Lithium-ion battery

[Moodyman]

Recently bought a 2017 Pleasureway Lexor with a Lithium-ion house/coach battery. In reading the general manual I find two things I'm concerned with since I live in Ohio and will be storing this vehicle for some parts of our winter.

1. You shouldn't charge the battery under freezing temps.

2. You should remove the battery and store inside to avoid freezing temperatures.

So....the manual only shows that you remove 4 screws of the cover panel and a picture looking down. No instructions. But it also has a disclaimer saying that any unauthorized person removing the panel voids the warranty. Has anyone had any experience in removing and storing this kind of coach battery? I do not have a Pleasureway dealer near me (2 + hours away).

[mojoman]

I believe they are 100 AH Smart batteries, if they are, they look like regular batteries but are lithium and have a built in BMS. If so, just remove them as you would a lead battery. Also, Lithium batteries last longer if they are stored with less than full charge.

[wincrasher]

Storing the battery in below freezing temps is not a problem. The issue is charging it. You can even discharge them when cold. But if you do, there is no charging it back up until it gets warmer.

Throw out all you know about lead-acid and AGM batteries. Lithiums do not work the same way - their care is fairly minimal.

What I would do is make sure the battery is somewhere between 50-80% charged. Flip the battery disconnect switch and confirm there is no power at all in the coach. Leave the shore power disconnected.

If there are no draws on them, a lithium battery will hold it's charge for a year or more. There is no trickle charging required.

Of course you must be winterized so your pipes don't freeze.

[BBQ]

.

Here's the operating temperature of Lithium battery
Charging Batteries at High and Low Temperatures – Battery University

1. That is correct, you should not charge the battery when the temperature falls below freezing (0C or 32F). You can still discharge it, but not be charging it.

2. You should remove the Lithium battery and store it inside when the temperature falls below -20C. PW mentioned this in one of its videos.

[booster]

The Pleasureway batteries we saw at the RV show last year we longer, narrower, private label for Pleasureway, mounted inside in the rear, so the likely weren't the Smart Batteries. It looked like removing them would just be disconnecting them through the rear doors, at least on the model we say. They were a tan/cream type color.

The latest "rules" that I have heard was no charging under 32*F and no storage unused at under -4*F. The whole lithium and temp thing seems to be a moving target, though.

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

Here's the operating temperature of Lithium battery
Charging Batteries at High and Low Temperatures – Battery University

1. That is correct, you should not charge the battery when the temperature falls below freezing (0C or 32F). You can still discharge it, but not be charging it.

2. You should remove the Lithium battery and store it inside when the temperature falls below -20C. PW mentioned this in one of its videos.

I see no guidance at the link on storage temperatures - only charging/discharging. There is a comment on storing lead acids at low charge state, but that doesn't apply.

[Reed]

Be very careful since the batteries are very expensive. The below is from Battery University

"...Advancements are being made to charge Li-ion below freezing temperatures. Charging is indeed possible with most lithium-ion cells but only at very low currents. According to research papers, the allowable charge rate at –30°C (–22°F) is 0.02C. At this low current, the charge time would stretch to over 50 hours, a time that is deemed impractical. There are, however, specialty Li-ions that can charge down to –10°C (14°F) at a reduced rate..." The LFP batteries on our Roadtrek have 4.8 kW-hrs capacity so the maximum rate would be about 100 W.

We have 4.8 kW-hrs in our Roadtrek. The battery suite is directly below the sleeping platform. Our son, who has been in alternative energy since the 1980s, designed and fabricated our system. He installed a small fan to pull in air from the main cabin and blow it over the two batteries (Manzanita Micro made of CALB cells) for both cooling in summer and warming in winter. We just put a remote thermometer (the kind you buy for $15 at any hardware store) to know what the temperature is at batteries.

One can install small 30 to 50 W lamps in vicinity of the batteries to keep temperature above freezing. Others are placing the batteries on small heating plates designed to keep the holding tanks from freezing.

Reed and Elaine