LiFePo4 battery pack instead of Lead Acid

I've been getting lots of recommendations for videos about off grid solar and batteries. Interesting stuff for sure, but it highlights the pure crap that is lead acid batteries. If you look up the details you learn that even deep cycle lead acid you can't discharge over 50% without major damage, and that capacity is reduced even further due to high draw and low temps.

On the other hand Lithium batteries can be used near 100% of their rated capacity, are much lighter, and have a higher capacity for charge and discharge rates. The biggest problem with them for us in the north is that you can't charge them below freezing without damage. This can be fixed by heated batteries and insulation but it still uses battery power to do so.

All that said, has anybody considered replacing standard lead acid with lithium? Primarily for sleepers that go through batteries every few years. It seems like the downside of cold temps could be easily fixed by plumbing an insulated battery box with heated coolant from a Webasto or similar.

This isn't something I'd do myself as a company driver but I do think there's myriad benefits from this.

 

What battery are you finding for $110? Most sleepers that run on batteries instead of diesel would use deep cycle group 31. If you want an AGM which has a better chance of lasting a few years it's $400+ for anything with a known name. Aside from that the benefit is you can either run less batteries for the same capacity, or at the very least get 2-3x the lifespan.

 

I was seeing some as low as $150, but I guess I was just remembering wrong as the whole set being quite expensive vs an individual battery. Regardless, I'm just spit balling.

There's some more and some less expensive prebuilt batteries. The raw cells have gotten cheaper and cheaper, and the associated hardware has as well. The cells for a 280AH, that's 2.8x as big, battery can be had for $440. Heating pads and a bms for maybe $150 for a good one. It's all about what the situation is. It's not something I've heard of somebody doing so I figured I'd put it out there on the forum to see if it had been done or if somebody with experience in the matter had found some extra hurdles.

 

Say you had 8 100Ah group 31 batteries like my company truck. That's max about 400Ah of capacity without major damage, and even less when used for high loads like microwaves or electric cookers without the engine running. Diesel is expensive as well, but almost a requirement to be ran for high loads. You can get 16 100Ah prismatic cells for under $600 to equal all 8 without the worry of hitting the limit and screwing one up since you can use 100%. Compared to say 8 $150 100Ah batteries for $1200.

As I said I'm curious as to whether anybody has done it or not.

https://m.aliexpress.us/item/325680...vid=202302120809002375465403753950012629254_2

 

Lipo is not LiFePo4. Different design and chemistry. They're not like phone or Tesla fire starters.

Not everybody eats only sandwiches and does nothing but read a book before bed. Some cook, some watch TV or play games. And if you're using regular batteries as house batteries to operate the webasto they'll be cooked before too long. Like I said, it's overall cheaper than diesel so should probably be much cheaper to operate than a power pack let alone the purchase price.