Once the power level in lead-acid batteries approaches the 50% threshold, these batteries stop delivering power to the RV. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, store power more densely (meaning there is more power in the battery) and deliver a larger percentage of their total power capacity—approximately 85%. As power drains out of a lead-acid battery, the quality of the power flowing to the various electrical components in the RV degrades, and some electrical features stop functioning with this degraded power. With lithium batteries, the quality (intensity, voltage, amps) of the power is the same through the entire power range. The bottom line is that lithium batteries store more power and send more electricity to your RV for a much longer period of time than a traditional RV battery system.

Lithium batteries last longer than lead-acid batteries. In fact, they might even last longer than your RV. Some lithium battery systems are rated for up to 10 years of reliable service. Since they don’t lose their charge like lead-acid batteries, the annoyance of taking your RV out of storage just to discover the batteries are dead will not be a problem.

Lithium batteries could save you money over time. The extended lifetime of lithium batteries compared with that of traditional batteries means that lithium batteries cost less over time. They are a pricey replacement for lead-acid batteries, but they could outlast multiple sets of traditional batteries. Therefore, if you calculate the total cost of the batteries and maintenance over the life span of these technologically superior replacement batteries, it could result in a net gain and not an additional expense.

Cons: Negatives of Installing Lithium Batteries

■ Lithium batteries are much more expensive. They can be as much as $1,000 per battery.

■ It’s not a direct replacement. You can’t just remove your old lead-acid batteries and drop lithium batteries into the battery compartment in your RV. You’ll need to buy and install a battery management system, which is essential because it balances power storage during the recharging cycle and provides valuable information about the life cycle and charge level.

■ You may need professional help with the install. The power system in any RV is a complicated, interconnected network of electrical components, supplying power to many different parts of the RV. The batteries need to receive power from either shore power, solar panels, or a generator. With lithium batteries, it’s essential that the inflow of power into the battery bank is evenly distributed into all the cells within the entire battery system.

Should you Make the Switch?

So, is upgrading to lithium batteries worth it for part-time RVers? I think it’s a worthwhile upgrade if you can afford the upfront costs—including the batteries, power management system, and installation. Once this system is installed, it’s a maintenance-free power source for your RV.

For trouble-free battery performance, there’s no better solution than a lithium battery system, especially for seasonal campers or weekend warriors. Lithium batteries are lighter, cleaner, safer, maintenance-free, long-lasting, and they retain their charge longer. They store more power in each battery and deliver more power for a longer period of time. And if you amortize the extra upfront costs over the life span of the batteries, they are even more affordable than traditional batteries ■

Follow Peggy at apeninyourhand.com.