Lithionics 12V450A-8DR Lithium Ion Battery

Lithionics 12V450A-8DR Lithium Ion Battery

As we’ve written about in our build story previously (here), we’ve chosen Lithionics as our battery supplier for Wally the Airstream. We’ve chosen this battery because they are the safest and highest density cells in the storage range we were looking for (400-500Ah).

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Victron Color Control GX Monitor

Victron Color Control GX Monitor

The brain box and monitor for our solar and charging system is the Victron Color Control GX. While it looks like it’s just a pretty screen with data about our charging system, it actually helps to coordinate all of the separate pieces in our Victron full stack to work together. The pretty pictures are just a bonus.

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SmartPlug 50 Amp Cordset for RV

SmartPlug 50 Amp Cordset for RV

The SmartPlug system is a great addition to any RV or boat/yacht. The SmartPlug team identified a problem with the common 30 and 50 amp plug systems in that as corrosion from moisture set in, historical systems generated a lot of heat and were creating fires. They set out to change that. This system is super easy to use, clips in to the Airstream side wall plug and offers less impedance, higher conductivity and better safety overall. We’re delighted to use this system.

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Blue Sea Systems 300 Amp m-Series Battery Switches

Blue Sea Systems 300 Amp m-Series Battery Switches

These are the switches we’ll be using to turn on or off the individual power inputs. When using a lithium ion power bank it’s important to isolate the batteries from any potential vampire loads. Lithium ion batteries are really good at holding a charge for a long time, but it’s important not to let them discharge below 10% State of Charge (SOC) to avoid damaging the battery. There are often small controllers and other small electronics that draw very small amounts of power that aren’t easy to detect. These switches will allow us to isolate our batteries when they are in storage mode.

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Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor with Battery Temperature Sensor

Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor with Battery Temperature Sensor

While our lithium ion battery from Lithionics already has a battery monitor, it’s important for our charger (Victron Multiplus) understands the State of Charge (SOC) of our battery. Unfortunately, the Lithionics Battery Management System (BMS) doesn’t interact directly with our Multiplus so we have to add a battery monitor seen here. This will report back to the charging circuit to let it know when and how much power to put back into the battery.

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Blue Sea Systems 300 Amp m-Series Battery Switch

Blue Sea Systems 300 Amp m-Series Battery Switch

We’re using Blue Sea Systems switches for all of our main power grid items. This switch will allow us to switch between our roof solar system and our backup suitcase style solar panels in situations where we are in a lot of shade where the camper is parked.

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Victron Energy Multiplus 12/3000/120-50 Inverter/Charger 120V

Victron Energy Multiplus 12/3000/120-50 Inverter/Charger 120V

One of the first steps to getting Wally the Airstream up and running was to establish the power system.  The Victron Multiplus is the central brain for the power system.  

It has a lightning fast transfer switch to take us between shore power and our battery array, a charging circuit to keep our batteries managed appropriately, a 3000W inverter, and is all manageable from a web-based console.  This this is awesome and I'm looking forward to getting it connected to my batteries, solar, and shore power!

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