It’s a busy time preparing for our next adventure. The first thing to work out is where to go. We knew we wanted to go south but that only narrows down the possibilities some. We discussed heading to the Southeast with coastal North Carolina then onto Georgia and the Gulf Coast or heading back to the Southwest where we headed last year. After much discussion we settled on the Southwest heading as-far west as Mono Lake and Death Valley.
With destination in mind we’ve begun our pre-trip tasks. Over the Winter we considered upgrading our trailer electrical system by installing a couple of lithium batteries and a 2,000 watt inverter. What we want is increasing our ability to be off the grid or in RV’ers words, Boondocking. Adding two lithium batteries would increase the available power four fold. Currently the battery supplies DC power to the trailer which is only useful to illuminate the lights, run the water pump, and power the USB outlets in the trailer. By adding the 2,000 watt inverter DC power is converted to AC power with the ability to power everything in the trailer other than the air conditioner. To power the air conditioner we would need to install a couple of more lithium batteries plus a 3,000 watt inverter.
We first got wind of lithium battery technology and associated inverters last summer camping in Labrador. We met a couple traveling in a van type RV. They invited us into their “home” for a glass of wine. They were neither plugged into shore power nor running a generator yet they prepared dinner using an instapot. This captured our interest thus our background research to consider us making the more. It’s not an inexpensive upgrade but worth exploring. The upfront cost of lithium batteries is great than lead acid batteries but there or other things to consider. Lead acid batteries weigh less than half of lithium batteries. Lead acid batteries can only be discharged to 50% of capacity before damaging the battery while lithium batteries can be discharged down to 20%. Lithium batteries can be recharged hundreds of times more than lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries must remain upright and require maintenance while lithium batteries can even be mounted upside down. Furthermore they do not off-gas so they can be stored in the trailer. Most lithium batteries have a Battery Management System (BMS)as part of the battery. The BMS cuts off charging when the battery reaches full capacity and stops the battery from discharging once the battery reaches 20%. A good BMS fully protects the battery plus does not allow the battery to overheat. Battle Born batteries come with an outstanding BMS.
Wells researched what would be needed and potential suppliers and settled on Battle Born and company based in Sparks, NV who has an outstanding reputation for both service, components, and warrantee. The RV industry is only now considering embracing lithium technology due to the upfront costs. Purchasing a system from Battle Born of 2 lithium batteries is roughly $1,000 each plus $1,500 for a 2,000 watt invertor plus installation. Installation is where we encountered. We could not locate a place that had the experience with Airstream trailers and Battle Born. We could do the work ourselves but where best to mount the batteries and the inverter are unknown to us. In the end we elected not to go with a new lithium electrical system.
We chose to purchase a “solar generator.” What the heck is a solar generator. It does not come with solar panels rather it is a portable lithium battery with a built in BMS and inverter. It supplies both AC and DC power from a 1500 watt battery packages in a case about the size of a sewing machine. We can change it from the truck, shore power, or our generator. This will allow us to power camera chargers and other AC things such as a fan. We have not ruled out a new battery system for the future but gives us baby steps towards one.
Meanwhile there are tasks to complete before getting on the road. This winter we’ve made some changes/improvements inside the trailer for storage plus replaced a shower head that was leaking. The trailer tire had a slow leak dropping from 65 psi over the course of a week or so. It was slow enough to make it difficult to troubleshoot. On a warm day we dug out the snow from around the trailer, jacked up the trailer and pulled the wheel. We realized it was time to replace tires so that got done.
Our F-150 Ford two vehicle has a drop hitch which drops enough that sometimes the hitch scrapes the ground. The hitch is adjusted so that the trailer is level. The drop hitch has a section that extends lower than necessary so we swapped out the drop part to drop less. After installing we discovered the trailer does not ride level so we put the old drop hitch back on. Everyday is another learning!
Soon we’ll need to plot out or route. The trailer is still winterized but we hope to de-winterize it before heading out. It’s weather dependent.
Seeing North America 