That Anderson connector is extremely common for electric warehousing equipment such as forklifts. Great for the ability to quickly connect or disconnect a battery.
It's not necessarily "wasting" money. Battleborn is a US based company. Their factory is ~20 minutes from my house. I know people who work there. It's not necessarily a "waste" to support a local company that you know will take care of you over throwing money overseas. Is it more money? Yeah, but that's why I drive an American car. I try to support businesses that have good working conditions for Americans.
Also before someone jumps in and says Epoch batteries are made in the US: Maybe they're assembled here (they claim they are), but it seems like they're actually made in China by RoyPow.
The Andersen plug is showing up more and more on RVs as a way to more quickly charge battery banks from tow vehicles given lithium batteries can take a higher and faster charge. The standard 7 pin is just not enough to fully charge a large battery bank while driving. I’ve seen videos and articles of people charging a 600+ ah system in 90 minutes of their tow vehicle. That is a sweet configuration.
Also, the wire sizes in the cable are typically smaller and lower rated in current than the connector can handle. This limitation also factors into the charge time.
Andersen plugs have been used on tow trucks for years, first time I saw them was in the late 80's. I use them on my vehicles so that if someone needs a jump start, you can just pull the cables out of the truck quickly, and hook up and go.
Thank you, FYI I have lived off grid for 21 years, am on my third solar 48 Volt system with a lead acid battery pack, batteries cost $20,000 in 2016.......after eight years with the lead acids new batteries are daily on my mind......thank you for this video, the world of batteries is certainly getting very interesting with the prices coming down........four of these Epoch batteries will be less than half the cost compared to 2016.....wonder how the lithium batteries will actually age??
If you take care of the lead acid batteries they will last. We have several that are from back in 2011 and one from 2010 in our forklifts. Lithium batteries should hold up well. The only downside would be the Chinesium batteries. You almost always get what you pay for.
I started using battery backup after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 1989. I went from a deep cycle lead acid battery bank to forklift batteries, to cell tower 210AH AGM batteries in 2010, finally to Lithium batteries in 2017. I started building systems for family and friends and in 2019 paid $1500 each for Aims 200AH LFP batteries. Li Time 200AH batteries sell for $529 now. The lithium batteries, inverters, chargers and components had improved by leaps and bounds since 2017 and prices have gone way down. Lithium LiFeP04 aka LFP chemistry batteries are far safer than Lithium Ion batteries used in EV's, Power Walls, scooters, power and garden tools, electric bicycles, laptops, phones, etc. Those can burn underwater, explode, and have thermal runaway because they produce their own oxygen when overheated or damaged. Going from lead acid battery banks to LFP lithium is like the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes. Both work. Performance cars never have drum brakes any more as discs are far superior. LFP lithium batteries have quirks but have many advantages. If you had 2000 amp hours in lead acid batteries, they can be directly replaced with 1000 amp hours of LFP. Lead acid batteries are way heavier and larger than LFP and that is a big advantage in trailers and motorhomes. Lithium batteries recharge much faster, start out at higher voltage, they have an almost flat discharge voltage curve, and recover their voltage after a really heavy current draw. Lead acid batteries can be fully depleted and recharged about 500-1000 times. Lithium batteries can do the same cycles 3000-5000 times or more. Lead acid batteries are great for starting engines. But for continuous variable loads, the LFP lithium batteries are far better. Out of about 70 LFP batteries, I failed only one of them and it was my fault.
OH DANG...this is gonna shake up the Lithium Industry. Amazing power/price on these. And options. Hopefully they will quickly drive down the competition prices. Solar cells are already pretty affordable. This could be a game changer for solar-lithium systems in general.
Have any of the builders of these batteries got past the issue of cold charging issues? I live in northern Illinois and the Lithium batteries do not charge below 32'f. I know they have battery heaters, but that also drains the batteries as well. It gets to -14f/-18'f in the winter here.
There been recently a big change in trolling motor batteries. The price is about half of what it use to be. Some now have bluetooth, low temp rprotection and 500A surge, etc... Love it. In factt I just bought a 100AH and it was cheaper than what I paid for a 55AH battery 4 years ago. And it is in the size 24 format.
It is an interesting product. I ended up going with sun fun kits for my class b rv. Two batteries....total of 600 amp hours. 2,300 for the two. Yes you can build your own but in this case i wanted a usa company that could help me with warranty and support. It also fits into my existing battery holders under the rv. Works very well. Has all the same features. Lower price per kWh. But it is not one unit like this one. As others note...and ive built 8 batteries on my own...if you want you can build your own with grade a everything for much less. I am building 12 volt units, in a nice box, using eve 304 grade a cells, 200 amp bms with bluetooth and heating for 600 dollars....just shy of 4,000 watts...so...call it 15 cents.
Anderson connectors are designed for high-amp applications. You can have large cables but if the disconnect or connectors between them don't make good contact and can't support the required amperage then you'll have problems. Anderson connectors solve that issue. As for these Epoch batteries... I would like to buy one or 2 for my next build unless a much lighter solid state battery comes out in the meantime which compares in price & performance.
Solid State batteries are still a long way away. Probably another 5 years before commercially available, but they will be incredibly expensive. Probably another 7-8 years before they are cost effective for the average person.
Brands will always lead the way and higher prices to recover their research and development. Then the copy cats can begin at typically much lower prices. Happens across most industries.
I am an engineer that designs power electronics. For fun, I designed and built a large portable LiFePO4 system for my RV. The component cost was a fraction of Battle Born an still probably 50% less than the battery in this video....which shows how they have a business. Obviously, not everyone wants to design their own BMS and management software like I did, so this is a great choice in that it is complete and affordable with all the features needed for RV use.
I can build a 600aH battery with all of these options, for less than $1200, and I am NOT an electric engineer. This would be great for those who dont want to spend a day or two learning how to build an easy system like this. The box is really nice. Thats the biggest issue with building your own batteries. You cant find a nice box like this to keep it all contained and looking nice.
The different colors don't interchange. You cannot connect a yellow power pole to a red Anderson and neither will connect to a gray one. They did this design on purpose. Each mating half needs to be the same color.
Hey Brian - Special thanks for your well thought out vids, and for introducing us to new, game-changing tech. I was literally mapping out a (used) Tesla battery upgrade for my rig, when I happened across your Epoch reviews. This battery seems to deliver all that the Tesla has, and so much more, without bridges, patches, or voided warrantees. Based on your reviews, I snagged 2 of the 12v 460ah batteries, and I used the Black Friday promo code to get an additional15% off. Sweet deal!!! I'm also hoping to do an assisted DIY with Ben from Catalyst Connected Living, and already dropped him an email on his site to hopefully work something out when we head to Florida next month for the Tampa Super show. Again, many thanks!
Awesome! You’re going to love those batteries, they’re such nice units. Unfortunately Ben had to leave us last week and head out west for a few months so we’ll be missing him at the Tampa show this year. Are you going to be camping at the show or just walking around? We’ll be there every day so hopefully our paths cross!
@@Five2Go We'll be camping there, and I hope we cross paths so I can thank you and share our post-install experiences. So sorry we won't get to meet Ben, but hope he has a blast out West.
ANDERSON POWERPOLE CONNECTORS are a standard in most portable/Emergency installations. They are not Marine specific and are not waterproof. They are used anywhere a connections must be connected and disconnected on a regular basis. ex. Jumper connections to car batterys and the like.
Love the build quality, Saw Will Prowse open it up... high end for sure. QUESTION: Plans for 48V 100Ah in similar casing? Changing over in a marine enviroment
I have been studying solar system for a long time trying to get a knowledge of understanding. Please note I'm not an engineer in anyway and quite often I'm just wrong . So understand I'm not saying anything is wrong with this well constructed system, but trying to understand from my point of knowledge. Noticed you had a Vicktron product .Yea I like there products as well. The charge controller 150/70 amp unit to me would seem to case clipping. I hope I used that word correctly but your panels would produce power at a point that your charge controller would have reach it maximum charge input . So any additional current would not be used or stored. I think I would consider using maybe two of the same charge controllers, so much so if you add more panels as well . I have seen that 2 400 watt solar panels caused clipping connected to a 50 amp charge controller. I have also seem a 220 watt solar panel that was rated at 24vdc have an output up to 36 to 38vdc. This is the reason that I think I could be right. I wish I had the equipment in front of me so that I would not possible be making a fool out of myself but I do not . I believe as a charge controller reached clipping the temperature would also increase very high as well . This would effect the total output wattage as well of the charge controller , but again my option at this point . What can I say this is a really great put together system . I'm thinking of putting something close to this in my own RV. I guess the problem is I would like to do it myself. So not like a lot of other people I have to study and ask questions and I'm thankful for you time. A few other question if you would not mind ? Thinking you said the Vicktron Quattro has 50a output. Does it have 250v single phase ? If not with one inverter can this be achieved with two inverter with a output current of 50 a per leg ? Also you stated that the vicktron servo GX up loaded to Vicktrons Dashboard then could be viewed from your smart phone. The question why wasn't this information incorporated into the Quattro its self ? I can guess this equipment is made in China. I do not like the fact that another country know where I'm at all time and how much power I'm generating. Plus the fact this leaves it open for hacking. I know Vicktron has a secured site but its not Vicktron USA I worry about personally myself . Does the Quattro have a generator start/stop function . I can only guess yes since you ran the wires already, but again you could put in a separate modular to do this as well . Thank you for your time so much Jeff. P.S I tried to reply at five2go.com/discord but just never had much luck with A.I. type reply myself it has to be me and my 8 bit brain.
I tabbed all the cells by hand. Painted framing black and those 30 yr old panels still work. I tried a few flex panels brands for my motorcycle camper to reduce drag and weight. Definitely not as productive! Easily damaged and for me, a hugely disappointed waste. I'd rather buy damaged panels and reseal than buy the flexies. I do have a semi rigid board type rock pals panel I do like just to keep the phone up and my back up rock pals generator I carry to outdoor concerts, events. But, definitely prefer solid rigid panels for home or disaster site power.
Use the Anderson connector cable for a battery disconnect and get another to connect to your buss bar because you will need to up-size the buss bar for this battery's output capability
Can Anderson connectors be made waterproof? Seems they leave their internal metal connector pieces unsealed to the elements. Since you used them mounted on a tow truck's bumper, there must be a way to protect them from the weather and prevent them shorting out in the rain / snow. Thanks in advance.
@@TrailBlazer800JR ours had a metal housing that was sealed with gaskets. Never had an issue. I was in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We had tons of rain but no issues with these connectors
By all accounts, Battle Born makes really good batteries. While others have dropped prices, BB hasn't and they aren't cheap. These seem like good batteries. but there are less expensive options also, especially if DIY.
460Ah Capacity 300A Max Continuous Discharge (500A 30s Discharge) 230A Max Continuous Charge (300A 10s Charge) Hmmm.. I see conflicting specs on the website. Is it 230 or 300 continues? Continues discharge is very important for big inverters. In some cases 2 smaller batteries in parallel are better.
LFP batteries are Good for 4000-6000 cycles. So, so much better than lead acid. Zero maintenance, super flat discharge (voltage stays high even at 20% full) and of course about 1/4th the weight per usable kWh
Whew, thanks for this video! I was just about to buy FOUR battleborn gamechangers for my van. On your comparison, you need to add $100 to the BB is you want them heated, which is even more!
Battleborn equals best quality and backup support. Epoch equals Chinesium quality and well... support... you will find out a lot sooner than if you went with the Battleborns.
@@triphius Lithium batteries can absorb enormous charging amps safely. The problem with direct alternator charging LFP Lithium batteries from a vehicle alternator is that a depleted lithium battery will make that alternator peg out at 100% for a long time. This can burn up an alternator very quickly. Even a 200 amp alternator has a ''duty cycle'' like a welder. They can only put out full amperage for short periods of time. There are very large alternators that can output 100% for special vehicles but they cost $3000 or so. This is why they sell DC to DC lithium battery chargers to limit the load on a vehicle alternator to keep it from burning up. Renogy makes DC-DC alternator to lithium battery chargers in 20 amp, 40 amp and 60 amp. The dip switches allow you to set battery type and the 100% charge battery voltage. When the lithium battery is charged to 100%, the charge current reduces to zero automatically.
@@kimmer6Absolutely, yes. I would never consider or recommend directly wiring to the alternator. Heck, I don’t even like those Li-BIM units that effectively create a “water hammer” like effect on the electrical system of the vehicle. It’s 100% necessary to install a DC-DC converter, although I’d personally use and recommend Victron. But no matter how you swing it, you’d likely want an Anderson connection like that for when you need to disconnect your truck from your 5th wheel or travel trailer… or I guess boat if that’s what you’re towing. That’s obviously less of a thing on a motorhome though.
You get a quality 2nd alternator like 300 amps that does 100 amps at idle. External voltage regulator . Just using your chassis alternator would be bad when things go south, then you can't drive anywhere ur stuck. Imagine being way out there with no engine alternator? that could cost a lot of time and money. In this configuration the alternator temp can be automatically monitored and automatically shut down if it exceed good temps, which it probably would not. Most of the burnt alternators happen with small alternators that cannot handle high continous loads. Alternators that can do this tend to be expensive along with the brakets and external regulators that make them work so well. None of the robust solutions are inexpensive. Why would freedom be inexpensive? I you just get a dc/dc charger of course you will lose power and generate heat, and not be able to really charge you batteries quickly as if you had good monitoring and 100 or 200 amps going to the batts. You don't really want to have to drive 12 hours to charge your batteries.
Anyone still buying battleborn is just 100% uniformed. Besides all the lfp batteries out there that are way cheaper you can just easily build your own. I just bought 3 lfp modules at 43kwh each. They need a little modification to make them 51.2v but for 12,000.00 dollars and some diy I got 2500ah! Never going to buy a "brand" battery ever again.
That’s pretty similar to building your own PC - you can definitely save money and get exactly what you want but it’s not something that the average person would be able to do. It’s awesome that the option is out there though!
Wait for you boy some of the CATL or similar prismatic cell modules from Battery Hookup? Just gotta cut the bus bars since they are laser welded and then find a way to reconnect for the voltage you need?
Question on a class a currently running agm chassis bat and two reg lead deep cells what else is needed to replace the house with this one? I heard alternator should be changed as well as the converter.
At a glance it’s heavier for less storage, only has a 5 year warranty where Epoch has an 11 year warranty, and it doesn’t have the Victron comms, self heating, and other things we covered in the video. It also appears to have lower charge and discharge ratings so make sure to look at stuff like that before making a decision. The rack mount form factor is pretty interesting though.
The EG4 is a good bargain. But this battery is really meant for different usage. Mainly in more challenging environments. The EG4 would have to be kept in a safe and dry area and in a much tighter window of temperature. Epoch just came out with a server rack battery that is similar to the EG4 at similar pricing. This battery is meant for Marine and Camping environments that an EG4 would have a hard time dealing with. Even the dip switches on this Epoch 460AH case have a gasketed cover plate. The heater draws about 11 amps when heating and will heat the battery internally until the internal temp rises to a safe degree, then will allow charging for cold weather.
I know you guys were just spitballing but worth noting the specs. If you’re staying at 12v, max is 4 in parallel. Just in case someone has thoughts of going really big, food for thought.
Yeah, I would be very careful about building that large of a 12V bank. While the wire size is based on the loads, the larger your bank, the more temptation there is to install larger loads. It’s far safer (and generally better) to jump up to 24 or even 48 volts. My system is 48 volts.
I bought my battle born batteries a little over 2 years ago and I understand what your saying about the current prices but, I must say my batteries have been great and no problems ever 😊 there are a lot more choices now so I would recommend doing a lot of research.
Battleborn doesn't have a bad product at all, they're great batteries and from everything we've heard they're a good company too. They were the biggest and pretty much the first on the RV scene so they planted their flag and have dominated for a few years, it's just that the market has caught up and their pricing is just way out of whack now. There are super cheap "brand X" options all over Amazon now if you're willing to risk no warranty and no US-based support, and then there are companies like Epoch that are putting together batteries with more features we're looking for at a much more palatable price than BB. Research is key!
I honestly don’t know much about them, but my gut feeling would be something along the lines of: “That’s cool, but I’d wait until the technology is way more established before powering my home with it.”
@@triphius I'd say that's good advice. I do like the idea of them being safe from fires and costing a third or less than Lithium based batteries. I hope they pan out but with the investment in Lithium companies have made, we can be sure they will continue to use them as long as they can even with the environmental hazards. It may turn out that Lithium works better in small devices where weight and size matters and the Sodium is better where it doesn't so much. Like phones vs cars.
Epoch have been working with lithium cells for 11 years and making their own batteries with them for 5 years already for golf cart and marine use. They’re not new at making batteries, they just haven’t targeted RV owners until recently. The ones you need to worry about are the dozens of relabeled super cheap lithium brands on Amazon. We’ve met these guys in person, they’re the real deal.
The internal heaters pulls about 11 amps. How low you could go would be very dependent on conditions. In theory the heater and battery case would provide safe operation until some theoretical low temp point if it was out in the open. Probably work fine at 0 degrees, may not keep up at -50. Not sure what that point is. But if you put these in another case with some basic insulation it seems you could probably go very low if that was your main concern.
A lot of nice features but maybe I'm missing something. The footprint looks very close to 4 100ah batteries. 4 100ah batteries are running $150-160 or $640 versus $2000, granted less the features of which I would gladly sacrifice for the price/ah. My needs are purely AH oriented. Just my initial thought on a nice product still a bit pricy and trying to find market niche's. Very excited to see new products like these.
You can put these in 4S4P so you could get quite a bit of storage without taking up a lot of physical space, but you're not going to power a house full time with them. They could replace a backup generator if you live somewhere with bad storms and I imagine they'd keep a fridge and other items running for quite a while if you had all the other proper hardware like inverters and some way to recharge them.
@@Five2Go 4S4P configuration gives you 16 batteries, 4 in series and those 4 in parallel to feed a 48 volt inverter. For 460 amp hour units, those 16 batteries would give you 94 kilowatt hours of power. If your whole home electric usage is 20 kilowatt hours a day, such a battery bank would run the house for almost 4 days without recharging them. When you consider that a single Tesla Powerwall battery has about 14 kilowatt hours, you would need over 6.5 Powerwalls to be equivalent. That's huge and expensive. A lot of home backup 48 volt systems are around 30 kilowatt hours capacity. Fine for running a home as long as you don't use the battery depleting electric dryer, electric oven, or central AC unit. Home assembled power backup battery banks typically feed into an ''all in one'' split phase inverter that has the built in ability to input charge from large banks of solar panels for recharging and the ability to charge batteries off the electrical grid or a generator.
Interesting it is a very similar size and form factor and connectors even to the Renogy Rego 400. It’s on sale for $1649 but regular $1999 as I recall. Now I’m curious if they’re both buying these from the same factory in China. The Victron connection whoever did the extra work for that is a huge plus to this battery assuming it was done well. Unfortunately, these guys don’t seem to have a Canadian distributor so only good for the US at the moment. Will start to keep an eye on these guys, thanks for the heads up!
Follow up to this, according to Victron manuals, the Lithionics is the only supported RV-C battery (including DVCC support). So now I’m curious to see how they’re doing it. I’ll have to read the manuals.
I believe they are connected to Roy Pow and the Chinese manufacturer who makes EVE cells so they are probably getting an insane deal on grade A EVE cells. Im guessing thats how they are able to produce these at these prices and build quality. I have their 300Ah model and its specs blow away an $8000 Lithionics battery.
95% of all lifepo batteries come from China. They will custom make them for you and they are half the price. I just bought 4- 12v 250ah batteries for a golf cart for $800.
@@atvtinker01 Good for you. Most people want a turn key solution with US-based support and a solid warranty. Those people deserve the excellent features and reasonable prices too.
Since you guys know a lot about this stuff and I know very little what batteries would you recommend to use with Victron components, in a van conversion if you were going to go with a 24V or 48V system? I believe that you can hook up multiple 12V batteries (in parallel I think) to make a 48V battery, but would it be better to go with 24V or 48V batteries? Which brand? I know that space is limited in a van, and the most I have seen is like 4 batteries. Being able to run the AC for many hours, off grid, if you are traveling in the SW US, especially if you have a pet in the concern. I’m thinking 600-800ah? Any suggestions are explanations would be appreciated.
600 to 800 amps…you are guessing. What is the amp draw of the prospective A/C? What will your other draws be? In a van you have room for two 300 or 400 amp Lithium batteries? You have space on the roof for at least 300 or 400 solar watts?
Thanks guys, i love you ❤Scam artist people are everywhere and should be punished. Keep up your great work. You remind me of Scotty Kilmer auto mechanics guy on TH-cam. Keep it simple and safe. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
230A charge and 300A discharge with some higher numbers for shorter periods of time. 4 in series and 4 in parallel, so you could make an enormous bank with these. All the nitty gritty numbers are at www.five2go.com/460
This is cool, but it isn’t cheap. You could get two 200ah of a different brand for half this cost. You would have to buy some accessories, but it wouldn’t cost $1000 extra to add them.
that's a great idea for simple, quick, convenient rv installation. HOWEVER!!! I can say it's nearly 2x more expensive than you can do with lithium server rack batteries, 400ah 12v is around 1100$
@@Jarrod2323 Google brands like Ao lithium, li time , SOK, there are available in 48v and 12 volt. 24 volt systems are available too, I'd avoid 12 volt systems. regular cased batteries or server rack is a preference. TH-cam Will Prowse and watch his videos! good luck
@@Jarrod2323 ao lithium, sok, li time are good brands. server rack batteries or plastic case is preference. voltage is typically 12 volt, 24v or 48v. 24volt is great to start with, avoid 12 volt systems if possible. if you need 12v for a camper you can buy a voltage regulator. TH-cam will prowse for more clarification and good luck.
I am not smart when it comes to batteries - Why can't I just get rid of my Deep cycle 12V RV battery (Grand Design Imagine 2670MK) and set this one on the mounting brackets, hook up the cables and be on my way? i understand the size difference and I would need a new mounting bracket or stand, or whatever that is called. (I do not have solar) Do I really need to change the cables? Do I really need to install the monitor inside? Couldn't I just use the app?
The cables are probably fine, you don’t really need remote monitoring if you only have one battery, but the biggest issue going from lead-acid to lithium is charging it properly. Your Imagine has a charger/converter that takes shore power and provides power to your outlets while also providing power back to the battery to keep it full. If that unit doesn’t have a “lithium charging profile” it won’t charge the battery properly and can even damage it.
My friend told me Lithium battery prices will go down over time. Battle Born is too expensive in my book. My concern is my internal charging system built into the camper is not designed to charge a lithium battery.
its not that Epoch are so low its that all the others are so greedy that they overcharge, get it right guys. anything for marine and now Vans or RV'S ARE ALWAYS WAY OVER PRICED. If you want to enjoy the outdoors its going to cost you. I am Canadian and that 460ah sells for $3200 Canadian we have greedy people up here as well.
There must be a price war going on. Since EV's have pulled back on manufacturing all those lithium batteries need to go somewhere. I bought 4 - 12 volt 280 AH batteries from Eco-Worthy. For $1999. I went to 24 volt so I have a 480 AH battery bank. They are about the 8d size and they will fit in the battery compartment of many Class A's out there. I also saw a 12 volt 300 AH for $500. I almost bought a new set of T105's and decided to look at lithium again. Bought through Amazon. Supposedly my battery has a 200 amp BMS but it has no controls on the battery. Thanks for the video.
Sorry, but I still am using my Battleborn / Victron /Renogy system and for the last 6 years with no trouble at all. The people at Battleborn helped me design my system from scratch and it was almost plug and play. I will always be appreciative for their help. I personally don’t mind paying extra for the customer service they provide. I will use them again when I upgrade in the future.
The 105 AH actually looks affordable for me. It’s twice what I’d pay for my regular AGM, but i go through AGM batteries A LOT. It would be nice to have some kind of blind testing though, i hesitate to trust completely in people that have a referral link. I will look into it further and come back here if i order
I've seen a few thorough battery tests and LiFePo gives the best value. Second best value is cheap flooded lead acid. The worst value is AGM. With AGM you're paying a fairly big premium for only a small performance gain over a flooded battery.
Well, of course newer technology will be newer and better. But we don’t have that yet and this is pretty darn good! Certainly an excellent entry into the LFP market.
Hey I love this product and would love to see your friends 48vdc system. Great price with super options love the package that it comes in. I'm thinking will install my system in 2 months and would need 4 of these batteries. I have a 40' class A and would like to never have to worry about shore power and yes I have an 8kw diesel generator.. I like the fact at 48vdc only one step up is needed to 110vac. Have you done anything with the Vicktron 250/50 ?
Here is Ben’s setup: How To Do RV Lithium The Right Way th-cam.com/video/phkPgNh7xJM/w-d-xo.html As for that system you’re working on, that sounds awesome. You should join our discord server and check out the electrical channel!
May just buy a solar generator has a inverter to they can give you over 2000 watts for a microwave and fridge all i really need daily. May run a tv sometimes to play video games better. All in a small box. And solid state lithium is used more smaller space. Us3 12 volts if i can. Rv tv are more expensive.
Most RVs have a converter/charger built in and many of those will charge lithium batteries. No matter what brand or model of battery you get you’ll need a way to charge it so it’s not really something worth mentioning when reviewing a battery.
Wil Prouse loved this battery and gave it a great review. Said it was well suited for RV and mobile applications.
And just so everyone knows, it's pronounced Epic. I actually own three of their 300ah batteries. Have them in my van. Nice for sure. Good CS as well.
He loved the build & quality of the Battle Born more :-).
Competition is good. It helps keep prices down. That looks too much for my needs but I am glad to see it entering the market.
That Anderson connector is extremely common for electric warehousing equipment such as forklifts. Great for the ability to quickly connect or disconnect a battery.
They also allow a safe disconnect away from batteries that are venting hydrogen gas.. No more raising the hood to get connected.
Very high current carrying capabilities.
It's not necessarily "wasting" money. Battleborn is a US based company. Their factory is ~20 minutes from my house. I know people who work there. It's not necessarily a "waste" to support a local company that you know will take care of you over throwing money overseas. Is it more money? Yeah, but that's why I drive an American car. I try to support businesses that have good working conditions for Americans.
People actually would prepare to save money
@@namzy410 Not everyone. I know most people do, but some people value keeping their money in the US.
Also before someone jumps in and says Epoch batteries are made in the US: Maybe they're assembled here (they claim they are), but it seems like they're actually made in China by RoyPow.
@meikgeik all battle born batteries components are made in China. They are simply assembled in the us.
They have great support
That giant Anderson power-pole connector is quite common on electric forklifts in factories
The Andersen plug is showing up more and more on RVs as a way to more quickly charge battery banks from tow vehicles given lithium batteries can take a higher and faster charge. The standard 7 pin is just not enough to fully charge a large battery bank while driving. I’ve seen videos and articles of people charging a 600+ ah system in 90 minutes of their tow vehicle. That is a sweet configuration.
Oh yeah? I’ll have to keep an eye out while we’re at the Tampa show next week to see if I spot anything with those plugs.
Also, the wire sizes in the cable are typically smaller and lower rated in current than the connector can handle. This limitation also factors into the charge time.
Andersen plugs have been used on tow trucks for years, first time I saw them was in the late 80's. I use them on my vehicles so that if someone needs a jump start, you can just pull the cables out of the truck quickly, and hook up and go.
Thank you, FYI I have lived off grid for 21 years, am on my third solar 48 Volt system with a lead acid battery pack, batteries cost $20,000 in 2016.......after eight years with the lead acids new batteries are daily on my mind......thank you for this video, the world of batteries is certainly getting very interesting with the prices coming down........four of these Epoch batteries will be less than half the cost compared to 2016.....wonder how the lithium batteries will actually age??
If you take care of the lead acid batteries they will last. We have several that are from back in 2011 and one from 2010 in our forklifts. Lithium batteries should hold up well. The only downside would be the Chinesium batteries. You almost always get what you pay for.
I started using battery backup after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 1989. I went from a deep cycle lead acid battery bank to forklift batteries, to cell tower 210AH AGM batteries in 2010, finally to Lithium batteries in 2017. I started building systems for family and friends and in 2019 paid $1500 each for Aims 200AH LFP batteries. Li Time 200AH batteries sell for $529 now. The lithium batteries, inverters, chargers and components had improved by leaps and bounds since 2017 and prices have gone way down.
Lithium LiFeP04 aka LFP chemistry batteries are far safer than Lithium Ion batteries used in EV's, Power Walls, scooters, power and garden tools, electric bicycles, laptops, phones, etc. Those can burn underwater, explode, and have thermal runaway because they produce their own oxygen when overheated or damaged.
Going from lead acid battery banks to LFP lithium is like the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes. Both work. Performance cars never have drum brakes any more as discs are far superior. LFP lithium batteries have quirks but have many advantages. If you had 2000 amp hours in lead acid batteries, they can be directly replaced with 1000 amp hours of LFP. Lead acid batteries are way heavier and larger than LFP and that is a big advantage in trailers and motorhomes.
Lithium batteries recharge much faster, start out at higher voltage, they have an almost flat discharge voltage curve, and recover their voltage after a really heavy current draw. Lead acid batteries can be fully depleted and recharged about 500-1000 times. Lithium batteries can do the same cycles 3000-5000 times or more. Lead acid batteries are great for starting engines. But for continuous variable loads, the LFP lithium batteries are far better. Out of about 70 LFP batteries, I failed only one of them and it was my fault.
OH DANG...this is gonna shake up the Lithium Industry. Amazing power/price on these. And options. Hopefully they will quickly drive down the competition prices. Solar cells are already pretty affordable. This could be a game changer for solar-lithium systems in general.
Have any of the builders of these batteries got past the issue of cold charging issues? I live in northern Illinois and the Lithium batteries do not charge below 32'f. I know they have battery heaters, but that also drains the batteries as well. It gets to -14f/-18'f in the winter here.
If you read about the battery you'd know its heated and can be charged well below freezing
There been recently a big change in trolling motor batteries. The price is about half of what it use to be. Some now have bluetooth, low temp rprotection and 500A surge, etc... Love it. In factt I just bought a 100AH and it was cheaper than what I paid for a 55AH battery 4 years ago. And it is in the size 24 format.
It is an interesting product. I ended up going with sun fun kits for my class b rv. Two batteries....total of 600 amp hours. 2,300 for the two. Yes you can build your own but in this case i wanted a usa company that could help me with warranty and support. It also fits into my existing battery holders under the rv.
Works very well. Has all the same features. Lower price per kWh. But it is not one unit like this one.
As others note...and ive built 8 batteries on my own...if you want you can build your own with grade a everything for much less. I am building 12 volt units, in a nice box, using eve 304 grade a cells, 200 amp bms with bluetooth and heating for 600 dollars....just shy of 4,000 watts...so...call it 15 cents.
Anderson connectors are designed for high-amp applications. You can have large cables but if the disconnect or connectors between them don't make good contact and can't support the required amperage then you'll have problems. Anderson connectors solve that issue. As for these Epoch batteries... I would like to buy one or 2 for my next build unless a much lighter solid state battery comes out in the meantime which compares in price & performance.
Solid State batteries are still a long way away. Probably another 5 years before commercially available, but they will be incredibly expensive. Probably another 7-8 years before they are cost effective for the average person.
Brands will always lead the way and higher prices to recover their research and development. Then the copy cats can begin at typically much lower prices. Happens across most industries.
I am an engineer that designs power electronics. For fun, I designed and built a large portable LiFePO4 system for my RV. The component cost was a fraction of Battle Born an still probably 50% less than the battery in this video....which shows how they have a business.
Obviously, not everyone wants to design their own BMS and management software like I did, so this is a great choice in that it is complete and affordable with all the features needed for RV use.
I can build a 600aH battery with all of these options, for less than $1200, and I am NOT an electric engineer.
This would be great for those who dont want to spend a day or two learning how to build an easy system like this.
The box is really nice. Thats the biggest issue with building your own batteries. You cant find a nice box like this to keep it all contained and looking nice.
Nice! Where did you get all of the components?
@@Blakehx The cells came from Alibaba vendor. The rest is a PCB that I designed. Components come from DigiKey and Mouser.
@@Factory400epic!
Why don’t you publish your design?
Anderson Power Poles are universal. You can put those connectors on your existing system to make it easy to disconnect for maintenance.
The different colors don't interchange. You cannot connect a yellow power pole to a red Anderson and neither will connect to a gray one. They did this design on purpose. Each mating half needs to be the same color.
Great on batteries thank you Brian and Ben for explaining about the batteries on how long they last.
Hey Brian - Special thanks for your well thought out vids, and for introducing us to new, game-changing tech. I was literally mapping out a (used) Tesla battery upgrade for my rig, when I happened across your Epoch reviews. This battery seems to deliver all that the Tesla has, and so much more, without bridges, patches, or voided warrantees. Based on your reviews, I snagged 2 of the 12v 460ah batteries, and I used the Black Friday promo code to get an additional15% off. Sweet deal!!! I'm also hoping to do an assisted DIY with Ben from Catalyst Connected Living, and already dropped him an email on his site to hopefully work something out when we head to Florida next month for the Tampa Super show. Again, many thanks!
Awesome! You’re going to love those batteries, they’re such nice units. Unfortunately Ben had to leave us last week and head out west for a few months so we’ll be missing him at the Tampa show this year. Are you going to be camping at the show or just walking around? We’ll be there every day so hopefully our paths cross!
@@Five2Go We'll be camping there, and I hope we cross paths so I can thank you and share our post-install experiences. So sorry we won't get to meet Ben, but hope he has a blast out West.
ANDERSON POWERPOLE CONNECTORS are a standard in most portable/Emergency installations. They are not Marine specific and are not waterproof. They are used anywhere a connections must be connected and disconnected on a regular basis. ex. Jumper connections to car batterys and the like.
Love the build quality, Saw Will Prowse open it up... high end for sure. QUESTION: Plans for 48V 100Ah in similar casing?
Changing over in a marine enviroment
I have been studying solar system for a long time trying to get a knowledge of understanding.
Please note I'm not an engineer in anyway and quite often I'm just wrong . So understand I'm not saying
anything is wrong with this well constructed system, but trying to understand from my point of knowledge.
Noticed you had a Vicktron product .Yea I like there products as well. The charge controller
150/70 amp unit to me would seem to case clipping. I hope I used that word correctly but your panels
would produce power at a point that your charge controller would have reach it maximum charge input . So
any additional current would not be used or stored. I think I would consider using maybe two of the same
charge controllers, so much so if you add more panels as well .
I have seen that 2 400 watt solar panels caused clipping connected to a 50 amp charge controller.
I have also seem a 220 watt solar panel that was rated at 24vdc have an output up to 36 to 38vdc.
This is the reason that I think I could be right. I wish I had the equipment in front of me so that I
would not possible be making a fool out of myself but I do not . I believe as a charge controller reached
clipping the temperature would also increase very high as well . This would effect the total output wattage as
well of the charge controller , but again my option at this point .
What can I say this is a really great put together system . I'm thinking of putting something close to this in
my own RV. I guess the problem is I would like to do it myself. So not like a lot of other people I have to study
and ask questions and I'm thankful for you time.
A few other question if you would not mind ? Thinking you said the Vicktron Quattro has 50a output. Does it have
250v single phase ? If not with one inverter can this be achieved with two inverter with a output current of 50 a
per leg ? Also you stated that the vicktron servo GX up loaded to Vicktrons Dashboard then could be viewed from your
smart phone. The question why wasn't this information incorporated into the Quattro its self ? I can guess this
equipment is made in China. I do not like the fact that another country know where I'm at all time and how much
power I'm generating. Plus the fact this leaves it open for hacking. I know Vicktron has a secured site but its not
Vicktron USA I worry about personally myself .
Does the Quattro have a generator start/stop function . I can only guess yes since you ran the wires already, but
again you could put in a separate modular to do this as well . Thank you for your time so much Jeff. P.S I tried to
reply at five2go.com/discord but just never had much luck with A.I. type reply myself it has to be me and my 8 bit brain.
Looks like a very good product. Thank you for the video.
What is your recommendation for storing Lithium rv batteries when not in use during cold winter months?
I would love to know your thoughts on the peel and stick walkable solar panels that have came out?
I've built my first panels in tempered glass door a contractor pulled off.I tabbed all the cell
I tabbed all the cells by hand. Painted framing black and those 30 yr old panels still work. I tried a few flex panels brands for my motorcycle camper to reduce drag and weight. Definitely not as productive! Easily damaged and for me, a hugely disappointed waste. I'd rather buy damaged panels and reseal than buy the flexies. I do have a semi rigid board type rock pals panel I do like just to keep the phone up and my back up rock pals generator I carry to outdoor concerts, events. But, definitely prefer solid rigid panels for home or disaster site power.
We can't find the video on that battery installing the small trailer where is it please😊
Use the Anderson connector cable for a battery disconnect and get another to connect to your buss bar because you will need to up-size the buss bar for this battery's output capability
is the wire pure copper? or just copper clad alu wire?
what does the inside of this battery look like?
has Will Prouse looked into this unit?
th-cam.com/video/GxeVQg-X4Ys/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=DIYSolarPowerwithWillProwse
Yes, yes he has.
That connector is used widely in the tow truck industry. It’s how we connect our jumper cables when boosting someone. They work great
Very cool! Do you have one of those jump terminal boxes on your front bumper?
@@Five2Go when I still drove tow truck, that’s where we put it, bolted to the front bumper. Almost all smaller tow trucks use these connectors
Can Anderson connectors be made waterproof? Seems they leave their internal metal connector pieces unsealed to the elements. Since you used them mounted on a tow truck's bumper, there must be a way to protect them from the weather and prevent them shorting out in the rain / snow. Thanks in advance.
@@TrailBlazer800JR ours had a metal housing that was sealed with gaskets. Never had an issue. I was in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We had tons of rain but no issues with these connectors
what kind of test have you done on this battery
By all accounts, Battle Born makes really good batteries.
While others have dropped prices, BB hasn't and they aren't cheap.
These seem like good batteries. but there are less expensive options also, especially if DIY.
460Ah Capacity
300A Max Continuous Discharge (500A 30s Discharge)
230A Max Continuous Charge (300A 10s Charge)
Hmmm.. I see conflicting specs on the website. Is it 230 or 300 continues?
Continues discharge is very important for big inverters. In some cases 2 smaller batteries in parallel are better.
Continuous charge and discharge are two separate spec items. The charge rating is usually lower than discharge rating.
@@triphius I now see charge and discharge ratings 😁 300A is decent
How many life cycles is the expectancy
LFP batteries are Good for 4000-6000 cycles. So, so much better than lead acid. Zero maintenance, super flat discharge (voltage stays high even at 20% full) and of course about 1/4th the weight per usable kWh
that plug is for lift trucks like the one Home Depot has in their store it plug in to a charger
That Anderson connector is very common on forklifts
Whew, thanks for this video! I was just about to buy FOUR battleborn gamechangers for my van. On your comparison, you need to add $100 to the BB is you want them heated, which is even more!
Battleborn equals best quality and backup support. Epoch equals Chinesium quality and well... support... you will find out a lot sooner than if you went with the Battleborns.
Anderson plugs allow your alternator to charge your batteries while driving. It will only work if you wire your alternator to charge it.
I’ve been considering adding something like this to my rig actually…
@@triphius
Lithium batteries can absorb enormous charging amps safely. The problem with direct alternator charging LFP Lithium batteries from a vehicle alternator is that a depleted lithium battery will make that alternator peg out at 100% for a long time. This can burn up an alternator very quickly. Even a 200 amp alternator has a ''duty cycle'' like a welder. They can only put out full amperage for short periods of time. There are very large alternators that can output 100% for special vehicles but they cost $3000 or so.
This is why they sell DC to DC lithium battery chargers to limit the load on a vehicle alternator to keep it from burning up. Renogy makes DC-DC alternator to lithium battery chargers in 20 amp, 40 amp and 60 amp. The dip switches allow you to set battery type and the 100% charge battery voltage. When the lithium battery is charged to 100%, the charge current reduces to zero automatically.
@@kimmer6Absolutely, yes. I would never consider or recommend directly wiring to the alternator. Heck, I don’t even like those Li-BIM units that effectively create a “water hammer” like effect on the electrical system of the vehicle. It’s 100% necessary to install a DC-DC converter, although I’d personally use and recommend Victron. But no matter how you swing it, you’d likely want an Anderson connection like that for when you need to disconnect your truck from your 5th wheel or travel trailer… or I guess boat if that’s what you’re towing. That’s obviously less of a thing on a motorhome though.
You get a quality 2nd alternator like 300 amps that does 100 amps at idle. External voltage regulator . Just using your chassis alternator would be bad when things go south, then you can't drive anywhere ur stuck. Imagine being way out there with no engine alternator? that could cost a lot of time and money. In this configuration the alternator temp can be automatically monitored and automatically shut down if it exceed good temps, which it probably would not. Most of the burnt alternators happen with small alternators that cannot handle high continous loads. Alternators that can do this tend to be expensive along with the brakets and external regulators that make them work so well.
None of the robust solutions are inexpensive. Why would freedom be inexpensive? I you just get a dc/dc charger of course you will lose power and generate heat, and not be able to really charge you batteries quickly as if you had good monitoring and 100 or 200 amps going to the batts. You don't really want to have to drive 12 hours to charge your batteries.
Does this battery have any UL certification. Safety design review.
To my knowledge, Lithionics is the only with UL at this point. Unless someone else has achieved it in the last few months.
I have 2 marine batteries on my travel trailer. Can I substitute those for this one?
Anyone still buying battleborn is just 100% uniformed. Besides all the lfp batteries out there that are way cheaper you can just easily build your own. I just bought 3 lfp modules at 43kwh each. They need a little modification to make them 51.2v but for 12,000.00 dollars and some diy I got 2500ah! Never going to buy a "brand" battery ever again.
That’s pretty similar to building your own PC - you can definitely save money and get exactly what you want but it’s not something that the average person would be able to do. It’s awesome that the option is out there though!
Wait for you boy some of the CATL or similar prismatic cell modules from Battery Hookup? Just gotta cut the bus bars since they are laser welded and then find a way to reconnect for the voltage you need?
Nice! Sounds like a sick setup! Do you have a TH-cam video or pics / schematics because I’d love to see it!
Just watch will prowse. He test the battery brands.
Just don't go too cheap. You don't want to lose your house.
Question on a class a currently running agm chassis bat and two reg lead deep cells what else is needed to replace the house with this one? I heard alternator should be changed as well as the converter.
The battery in this video can you put four of them in Ceres and come up with 48 volts? I know not all lithium batteries have that ability
Yes, you can do 4 in series or parallel for whichever configuration you want
I am building a system myself. These are nice, but I am having trouble looking past the 12v 100 amp Power Queen batteries at $220 each.
What makes this better than the $1000 EG4 400Ah battery? IP, heating and 60 extra Ah. Anything else to highlight? Thanks!
At a glance it’s heavier for less storage, only has a 5 year warranty where Epoch has an 11 year warranty, and it doesn’t have the Victron comms, self heating, and other things we covered in the video. It also appears to have lower charge and discharge ratings so make sure to look at stuff like that before making a decision. The rack mount form factor is pretty interesting though.
The EG4 is a good bargain. But this battery is really meant for different usage. Mainly in more challenging environments. The EG4 would have to be kept in a safe and dry area and in a much tighter window of temperature. Epoch just came out with a server rack battery that is similar to the EG4 at similar pricing. This battery is meant for Marine and Camping environments that an EG4 would have a hard time dealing with. Even the dip switches on this Epoch 460AH case have a gasketed cover plate. The heater draws about 11 amps when heating and will heat the battery internally until the internal temp rises to a safe degree, then will allow charging for cold weather.
So this will only communicate with Victron?
I'm moving on to 48v batteries.
You can get 100ah batteries from Power Queen for less than $270 each. That means 500ah for $1350. That’s a lot less than $2,000.
I know you guys were just spitballing but worth noting the specs. If you’re staying at 12v, max is 4 in parallel. Just in case someone has thoughts of going really big, food for thought.
Yeah, I would be very careful about building that large of a 12V bank. While the wire size is based on the loads, the larger your bank, the more temptation there is to install larger loads. It’s far safer (and generally better) to jump up to 24 or even 48 volts. My system is 48 volts.
is this something that would potentially replace the Generator on a coach?
I bought my battle born batteries a little over 2 years ago and I understand what your saying about the current prices but, I must say my batteries have been great and no problems ever 😊 there are a lot more choices now so I would recommend doing a lot of research.
Battleborn doesn't have a bad product at all, they're great batteries and from everything we've heard they're a good company too. They were the biggest and pretty much the first on the RV scene so they planted their flag and have dominated for a few years, it's just that the market has caught up and their pricing is just way out of whack now. There are super cheap "brand X" options all over Amazon now if you're willing to risk no warranty and no US-based support, and then there are companies like Epoch that are putting together batteries with more features we're looking for at a much more palatable price than BB. Research is key!
I agree 👍
@@cookied456 We're wrapping up our holiday break this week and will be back next week ;)
@@Five2Gothere are too many examples on TH-cam alone showing no-name batteries burning up.
This is no area to go cheap!
What model charger/inverter did you install with this battery?
What do you guys think about the new Sodium Ion batteries coming soon?
I honestly don’t know much about them, but my gut feeling would be something along the lines of: “That’s cool, but I’d wait until the technology is way more established before powering my home with it.”
@@triphius I'd say that's good advice. I do like the idea of them being safe from fires and costing a third or less than Lithium based batteries. I hope they pan out but with the investment in Lithium companies have made, we can be sure they will continue to use them as long as they can even with the environmental hazards. It may turn out that Lithium works better in small devices where weight and size matters and the Sodium is better where it doesn't so much. Like phones vs cars.
I saw the Victron inverter installed laying down on its back, NOT RECOMMENDED FOR best air flow and keeping it cooler, it should be installed upright.
what is the size of the container
The sound is really low on this video. Would this battery fit below the stairs in our Class C RV?
Why not wait until this new product has a TRACK RECORD. The Battle Born people have earned their reputation.
Epoch have been working with lithium cells for 11 years and making their own batteries with them for 5 years already for golf cart and marine use. They’re not new at making batteries, they just haven’t targeted RV owners until recently. The ones you need to worry about are the dozens of relabeled super cheap lithium brands on Amazon. We’ve met these guys in person, they’re the real deal.
Will the internal heater work well enough to mount this outside the camper and if so how low can you go on the outside temps?
The internal heaters pulls about 11 amps. How low you could go would be very dependent on conditions. In theory the heater and battery case would provide safe operation until some theoretical low temp point if it was out in the open. Probably work fine at 0 degrees, may not keep up at -50. Not sure what that point is. But if you put these in another case with some basic insulation it seems you could probably go very low if that was your main concern.
@@mvintrigue-trawlerdiy1101 We do find ourselves camping in below zero temps so I just wanted to be sure the battery could still be charged. thanks
A lot of nice features but maybe I'm missing something. The footprint looks very close to 4 100ah batteries. 4 100ah batteries are running $150-160 or $640 versus $2000, granted less the features of which I would gladly sacrifice for the price/ah. My needs are purely AH oriented. Just my initial thought on a nice product still a bit pricy and trying to find market niche's. Very excited to see new products like these.
How accurate is that battery monitor, really? At least when being charged by solar panels in a real world setting.
It's still $1.56 per Ah more than other batteries with all those features. People with sense stopped using
Battleborn years ago.
LiFePO4 is the way to go for an RV battery. It can sit fully charged and not degrade like the earlier LiPO batteries.
Are these batteries UL certified? If so, at what rating?
Any issues puttingbin series to get 24v ?
You can do up to 4 in series with all of their batteries
It's great and I hope they are make more of these solutions
Could you use these batteries to power your home and how many can you connect together?
You can put these in 4S4P so you could get quite a bit of storage without taking up a lot of physical space, but you're not going to power a house full time with them. They could replace a backup generator if you live somewhere with bad storms and I imagine they'd keep a fridge and other items running for quite a while if you had all the other proper hardware like inverters and some way to recharge them.
@@Five2Go 4S4P configuration gives you 16 batteries, 4 in series and those 4 in parallel to feed a 48 volt inverter. For 460 amp hour units, those 16 batteries would give you 94 kilowatt hours of power. If your whole home electric usage is 20 kilowatt hours a day, such a battery bank would run the house for almost 4 days without recharging them. When you consider that a single Tesla Powerwall battery has about 14 kilowatt hours, you would need over 6.5 Powerwalls to be equivalent. That's huge and expensive.
A lot of home backup 48 volt systems are around 30 kilowatt hours capacity. Fine for running a home as long as you don't use the battery depleting electric dryer, electric oven, or central AC unit. Home assembled power backup battery banks typically feed into an ''all in one'' split phase inverter that has the built in ability to input charge from large banks of solar panels for recharging and the ability to charge batteries off the electrical grid or a generator.
Is a Victron smart shunt still needed with one of these, or is that functionality built into this battery?
According to their website, no smart shunt needed it using Victron canbus
Forklift connections on those cables
Interesting it is a very similar size and form factor and connectors even to the Renogy Rego 400. It’s on sale for $1649 but regular $1999 as I recall. Now I’m curious if they’re both buying these from the same factory in China.
The Victron connection whoever did the extra work for that is a huge plus to this battery assuming it was done well.
Unfortunately, these guys don’t seem to have a Canadian distributor so only good for the US at the moment.
Will start to keep an eye on these guys, thanks for the heads up!
Follow up to this, according to Victron manuals, the Lithionics is the only supported RV-C battery (including DVCC support). So now I’m curious to see how they’re doing it. I’ll have to read the manuals.
The internal BMS connects to a GX device via the BMS-CAN ports. Battery shows up in the system.
I believe they are connected to Roy Pow and the Chinese manufacturer who makes EVE cells so they are probably getting an insane deal on grade A EVE cells. Im guessing thats how they are able to produce these at these prices and build quality. I have their 300Ah model and its specs blow away an $8000 Lithionics battery.
95% of all lifepo batteries come from China. They will custom make them for you and they are half the price. I just bought 4- 12v 250ah batteries for a golf cart for $800.
@@atvtinker01 Good for you. Most people want a turn key solution with US-based support and a solid warranty. Those people deserve the excellent features and reasonable prices too.
But does it have a built in fire extinguisher?
LMAO, it's not a Lithium Ion, go find me a LiFePO4 that has caught fire. I'll wait....
Maybe a crazy question but does this run a solar system on an RV
Since you guys know a lot about this stuff and I know very little what batteries would you recommend to use with Victron components, in a van conversion if you were going to go with a 24V or 48V system? I believe that you can hook up multiple 12V batteries (in parallel I think) to make a 48V battery, but would it be better to go with 24V or 48V batteries? Which brand? I know that space is limited in a van, and the most I have seen is like 4 batteries. Being able to run the AC for many hours, off grid, if you are traveling in the SW US, especially if you have a pet in the concern. I’m thinking 600-800ah? Any suggestions are explanations would be appreciated.
@@bgzwlz5119 why 24 or 48 volt? Most RV stuff is 12 volt.
600 to 800 amps…you are guessing. What is the amp draw of the prospective A/C? What will your other draws be? In a van you have room for two 300 or 400 amp Lithium batteries? You have space on the roof for at least 300 or 400 solar watts?
Thanks guys, i love you ❤Scam artist people are everywhere and should be punished. Keep up your great work. You remind me of Scotty Kilmer auto mechanics guy on TH-cam. Keep it simple and safe. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
what is the BMS max charge and discharge? max number in parallel? max number in series?
230A charge and 300A discharge with some higher numbers for shorter periods of time. 4 in series and 4 in parallel, so you could make an enormous bank with these. All the nitty gritty numbers are at www.five2go.com/460
This is cool, but it isn’t cheap. You could get two 200ah of a different brand for half this cost. You would have to buy some accessories, but it wouldn’t cost $1000 extra to add them.
that's a great idea for simple, quick, convenient rv installation. HOWEVER!!! I can say it's nearly 2x more expensive than you can do with lithium server rack batteries, 400ah 12v is around 1100$
Where would one look for those?
@@Jarrod2323 Google brands like Ao lithium, li time , SOK, there are available in 48v and 12 volt. 24 volt systems are available too, I'd avoid 12 volt systems. regular cased batteries or server rack is a preference. TH-cam Will Prowse and watch his videos! good luck
@@Jarrod2323 ao lithium, sok, li time are good brands. server rack batteries or plastic case is preference. voltage is typically 12 volt, 24v or 48v. 24volt is great to start with, avoid 12 volt systems if possible. if you need 12v for a camper you can buy a voltage regulator. TH-cam will prowse for more clarification and good luck.
This is a game changer.
I see what you did there!
I am not smart when it comes to batteries - Why can't I just get rid of my Deep cycle 12V RV battery (Grand Design Imagine 2670MK) and set this one on the mounting brackets, hook up the cables and be on my way? i understand the size difference and I would need a new mounting bracket or stand, or whatever that is called. (I do not have solar)
Do I really need to change the cables? Do I really need to install the monitor inside? Couldn't I just use the app?
The cables are probably fine, you don’t really need remote monitoring if you only have one battery, but the biggest issue going from lead-acid to lithium is charging it properly. Your Imagine has a charger/converter that takes shore power and provides power to your outlets while also providing power back to the battery to keep it full. If that unit doesn’t have a “lithium charging profile” it won’t charge the battery properly and can even damage it.
@@Five2Go I appreciate the feedback. I doubt that the trailer has the lithium charging profile.
I enjoy your videos, thank you.
Is there any off gassing?
Lithium batteries do not vent and can be placed anywhere
Where is this battery manufactured?
It is manufactured in China. So you can definitely believe the specifications and quality control😂😂😂😂
My friend told me Lithium battery prices will go down over time. Battle Born is too expensive in my book. My concern is my internal charging system built into the camper is not designed to charge a lithium battery.
its not that Epoch are so low its that all the others are so greedy that they overcharge, get it right guys. anything for marine and now Vans or RV'S ARE ALWAYS WAY OVER PRICED. If you want to enjoy the outdoors its going to cost you. I am Canadian and that 460ah sells for $3200 Canadian we have greedy people up here as well.
I put my batteries inside to protect from both theft and temperature.
It's a blast to learn new things. I think I was born a half a century to soon.
Sounds good but I think more testing needs to be done.
The price of these batteries keeps falling , just bought 2 more 12v 100ah lifepo4 batteries $300 each 😮😊😊
There must be a price war going on. Since EV's have pulled back on manufacturing all those lithium batteries need to go somewhere. I bought 4 - 12 volt 280 AH batteries from Eco-Worthy. For $1999. I went to 24 volt so I have a 480 AH battery bank. They are about the 8d size and they will fit in the battery compartment of many Class A's out there. I also saw a 12 volt 300 AH for $500. I almost bought a new set of T105's and decided to look at lithium again. Bought through Amazon. Supposedly my battery has a 200 amp BMS but it has no controls on the battery. Thanks for the video.
This is the way to go. Good Alibaba sellers have 300ah for under 400. Takes a month to arrive
@@KickingtheDonksNuts I should have gone there. I forgot about Alibaba but have never bought from them.
Sorry, but I still am using my Battleborn / Victron /Renogy system and for the last 6 years with no trouble at all. The people at Battleborn helped me design my system from scratch and it was almost plug and play. I will always be appreciative for their help. I personally don’t mind paying extra for the customer service they provide. I will use them again when I upgrade in the future.
Do they offer 24/48 volts?
They have higher voltages with their 100Ah models but with the 300Ah and 460Ah units you’ll have to get multiples to increase the voltage yourself
do they make one for a fifth wheel? Or do I need to replace my terminals because your posts are far apart?
This battery will work in any RV, not just on travel trailers. It uses normal top screw posts like most other batteries.
So how do you recycle this at the end of its life?
The 105 AH actually looks affordable for me. It’s twice what I’d pay for my regular AGM, but i go through AGM batteries A LOT.
It would be nice to have some kind of blind testing though, i hesitate to trust completely in people that have a referral link. I will look into it further and come back here if i order
I've seen a few thorough battery tests and LiFePo gives the best value. Second best value is cheap flooded lead acid. The worst value is AGM. With AGM you're paying a fairly big premium for only a small performance gain over a flooded battery.
Wait til grapheme batteries get in production. Much higher charging rates and low temperature profiles. Plus better environmental issues.
Well, of course newer technology will be newer and better. But we don’t have that yet and this is pretty darn good! Certainly an excellent entry into the LFP market.
Hey I love this product and would love to see your friends 48vdc system. Great price with super options love the package that it comes in. I'm thinking will install my system in 2 months and would need 4 of these batteries. I have a 40' class A and would like to never have to worry about shore power and yes I have an 8kw diesel generator.. I like the fact at 48vdc only one step up is needed to 110vac. Have you done anything with the Vicktron 250/50 ?
Here is Ben’s setup:
How To Do RV Lithium The Right Way
th-cam.com/video/phkPgNh7xJM/w-d-xo.html
As for that system you’re working on, that sounds awesome. You should join our discord server and check out the electrical channel!
Wow. Wish this had been available 2 years ago. I have too much invested in my current system. This is a Game Changer!
I've heard a lot of that same regret from people that I've told about this battery. Such is the life of technology 😂
@@Five2Go That is true! Look at how much people spent on Plasma TV's 20 years ago....and now look at the features and prices!
May just buy a solar generator has a inverter to they can give you over 2000 watts for a microwave and fridge all i really need daily. May run a tv sometimes to play video games better. All in a small box. And solid state lithium is used more smaller space. Us3 12 volts if i can. Rv tv are more expensive.
On top of the $2000 price, there is the additional cost of a charger that will charge it. Should have mentioned that.
Most RVs have a converter/charger built in and many of those will charge lithium batteries. No matter what brand or model of battery you get you’ll need a way to charge it so it’s not really something worth mentioning when reviewing a battery.
@@Five2Go Actually, only newer RVs have chargers capable of charge rates that will charge lithium batteries.
Holy shnikes- Epoch batteries seriously has a sweet line up!
I wonder how I could use this on a moose hunting trip.
It would be nice to have power without a generator making noise.
It looks like the engineer may have been drinking out of his or her Rubbermaid cooler when this battery was designed?
Wow! $2k for almost 500 aH
Definitely interesting. Definitely better than battleborns. Gonna install one next week and see how it works out.
Better?
Has anyone taken one apart to see the components they are using?
I think Will Prowse has taken apart a different model of theirs. The internals should be very similar.
yeah.....mount a $2000 battry there......i dare ya