I've been building my own battery banks for a long time and for me it's simply because of the price. I can custom build a bank to fit my needs for a third of the price
@@freelyroaming I definitely agree I personally build mine for car audio which is just as dangerous because if not done properly it can damn sure burn whatever is Around It to the Ground
In the UK building a battery is 1/3rd of the price, even with a JBD BMS with heat pad connections. Genuine Grade A cells. I built two 12v 304Ah batteries for just over £500 each. To buy a single 12v 300Ah battery in the UK will cost £1500 in the UK. I do wish we had access to cheaper high quality batteries in the UK.
To properly and safely build a pack from raw cells, you need a lot more than just the components. If you don't already own then, you'll need to also buy tools that costs hundreds of $$ and it doesn't make sense for beginners who aren't confident in their abilities in the first place. That's who this video is ultimately speaking to. Also in the current market condition, there are too many stories of people getting bad cells or not getting them at all after months of waiting. Unless you plan to build more, you'll end up with equipment you'll likely never use again like a hydraulic crimper and a bench top variable voltage power supply.
@@sparkygazza There not hard to build. It's getting genuine Grade A cells into the UK that's the problem. No idea what the shipping is like at the moment? I got my cells in early December last year. The crazy part was they came to the UK by land not sea. Or at least they showed up in mainland Europe on the tracking and then they were in the UK a few days later. That was before the mess in Ukraine. From what I know from other items I've had delivered be land, previously they went by rail through Russia. That won't be happening again. I've not asked my supplier for a price this year. I did get an email from them a couple of weeks ago stating they had cells ready for delivery from stock they had shipped to Europe. No idea if they still have any or what price they are?
@@drewhodge3820 that's ok mate thanks for the reply anyways. I defo want a lithium battery but it's hard for me to justify paying £900 for a 200ah battery at the moment.
Welcome back to US! We're having some fun now... I bought the 170ah version for our Micro Minnie Winnie, worked great. Fixin' to build a system for home and considering their 48v units. Great company, you made excellent points to use them!
Guys, I am glad to be back in North America and started making more videos again on this channel. Thanks so much for sticking by me and watching my videos. If you plan to order anything from BigBattery.com, you can get 10% Off of your entire order if you use promo code 'freely10'.
Good review. I went with their Battery Evo brand which are less expensive. 2 12v 180 Ah in series for 24v 4.3kWh. $775 ea. Easier to handle than a server rack style battery.
How are they working for you? I think the form factor is a little hard for people to wrap their head around but it serves a good purpose in some situations
@@freelyroaming Working smoothly. I have my new Samsung refrigerator, a 11cf freezer and a 75" Flat screen TV running off of it. I have my washer and gas dryer plugged in to do the laundry a couple of times a week. I even run my small window AC when it gets hot during the day. But primarily set it up to run my fridge and freezer fulltime. They are hooked up to a 3k MPP Solar inverter/charger and 800watts of solar. It couldn't have been easier. With solar during the day and AC from a house outlet, my batteries stay between 13v and a system voltage of 27v+.
I feel like I cheated the system a bit. One of the bigger chinese sellers for cells and batteries is LiitoKala and they started selling rather cheap pre-builds some time ago. Got a 150Ah LiFePo4 battery for the same price as 4 cells with a BMS (~270$) back during new year. It came in a proper package with no visible damage and has been working great so far~ Shipping took over 2 months though, haha. I originally intended to just buy a simple lead-acid battery, but this was too good of a deal to pass up on.
Wow that does sound like a ridiculously good deal. Good for you. Unfortunately those kinds of deals are just not available consistently enough for me to recommend to others.
@@cbinett I assume you've heard about the faulty old cells Liitokala has been trying to sell as grade A, new cells. Seems like it is a gamble and some people are getting lucky.
I agree most should buy built battery packs. I on the other hand understand how to do things right and safe. I built a 10k solar 53.7kw 48V battery bank for $12,000 us dollars give or take $100. if I would have got all prebuilt and such it was $65,000. yes labor and markups will kill your wallet. most should get a loan and do that. Those who understand should DIY it.
Exactly right. If you get asked the same questions as I do from beginners you will know for certain that most people should just buy ready made battery packs.
@@freelyroaming yes dealing with electricity in 12-24-36-and 48 volt can be dangerous. There are way better options than BigBattery out there just saying. you should do custom RV work since you understand how to do thing right. I see a few out there making a killing installing solar and batteries for those who can not or will not do it.
@@dc1544 sure there are a lot of battery companies these days but I can't show all of them in one video. Better or worse is a matter of opinion. I picked bigbattery because they are not as expensive as the bigger companies but they are much higher build quality than the super cheap ones that are all essentially clones. It is also an American company that many people in the previous comment said they would prefer to buy from. I like the form factor as well for it's smaller footprint as well as the ease of serviceability of the enclosure.
I built my own 400amp LiFpo battery pack with BMS and 2000watt inverter charger for less than the price that commercial batterys that would cost on their own, it is the best way to do it and you will learn all you need to know about your system, enough said
I'll build my own and put it in a safer than metal, heavy duty plastic tool box for less than 1/2 the price of the cheapest prebuilt I can find and the cells are sent from the US (already in the US). The main hard part is getting the bms hooked up the right way, alot of wires for a 48 volt system, but easy to check if its right with a multi meter and I'll know it really has a low temp shut off so it will not be wrecked by charging if below 32°f. I'll also put in a good dc breaker and go with bigger then needed cables. After it's built, I can say, "Built in the US by a US person, and built to last 10-20 years". And all that money saved will about pay for an all in one 120v inverter, battery charger and solar controller. After all that I'll say, if you know what your doing fine or else go buy a pre-built, but make sure to watch someone on you tube take it open and make sure it is put together right, alot aren't, like saying they have low temp shut down, wired good so doesn,t rub and short out , going down the road or bounce around in the case, etc.
I have the 24v Big Battery unit. Had it for almost a year now and seems to be working fine. Just curious, do you get to keep the battery they sent to you for evaluation?
I ask for a review unit and they said as long as I made videos about it, I don't have to return it. But if I choose not to make any videos, they would want it back. Other than that, they didn't require anything else. That includes not having any inputs on my opinions of their products.
What is your resting volatage on the Owl after fully charging? I have the original Owl having used it for the last 18mos, and I see no higher than 13.3v. I also only get 150ah actual capacity.
13.3v sounds about right. although I am usually connected to solar so it has a float charge voltage of 13.5v. how much degradation you have after 18 months has a lot to do with how it was used during that time. Anything can happen without knowing every little detail.
Its easier and faster when you travel to the US. Buy or transfer a ship, load the batteries, take some extra for selling in Europe and transport them yourself.
@@freelyroaming I ordered a sun shade for my Tesla in 2021. The best are only available in the US. The article would have cost 120 Dollars. The transport at least 3 months and 350 dollars. Thx, but no thx. I ordered in China. Not as good, a quarter of the price and no additional transport cost. Transport time for different products varying between 3 days - yes 3 days from Shenzhen to Europe! and 6 months. And still nobody produces a simple sun shade in Europe. Nobody has the chuzpe to build a new factory for whatever.
Good vid,,,,but I was just doing some pricing and I can build one of their 15kwh packs for 5000$ vs their 12000$ and mine will come with an EG4 inverter. not as pretty but just as functional. Yes building batteries can be dangerous, but not as dangerous as driving a car. But I will agree that some people should not build them, thats the same people who are lousy drivers🤣. Best wishes to all.
Actually there are 2 really good distributors of raw cells in the 🇺🇸 and their prices are pretty much the same as Alibaba or Aliexpress without having to wait 2 months to get your stuff. I just finished 2 of their 280ah 12.8v GRADE A legit eve cells each one ran me around $640 per Bank with shipping and under $750 with a bms on them.. I can guarantee you won't find any brand new 280ah lifep04 battery banks anywhere near that price!!! This is why I will continue to buy and help people build their own battery banks so they can have a BadA$$ system without having to pay $3 grand for a decent battery bank!!!!! Not big on these don't say anything negative because we gave you the unit reviews... They lack the depth and details to teach anyone new or experienced about the diy setup vs paying 3x more for a company to do it for you.
Nor should they want one. And not everyone can afford lobster and steak dinner, a private jet, a personal chauffeur, a penthouse apartment, I don't see your point. What are you even trying to say? But what I really want to know is... Why is MANUFACTURED BATTERIES not capitalized?
You should pull a Will on these and tear it apart, that’s the only way to evaluate the build quality. I would expect a cheap BMS and less than desirable wiring but prove us wrong, please.
I've seen a few disassemblies. The internals look pretty good but I will confirm. One of the nice things about this unit is the enclosure allows easy access to the components.
I had some batteries from Big Battery for my golf cart. The BMS kept tripping, I sent them in for repair. Once they were in for repair, they then told me that these would not work for my GC after I asked them several times before ordering. They initially said they would return my money. But they never did. After several weeks and phone calls, I get a call from the President of Big Battery, he would not return my money and only wanted to upgrade me to the next version for $1200 more. I told them no, wanted my money back. After a long discussion, I upgraded for $300. As soon as I received it, I sold it. Their customer service and warranty or total worthless. The guys in tech support are great, but I would never ever purchase or recommend them to anyone.
Jeez, It actually sounds to me like you ended up with a pretty good outcome. Maybe just took longer to get there than you would have liked? But I'm sure there is a lot of nuance im your experience that doesn't come across in your comment. Seriously though, it might not have worked out exactly the way you wanted to, but the president of the company called you to work it out and you ended up with a $900 discount? Like I said on the video, big battery isn't paying me to review this battery and has zero influence in what I say. I've certainly never talked to their president, but it certainly doesn't sound worthless to me.
@Freely Roaming What?! It sounded to me like he was sold a product that did not work as promised and was denied a refund and forced to pay an additional $300 for something he didn't want (proof: he sold immediately). Bait and switch with a forced upcharge doesn't sound like a great outcome to me, regardless of whether it was the president himself doing the strong-arming. Do you get a commission when people use your discount code?
They didn't say if the discount code pays me any commission and I've not received any. But I see you are somehow suggesting if it did it would be enough to influence my opinion? That's ridiculous. I've not completed my review of the battery so I don't have any opinions for or against the product until that video is released. When was the last time you complained about a product and got to talk to the president of the company? Read between the lines. I read that the battery was not defective but rather mismatched for his purpose. Even being not a diy pack, he is still trying to put together a diy mobility powertrain and a lot of expertise is required to spec out each part properly. It's the customers job to know what he wants to buy. The parts supplier can only make recommendations and are not responsible for you picking the wrong part. People pay consultants like me to help decide whether something would work. It is not a free service. It seems like he wanted to save some money and try to see if a less expensive and less capable unit would work and it didn't. Selling the new one he received for a $900 discount is a disgruntled move to distance himself from a failed experiment. He didn't say but I suspect he fully if not more than recovered his sunk costs. A lot of the details also seem to be intentionally left out. I don't take one sided opinions as fact. This is in sharp contrast to the numerous horror stories of AliExpress stores that take the payments, never deliver and ghost their customers. Interpret these comments however you want but leave your insinuations of my relationships with these companies out. They have not paid me a dime but I do appreciate them putting their product out there for people like me to scrutinize.
@Freely Roaming I made no insinuations at all, I merely asked for clarification on something that was not explicit in the video (I re-watched that section again before asking). It helps to make things like this very clear so that viewers don't have to assume anything about the relationship. You, however, do seem to be projecting all kinds of motivation and inner thoughts on both myself and the original poster. The amount of mind-reading and speculation in your last post is surprising and, frankly, not the kind of thing I have any desire to engage with. Questioning a one-sided post without knowing the view from the other side is completely valid. Essentially saying it's a "great deal" from that description and without knowing any additional details was a bit much for me to swallow. Best of luck.
I clearly said I was not paid to review this unit. I also do have other affiliate links in all my descriptions and clearly state which ones pay a commission. You pretending like you were not suggesting it in your question is grossly disingenuous. No one invited you or asked you to engage. You made just as many assumptions in your interpretation of what happened in his transaction. Except yours are not based on any first hand knowledge of the company and their products. I intentional didn't pick the cheapest Chinese made pack to review and show in this video to explain why diy is not a good idea for everyone. From researching all available options these revealed themselves to be the ideal combination of value, quality and most of all, immediately available to ship which is something I've been asked about a lot in other videos. You have no verifiable credibility when it comes to this topic so your opinions mean nothing to me. I'm glad to never have to interact with you on future video. Thanks for showing yourself out.
You cite insurance as a factor, but you don't really go into *why* this is a factor at this point in time, versus last year when you built out your battery and posted your videos (which helped me quite a bit, FYI). Is this related to your returning to the US? Did you have issues getting your van insured again due to the presence of your DIY pack? Is that what prompted the switch to the commercial products? Was insurance an issue while in Europe?
This is based on numerous questions I have received and the numerous RV fires I've have been shown since I made the diy battery videos. Insurance companies will do everything they can to dispute a claim. The last thing I want is for someone to lose their whole vehicle not knowing that from the start. The fact is, most people should not build their own packs. I can tell that by just the volume of beginners asking basic questions after watching my videos. Insurance is one of the topics they have asked. I don't have an definitivr answer because everyone's insurance company is different. And it varies from state to state and country to country. Personally, we don't carry full coverage insurance so it's not a factor. In some countries in Europe, DIY electrical systems not only have a hard time being insured, it is even difficult for them to pass their annual motor inspections with it installed. I will continue to build diy packs but this video is necessary to those who question their abilities to not build and use a pack that might cause serious harm or death. There is a big difference between a off-grid system that never moves versus a pack that lives in a camper and goes thru constant vibrations. I can't in good conscience tell a beginner that building their own pack is always a good idea. I want to make sure that for those can be discouraged into building one at least considers all the dangers before moving forward with the project.
Gotcha. That's a lot more detail than you go into in the video, so that's very helpful. But - you didn't answer one question, which was basically, did you have trouble insuring your van with your DIY pack in it once you returned to the States? I get the point of insurance, claims, and fighting claims, but that's a different aspect of the whole thing. And on Europe, considering what you just mentioned - did *you* have such issues once you added your DIY pack to your van? Thank you!
@Wandering Zythophile maybe you missed it but I did state that we don't carry full coverage insurance in US or Europe so it's not an issue. I suspect most people don't feel comfortable with not having full coverage on their expensive campers ad we do. Our vehicle is not registered in Europe so we don't have the issues with inspection that the locals have. This is more detail than most people care to know but I am glad to help you with these answers.
@@freelyroaming Oh, I love details :) And yes, you are correct, I missed the bit about lack of full coverage. Thank you. Gotta ask then - what level of insurance *do* you have? Just liability? No comprehensive? Seems like you'd want comprehensive what with all the investment you've got in it.
Yep, just liability. It's just a vehicle. Sure it would suck if something happened to it but it's still just a vehicle. It has already given us far more than we can ever ask for.
@@freelyroaming have 16 cells coming from france to here,portugal, in 4 days, incredibly cheap (500 euro for all 16,200Ah each, at the 3.2 volts, to do 2 batts. of 24 V each,that is why i wanted to know if you care to tell,saw nothing in the video except that it is dangerous and u need expensive tools; as a mechanic/electrician (i used to be an engineer...)i NEVER needed hydraulic crimpers i have 120 watt soldering irons; have multimeters power supplies etc,also; BUT i rely on google and youtube for the build. It will be stationary,in the house,for solar .
@@josepeixoto3384 so you DID see in the video why building a diy battery might be a bad idea some people. Are you just looking for an opportunity to say that you are not in that category? That's great. I'm happy to hear that.
This battery has a side connection, and therefore cannot place two batteries next to each other, this just waste space in a van or small buildings. There are many many places to buy second hand cells which will provide 80 to 90% capacity at a fraction of the cost, therefore a DIY battery pack will be around $600 to $800, were as factory built $1k to $1.5k. A DIY battery will provide 10 years service if you treat it correctly, millions of people have made their own helped by Jag35 Jehu Garcia battery channel.
There is no reason why you can't place 2 of these side by side. You just have to do it lengthwise. And again, as I said it multiple times, this video is made for beginners who might not feel comfortable building their own battery pack. They are definitely not in the market for used cells. I'm sorry but Jag35 has not sold used cells to 'millions of people'. That is ludicrous. You need to remove a lot of zeros from the end of your estimates. Wait a minute, are you seriously claiming to be an independent news reporter? Wild. Heavy emphasis on 'independent' rather than 'news' I suppose. Anyways, Jehu rarely offers lifepo4 cells. They are almost always used Lithium Ion cells from ebikes or escooters which are alway charged and discharged at a high c-rate. They are far more abused than what a typical off-grid pack would experience. I would never recommend them for RV use, even for an experienced builder.
We build our own batteries because of the exhorbitant prices these battery manufacturers charge. Who, in their right minds, wil pay $1,500 for a gang of cells we series /paralleled to get the voltage we want? Solar, bms, 18650 cells (or larger), distribution box, inverters for an off grid home that my insurance company approves of is a lot cheaper than what you paid for your commercial battery. As far as putting it in a caravan/travel trailer, I stick to flooded lead acid batteries that get recharged at the unguarded outlets at commercial buildings, campgrounds, and friends or family places. With the Bidenflation caused supply problems, you use what you can build, buy, or find to repurpose. I have the skills to build these things myself, or scrounge them off the junkyard of my area. Others can do this, too if they can spend the time to learn how to do this. They assume all the risks involved in this process, as I do. Even you have a risk of fire, overcharging, short circuiting no matter how careful you are because your system is in a moving, vibrating, bumping platform that can cause those same conditions. EVERYTHING is risky, no matter how you install it. Depends upon the amount of risk you want to assume. Not everything here on TH-cam is safe, without risk, including YOUR battery. Have you opened it up to see the quality in the build? How many of your cells have bulges due to their first charge before shipment from the factory? I fear these enclosed battery boxes, because they can become bombs if they short internally, and the protection circuit fails! I overbuilt my batteries for that extra safety factor I can include in my build. I have a 12VDC battery in my radio shack I have built myself that has powered it all for three years without a fault. The only thing it does not power is my Henry 4K which needs 240VAC to power it, but I do not need it all the time, so my solar panel system meets all my needs for communicating. Battery banks are for stationary use, not mobile unless they are small or for automotive use. Being able to afford such commercially made batteries is nice, but not all of us can afford to buy "off the shelf" like YOU did. Good Luck - someday you may need it.
@@chris_mk5supra I bought raw cells 2 years ago and had it shipped to Croatia without any problems. I think you'll be able to find someone who will ship to Belgium.
@@freelyroaming yep i did pull the trigger on ally express cell, hope i did not make a mistake, but it take so much time to come it's kind of frustrating, got to little battery for the moment and it's bottelnecking my solar panels :(
@@chris_mk5supra it took probably 60 days for me to receive my cells in Croatia. I did get pretty lucky though as my cells tested up to full spec. Good luck!
lmao rope handles with out carrying bars on the ropes. really for that price. oh yeah at $6.31 per amp hour its 13 times more per Amp hour sure you add cables and all you are still 3-5 times more expensive. you must being paid to promote this. there are way more affordable options of pre built units that give you 5.12kwh for same price. those are way better options. Big Battery is profit driven only.
Honestly I prefer it without bars. Its extra bulk for something that rarely gets used. Plus unless they are made of metal it will just crack and fall off.
In your search, did you look at the european market ? im debating DIY or just buy one out of i guess a German sattelite store for China (BLS Store, i think you have it Cali too) 200 AH delivered at my door, Akiexpress item no. 1005003492424673 at 833 USD or 1005003044511051 at 994 USD (not sure about the difference that ups the price on the latter). any advise on eighter or in general would be greatly appreciated- Cheers from Denmark 🙂
If any wants to read some of the crap that Big Battery has put out. Just read Will's Diy Solar forum, there's a lot info there. I own a 24v 120ah big battery and I have been lucky so far, but i only have about 75 cycles on it. It's in my off grid cabin in the Ozarks.
I am in the process of testing and reviewing this unit right now. I'd prefer to not let other people's opinions influence this process so I can form my own.
Sorry you lost me on that one. Disappointed because you were one of the leading sources on TH-cam for DIY RV batteries. I do understand it is not for everyone. When you watch Will’s videos you understand the so called professional manufactured batteries are mostly worst than a DIY solution.
Well you say you understand it's not for everyone but in the same breath you show that you really do not. Unlike Will's channel, mine is not only about DIY lithium batteries. It is about off-grid and mobile living. It's irresponsible to tell people how dangerous it is without further explanation and just go on with the same old tutorials and never show safer alternatives. Not all commercially made batteries are made equal. That is why I didn't just choose the cheapest one out there to show in this video. You do not get it because you don't get all of the questions I receive from beginners who have no business building a DIY pack. I've seen too many burned down RVs lately to not make a video like this. I don't really care about your feelings on this topic because the goal is to make sure the people this video is made for understand building from raw cells is not for them and they need to be steered away from it before someone gets hurt or killed. There's way more to it then just knowing which wires go where. For others in the know, this video won't do anything to deter them.
@Norm I didn't say you attacked me. Though you did express dissatisfaction and disappointment which I said it is not my concern. Perhaps you felt that was an attack on you but it's really just apathy towards your opinions. I also just pointed out facts. You might want to read it again. To say DIY solutions are mostly better than commercial is just your OPINION, not a FACT. Builds shown on TH-cam are the exception, not the norm. Fact is, most DIY battery packs are dangerously made and time bombs waiting to explode. You just don't see them uploaded to TH-cam. Believing otherwise is just foolish. A video like this that tells the truth of the danger of a diy pack is necessary. Even if it 'disappoints' people like yourself. You have to realize that these videos are only made after a lot of thoughts and preparations. If you are just making an off-the-cuff comment without going thru the same level of preparation, your comment just won't seem credible.
I've been building my own battery banks for a long time and for me it's simply because of the price. I can custom build a bank to fit my needs for a third of the price
Same here. But it's not an endeavor for everyone for safety reasons. Especially in the RV setting.
@@freelyroaming I definitely agree I personally build mine for car audio which is just as dangerous because if not done properly it can damn sure burn whatever is Around It to the Ground
@@freelyroaming Hi How to contact you .
@@henryxu1646 freelyroaming.com/contact
In the UK building a battery is 1/3rd of the price, even with a JBD BMS with heat pad connections. Genuine Grade A cells. I built two 12v 304Ah batteries for just over £500 each. To buy a single 12v 300Ah battery in the UK will cost £1500 in the UK. I do wish we had access to cheaper high quality batteries in the UK.
To properly and safely build a pack from raw cells, you need a lot more than just the components. If you don't already own then, you'll need to also buy tools that costs hundreds of $$ and it doesn't make sense for beginners who aren't confident in their abilities in the first place. That's who this video is ultimately speaking to. Also in the current market condition, there are too many stories of people getting bad cells or not getting them at all after months of waiting. Unless you plan to build more, you'll end up with equipment you'll likely never use again like a hydraulic crimper and a bench top variable voltage power supply.
What's that in dollars?
Could you build me one please😄👍
@@sparkygazza There not hard to build. It's getting genuine Grade A cells into the UK that's the problem. No idea what the shipping is like at the moment?
I got my cells in early December last year.
The crazy part was they came to the UK by land not sea. Or at least they showed up in mainland Europe on the tracking and then they were in the UK a few days later. That was before the mess in Ukraine. From what I know from other items I've had delivered be land, previously they went by rail through Russia. That won't be happening again.
I've not asked my supplier for a price this year.
I did get an email from them a couple of weeks ago stating they had cells ready for delivery from stock they had shipped to Europe. No idea if they still have any or what price they are?
@@drewhodge3820 that's ok mate thanks for the reply anyways. I defo want a lithium battery but it's hard for me to justify paying £900 for a 200ah battery at the moment.
Welcome back to US! We're having some fun now...
I bought the 170ah version for our Micro Minnie Winnie, worked great. Fixin' to build a system for home and considering their 48v units. Great company, you made excellent points to use them!
Guys, I am glad to be back in North America and started making more videos again on this channel. Thanks so much for sticking by me and watching my videos.
If you plan to order anything from BigBattery.com, you can get 10% Off of your entire order if you use promo code 'freely10'.
Welcome back, safe travels, and enjoy.
thanks much!
Welcome back Dan. Great video as usual.
Thanks bud! Appreciate your support.
I’m struggling with this decision, is better a diy solution with cells or buying a cased tested fully assembled battery pack?
Good review. I went with their Battery Evo brand which are less expensive. 2 12v 180 Ah in series for 24v 4.3kWh. $775 ea. Easier to handle than a server rack style battery.
How are they working for you? I think the form factor is a little hard for people to wrap their head around but it serves a good purpose in some situations
@@freelyroaming Working smoothly. I have my new Samsung refrigerator, a 11cf freezer and a 75" Flat screen TV running off of it. I have my washer and gas dryer plugged in to do the laundry a couple of times a week. I even run my small window AC when it gets hot during the day. But primarily set it up to run my fridge and freezer fulltime. They are hooked up to a 3k MPP Solar inverter/charger and 800watts of solar. It couldn't have been easier. With solar during the day and AC from a house outlet, my batteries stay between 13v and a system voltage of 27v+.
I feel like I cheated the system a bit. One of the bigger chinese sellers for cells and batteries is LiitoKala and they started selling rather cheap pre-builds some time ago. Got a 150Ah LiFePo4 battery for the same price as 4 cells with a BMS (~270$) back during new year. It came in a proper package with no visible damage and has been working great so far~ Shipping took over 2 months though, haha. I originally intended to just buy a simple lead-acid battery, but this was too good of a deal to pass up on.
Wow that does sound like a ridiculously good deal. Good for you. Unfortunately those kinds of deals are just not available consistently enough for me to recommend to others.
Have you tested the real capacity of your battery pack ?
@@cbinett I assume you've heard about the faulty old cells Liitokala has been trying to sell as grade A, new cells. Seems like it is a gamble and some people are getting lucky.
I agree most should buy built battery packs. I on the other hand understand how to do things right and safe. I built a 10k solar 53.7kw 48V battery bank for $12,000 us dollars give or take $100. if I would have got all prebuilt and such it was $65,000. yes labor and markups will kill your wallet. most should get a loan and do that. Those who understand should DIY it.
Exactly right. If you get asked the same questions as I do from beginners you will know for certain that most people should just buy ready made battery packs.
@@freelyroaming yes dealing with electricity in 12-24-36-and 48 volt can be dangerous. There are way better options than BigBattery out there just saying. you should do custom RV work since you understand how to do thing right. I see a few out there making a killing installing solar and batteries for those who can not or will not do it.
@@dc1544 sure there are a lot of battery companies these days but I can't show all of them in one video. Better or worse is a matter of opinion. I picked bigbattery because they are not as expensive as the bigger companies but they are much higher build quality than the super cheap ones that are all essentially clones. It is also an American company that many people in the previous comment said they would prefer to buy from. I like the form factor as well for it's smaller footprint as well as the ease of serviceability of the enclosure.
I Will take diy pack any day
I built my own 400amp LiFpo battery pack with BMS and 2000watt inverter charger for less than the price that commercial batterys that would cost on their own, it is the best way to do it and you will learn all you need to know about your system, enough said
You are so cool
I'll build my own and put it in a safer than metal, heavy duty plastic tool box for less than 1/2 the price of the cheapest prebuilt I can find and the cells are sent from the US (already in the US). The main hard part is getting the bms hooked up the right way, alot of wires for a 48 volt system, but easy to check if its right with a multi meter and I'll know it really has a low temp shut off so it will not be wrecked by charging if below 32°f. I'll also put in a good dc breaker and go with bigger then needed cables. After it's built, I can say, "Built in the US by a US person, and built to last 10-20 years". And all that money saved will about pay for an all in one 120v inverter, battery charger and solar controller. After all that I'll say, if you know what your doing fine or else go buy a pre-built, but make sure to watch someone on you tube take it open and make sure it is put together right, alot aren't, like saying they have low temp shut down, wired good so doesn,t rub and short out , going down the road or bounce around in the case, etc.
I have the 24v Big Battery unit. Had it for almost a year now and seems to be working fine. Just curious, do you get to keep the battery they sent to you for evaluation?
I ask for a review unit and they said as long as I made videos about it, I don't have to return it. But if I choose not to make any videos, they would want it back. Other than that, they didn't require anything else. That includes not having any inputs on my opinions of their products.
What is your resting volatage on the Owl after fully charging? I have the original Owl having used it for the last 18mos, and I see no higher than 13.3v. I also only get 150ah actual capacity.
13.3v sounds about right. although I am usually connected to solar so it has a float charge voltage of 13.5v. how much degradation you have after 18 months has a lot to do with how it was used during that time. Anything can happen without knowing every little detail.
Thanks for a nice review. now just need to work out shipping to Croatia.
oh man, that would be nice. Unfortunately, I think it's gotten worse now they raised customs fees on everything from the US.
Its easier and faster when you travel to the US. Buy or transfer a ship, load the batteries, take some extra for selling in Europe and transport them yourself.
@@wolfgangpreier9160 it's true. But it's also sad that it has to be so complicated!
@@freelyroaming I ordered a sun shade for my Tesla in 2021. The best are only available in the US. The article would have cost 120 Dollars. The transport at least 3 months and 350 dollars. Thx, but no thx.
I ordered in China. Not as good, a quarter of the price and no additional transport cost. Transport time for different products varying between 3 days - yes 3 days from Shenzhen to Europe! and 6 months.
And still nobody produces a simple sun shade in Europe. Nobody has the chuzpe to build a new factory for whatever.
@@wolfgangpreier9160 you would think there is an opportunity for some people to fill the void and profit but for some reason it just doesn't happen
Good vid,,,,but I was just doing some pricing and I can build one of their 15kwh packs for 5000$ vs their 12000$ and mine will come with an EG4 inverter. not as pretty but just as functional. Yes building batteries can be dangerous, but not as dangerous as driving a car. But I will agree that some people should not build them, thats the same people who are lousy drivers🤣.
Best wishes to all.
Actually there are 2 really good distributors of raw cells in the 🇺🇸 and their prices are pretty much the same as Alibaba or Aliexpress without having to wait 2 months to get your stuff. I just finished 2 of their 280ah 12.8v GRADE A legit eve cells each one ran me around $640 per Bank with shipping and under $750 with a bms on them.. I can guarantee you won't find any brand new 280ah lifep04 battery banks anywhere near that price!!! This is why I will continue to buy and help people build their own battery banks so they can have a BadA$$ system without having to pay $3 grand for a decent battery bank!!!!! Not big on these don't say anything negative because we gave you the unit reviews... They lack the depth and details to teach anyone new or experienced about the diy setup vs paying 3x more for a company to do it for you.
I'm interested in a reliable US based battery supplier for a DIY build. Could you tell me who they are?
I'm also interested in a u.s distributor of raw cells could you message me the contacts of the U.S distributors?
NOT EVERYONE LIKE YOU CAN AFFORD Manufactured Batteries!!!!!!!!!
Nor should they want one. And not everyone can afford lobster and steak dinner, a private jet, a personal chauffeur, a penthouse apartment, I don't see your point. What are you even trying to say? But what I really want to know is... Why is MANUFACTURED BATTERIES not capitalized?
You should pull a Will on these and tear it apart, that’s the only way to evaluate the build quality. I would expect a cheap BMS and less than desirable wiring but prove us wrong, please.
I've seen a few disassemblies. The internals look pretty good but I will confirm. One of the nice things about this unit is the enclosure allows easy access to the components.
I had some batteries from Big Battery for my golf cart. The BMS kept tripping, I sent them in for repair. Once they were in for repair, they then told me that these would not work for my GC after I asked them several times before ordering. They initially said they would return my money. But they never did. After several weeks and phone calls, I get a call from the President of Big Battery, he would not return my money and only wanted to upgrade me to the next version for $1200 more. I told them no, wanted my money back. After a long discussion, I upgraded for $300. As soon as I received it, I sold it. Their customer service and warranty or total worthless. The guys in tech support are great, but I would never ever purchase or recommend them to anyone.
Jeez, It actually sounds to me like you ended up with a pretty good outcome. Maybe just took longer to get there than you would have liked? But I'm sure there is a lot of nuance im your experience that doesn't come across in your comment. Seriously though, it might not have worked out exactly the way you wanted to, but the president of the company called you to work it out and you ended up with a $900 discount? Like I said on the video, big battery isn't paying me to review this battery and has zero influence in what I say. I've certainly never talked to their president, but it certainly doesn't sound worthless to me.
@Freely Roaming What?! It sounded to me like he was sold a product that did not work as promised and was denied a refund and forced to pay an additional $300 for something he didn't want (proof: he sold immediately).
Bait and switch with a forced upcharge doesn't sound like a great outcome to me, regardless of whether it was the president himself doing the strong-arming.
Do you get a commission when people use your discount code?
They didn't say if the discount code pays me any commission and I've not received any. But I see you are somehow suggesting if it did it would be enough to influence my opinion? That's ridiculous. I've not completed my review of the battery so I don't have any opinions for or against the product until that video is released.
When was the last time you complained about a product and got to talk to the president of the company? Read between the lines. I read that the battery was not defective but rather mismatched for his purpose. Even being not a diy pack, he is still trying to put together a diy mobility powertrain and a lot of expertise is required to spec out each part properly. It's the customers job to know what he wants to buy. The parts supplier can only make recommendations and are not responsible for you picking the wrong part. People pay consultants like me to help decide whether something would work. It is not a free service.
It seems like he wanted to save some money and try to see if a less expensive and less capable unit would work and it didn't. Selling the new one he received for a $900 discount is a disgruntled move to distance himself from a failed experiment. He didn't say but I suspect he fully if not more than recovered his sunk costs. A lot of the details also seem to be intentionally left out. I don't take one sided opinions as fact. This is in sharp contrast to the numerous horror stories of AliExpress stores that take the payments, never deliver and ghost their customers.
Interpret these comments however you want but leave your insinuations of my relationships with these companies out. They have not paid me a dime but I do appreciate them putting their product out there for people like me to scrutinize.
@Freely Roaming I made no insinuations at all, I merely asked for clarification on something that was not explicit in the video (I re-watched that section again before asking). It helps to make things like this very clear so that viewers don't have to assume anything about the relationship.
You, however, do seem to be projecting all kinds of motivation and inner thoughts on both myself and the original poster. The amount of mind-reading and speculation in your last post is surprising and, frankly, not the kind of thing I have any desire to engage with.
Questioning a one-sided post without knowing the view from the other side is completely valid. Essentially saying it's a "great deal" from that description and without knowing any additional details was a bit much for me to swallow. Best of luck.
I clearly said I was not paid to review this unit. I also do have other affiliate links in all my descriptions and clearly state which ones pay a commission. You pretending like you were not suggesting it in your question is grossly disingenuous. No one invited you or asked you to engage. You made just as many assumptions in your interpretation of what happened in his transaction. Except yours are not based on any first hand knowledge of the company and their products. I intentional didn't pick the cheapest Chinese made pack to review and show in this video to explain why diy is not a good idea for everyone. From researching all available options these revealed themselves to be the ideal combination of value, quality and most of all, immediately available to ship which is something I've been asked about a lot in other videos. You have no verifiable credibility when it comes to this topic so your opinions mean nothing to me. I'm glad to never have to interact with you on future video. Thanks for showing yourself out.
You cite insurance as a factor, but you don't really go into *why* this is a factor at this point in time, versus last year when you built out your battery and posted your videos (which helped me quite a bit, FYI).
Is this related to your returning to the US? Did you have issues getting your van insured again due to the presence of your DIY pack? Is that what prompted the switch to the commercial products? Was insurance an issue while in Europe?
This is based on numerous questions I have received and the numerous RV fires I've have been shown since I made the diy battery videos. Insurance companies will do everything they can to dispute a claim. The last thing I want is for someone to lose their whole vehicle not knowing that from the start.
The fact is, most people should not build their own packs. I can tell that by just the volume of beginners asking basic questions after watching my videos. Insurance is one of the topics they have asked. I don't have an definitivr answer because everyone's insurance company is different. And it varies from state to state and country to country. Personally, we don't carry full coverage insurance so it's not a factor. In some countries in Europe, DIY electrical systems not only have a hard time being insured, it is even difficult for them to pass their annual motor inspections with it installed.
I will continue to build diy packs but this video is necessary to those who question their abilities to not build and use a pack that might cause serious harm or death.
There is a big difference between a off-grid system that never moves versus a pack that lives in a camper and goes thru constant vibrations. I can't in good conscience tell a beginner that building their own pack is always a good idea.
I want to make sure that for those can be discouraged into building one at least considers all the dangers before moving forward with the project.
Gotcha. That's a lot more detail than you go into in the video, so that's very helpful.
But - you didn't answer one question, which was basically, did you have trouble insuring your van with your DIY pack in it once you returned to the States? I get the point of insurance, claims, and fighting claims, but that's a different aspect of the whole thing.
And on Europe, considering what you just mentioned - did *you* have such issues once you added your DIY pack to your van?
Thank you!
@Wandering Zythophile maybe you missed it but I did state that we don't carry full coverage insurance in US or Europe so it's not an issue. I suspect most people don't feel comfortable with not having full coverage on their expensive campers ad we do. Our vehicle is not registered in Europe so we don't have the issues with inspection that the locals have. This is more detail than most people care to know but I am glad to help you with these answers.
@@freelyroaming Oh, I love details :) And yes, you are correct, I missed the bit about lack of full coverage. Thank you.
Gotta ask then - what level of insurance *do* you have? Just liability? No comprehensive? Seems like you'd want comprehensive what with all the investment you've got in it.
Yep, just liability. It's just a vehicle. Sure it would suck if something happened to it but it's still just a vehicle. It has already given us far more than we can ever ask for.
Good
Thanks
Terimakasih oom👍
So...why not a DIY batttery build?
Watch it and you'll know.
@@freelyroaming have 16 cells coming from france to here,portugal, in 4 days, incredibly cheap (500 euro for all 16,200Ah each, at the 3.2 volts, to do 2 batts. of 24 V each,that is why i wanted to know if you care to tell,saw nothing in the video except that it is dangerous and u need expensive tools; as a mechanic/electrician (i used to be an engineer...)i NEVER needed hydraulic crimpers i have 120 watt soldering irons; have multimeters power supplies etc,also; BUT i rely on google and youtube for the build. It will be stationary,in the house,for solar .
@@josepeixoto3384 so you DID see in the video why building a diy battery might be a bad idea some people. Are you just looking for an opportunity to say that you are not in that category? That's great. I'm happy to hear that.
Put 170amps through 4awg wire? No way I would do that unless you want a fire.
It'll get warm to the touch after a few minutes but to start a fire it would take awhile.
SOK has a better 48v set imo.
Title should be "Why You Should NOT Build A DIY LiFePO4 Battery Pack - For Camper Van."
This battery has a side connection, and therefore cannot place two batteries next to each other, this just waste space in a van or small buildings. There are many many places to buy second hand cells which will provide 80 to 90% capacity at a fraction of the cost, therefore a DIY battery pack will be around $600 to $800, were as factory built $1k to $1.5k. A DIY battery will provide 10 years service if you treat it correctly, millions of people have made their own helped by Jag35 Jehu Garcia battery channel.
There is no reason why you can't place 2 of these side by side. You just have to do it lengthwise. And again, as I said it multiple times, this video is made for beginners who might not feel comfortable building their own battery pack. They are definitely not in the market for used cells. I'm sorry but Jag35 has not sold used cells to 'millions of people'. That is ludicrous. You need to remove a lot of zeros from the end of your estimates. Wait a minute, are you seriously claiming to be an independent news reporter? Wild. Heavy emphasis on 'independent' rather than 'news' I suppose. Anyways, Jehu rarely offers lifepo4 cells. They are almost always used Lithium Ion cells from ebikes or escooters which are alway charged and discharged at a high c-rate. They are far more abused than what a typical off-grid pack would experience. I would never recommend them for RV use, even for an experienced builder.
We build our own batteries because of the exhorbitant prices these battery manufacturers charge. Who, in their right minds, wil pay $1,500 for a gang of cells we series /paralleled to get the voltage we want? Solar, bms, 18650 cells (or larger), distribution box, inverters for an off grid home that my insurance company approves of is a lot cheaper than what you paid for your commercial battery. As far as putting it in a caravan/travel trailer, I stick to flooded lead acid batteries that get recharged at the unguarded outlets at commercial buildings, campgrounds, and friends or family places. With the Bidenflation caused supply problems, you use what you can build, buy, or find to repurpose. I have the skills to build these things myself, or scrounge them off the junkyard of my area. Others can do this, too if they can spend the time to learn how to do this. They assume all the risks involved in this process, as I do. Even you have a risk of fire, overcharging, short circuiting no matter how careful you are because your system is in a moving, vibrating, bumping platform that can cause those same conditions. EVERYTHING is risky, no matter how you install it. Depends upon the amount of risk you want to assume. Not everything here on TH-cam is safe, without risk, including YOUR battery. Have you opened it up to see the quality in the build? How many of your cells have bulges due to their first charge before shipment from the factory? I fear these enclosed battery boxes, because they can become bombs if they short internally, and the protection circuit fails!
I overbuilt my batteries for that extra safety factor I can include in my build. I have a 12VDC battery in my radio shack I have built myself that has powered it all for three years without a fault. The only thing it does not power is my Henry 4K which needs 240VAC to power it, but I do not need it all the time, so my solar panel system meets all my needs for communicating. Battery banks are for stationary use, not mobile unless they are small or for automotive use. Being able to afford such commercially made batteries is nice, but not all of us can afford to buy "off the shelf" like YOU did. Good Luck - someday you may need it.
You can build one for cheaper lol
Pretty obvious point. But not the one I'm making here.
Big battery has a very poor quality record
Can you provide some evidence?
no, it does not beat the DIY batt.
So..... Usually when someone makes a statement they are expected to support that statement with some facts.
well, still 2 to 3 times to price of diy ...
Depending on where you get your cells and what quality they are.
@@freelyroaming i'm in EU belgium, pretty hard to find good deal
@@chris_mk5supra I bought raw cells 2 years ago and had it shipped to Croatia without any problems. I think you'll be able to find someone who will ship to Belgium.
@@freelyroaming yep i did pull the trigger on ally express cell, hope i did not make a mistake, but it take so much time to come it's kind of frustrating, got to little battery for the moment and it's bottelnecking my solar panels :(
@@chris_mk5supra it took probably 60 days for me to receive my cells in Croatia. I did get pretty lucky though as my cells tested up to full spec. Good luck!
lmao rope handles with out carrying bars on the ropes. really for that price. oh yeah at $6.31 per amp hour its 13 times more per Amp hour sure you add cables and all you are still 3-5 times more expensive. you must being paid to promote this. there are way more affordable options of pre built units that give you 5.12kwh for same price. those are way better options. Big Battery is profit driven only.
Honestly I prefer it without bars. Its extra bulk for something that rarely gets used. Plus unless they are made of metal it will just crack and fall off.
In your search, did you look at the european market ? im debating DIY or just buy one out of i guess a German sattelite store for China (BLS Store, i think you have it Cali too) 200 AH delivered at my door, Akiexpress item no. 1005003492424673 at 833 USD or 1005003044511051 at 994 USD (not sure about the difference that ups the price on the latter). any advise on eighter or in general would be greatly appreciated- Cheers from Denmark 🙂
If any wants to read some of the crap that Big Battery has put out. Just read Will's Diy Solar forum, there's a lot info there. I own a 24v 120ah big battery and I have been lucky so far, but i only have about 75 cycles on it. It's in my off grid cabin in the Ozarks.
I am in the process of testing and reviewing this unit right now. I'd prefer to not let other people's opinions influence this process so I can form my own.
@@freelyroaming Well if you let my opinion infuence you your in the wrong business. Last time I checked comments are allowed on TH-cam.
Commenting is a privilege, not a right on TH-cam.
@@freelyroaming Wow I never said it was a right, Read it again,
It was a statement of fact. You didn't say that is was or wasn't and I don't really care.
Sorry you lost me on that one. Disappointed because you were one of the leading sources on TH-cam for DIY RV batteries. I do understand it is not for everyone. When you watch Will’s videos you understand the so called professional manufactured batteries are mostly worst than a DIY solution.
Well you say you understand it's not for everyone but in the same breath you show that you really do not. Unlike Will's channel, mine is not only about DIY lithium batteries. It is about off-grid and mobile living. It's irresponsible to tell people how dangerous it is without further explanation and just go on with the same old tutorials and never show safer alternatives. Not all commercially made batteries are made equal. That is why I didn't just choose the cheapest one out there to show in this video. You do not get it because you don't get all of the questions I receive from beginners who have no business building a DIY pack. I've seen too many burned down RVs lately to not make a video like this. I don't really care about your feelings on this topic because the goal is to make sure the people this video is made for understand building from raw cells is not for them and they need to be steered away from it before someone gets hurt or killed. There's way more to it then just knowing which wires go where. For others in the know, this video won't do anything to deter them.
@@freelyroaming wow, I didn’t attack you. Just pointed out facts
@Norm I didn't say you attacked me. Though you did express dissatisfaction and disappointment which I said it is not my concern. Perhaps you felt that was an attack on you but it's really just apathy towards your opinions. I also just pointed out facts. You might want to read it again.
To say DIY solutions are mostly better than commercial is just your OPINION, not a FACT. Builds shown on TH-cam are the exception, not the norm. Fact is, most DIY battery packs are dangerously made and time bombs waiting to explode. You just don't see them uploaded to TH-cam. Believing otherwise is just foolish. A video like this that tells the truth of the danger of a diy pack is necessary. Even if it 'disappoints' people like yourself.
You have to realize that these videos are only made after a lot of thoughts and preparations. If you are just making an off-the-cuff comment without going thru the same level of preparation, your comment just won't seem credible.