16 replies to this topic

[Beach]

I replaced my optima(really a dual purpose) with a true deep cycle from Renogy(100 ah) AGM (Found it on amazon for less than $200). I run my fridge on propane so my elect. needs are fairly minimal; fans, led lights, phone charging, etc. My 60 watt panel keeps up fine and with the 100 ah capacity, I usually see 12.4v to 12.5v after 2-3 days when we are off grid. Get a good deep cycle battery(not a dual purpose) and you'll likely be fine. 

[heinphoto]

Not certain but I don't think you can set the Iota up to the required charging profile of the lifpo4 battery. Maybe Vic or Rando can advise.

It depends on which version of the Iota you have installed. A 2018 FWC probably has the DLS-30/IQ4, which is the version with the integrated IQ4 charge controller that is set up for lead acid battery chemistry. That version unfortunately doesn't allow the charge profile to be be changed. There is a different version of the DLS-30 that allows IQ4 "dongles" with charge profiles for different battery chemistries to be plugged in. If you do most of your charging with a solar controller set up for LiFePO4 batteries, then using the Iota with the integrated IQ4 from time to time probably won't hurt anything. However, I wouldn't use it as the only charging source.

[eyemgh]

I replaced my optima(really a dual purpose) with a true deep cycle from Renogy(100 ah) AGM (Found it on amazon for less than $200). I run my fridge on propane so my elect. needs are fairly minimal; fans, led lights, phone charging, etc. My 60 watt panel keeps up fine and with the 100 ah capacity, I usually see 12.4v to 12.5v after 2-3 days when we are off grid. Get a good deep cycle battery(not a dual purpose) and you'll likely be fine. 

 

Thanks! I’ll look at the Renology.

 

It depends on which version of the Iota you have installed. A 2018 FWC probably has the DLS-30/IQ4, which is the version with the integrated IQ4 charge controller that is set up for lead acid battery chemistry. That version unfortunately doesn't allow the charge profile to be be changed. There is a different version of the DLS-30 that allows IQ4 "dongles" with charge profiles for different battery chemistries to be plugged in. If you do most of your charging with a solar controller set up for LiFePO4 batteries, then using the Iota with the integrated IQ4 from time to time probably won't hurt anything. However, I wouldn't use it as the only charging source.

 

Mine didn’t actually come with the IOTA. A friend had one and is installing it for me. He lost the dongle, so I bought a new one. They’re only $20. I’ll have to look at the specs. I don’t have solar and don’t plan to add it, so alternator and shore are the only options. It’s sounding like another AGM might be the way to go. 

Edited by eyemgh, 26 August 2021 - 03:11 PM.

[heinphoto]

Mine didn’t actually come with the IOTA. A friend had one and is installing it for me. He lost the dongle, so I bought a new one. They’re only $20. I’ll have to look at the specs. I don’t have solar and don’t plan to add it, so alternator and shore are the only options. It’s sounding like another AGM might be the way to go. 

 

That's great.  You can just get a different dongle if you decide to change from AGM to LiFePO4 at some point.  We are stuck unless we replace the Iota when we upgrade to LiFePO4.  Fortunately, we don't use shore power much.

 

FWIW, if you are planning to rely on the alternator for charging, you might consider upgrading the wiring from the truck to the battery (if you haven't already).  FWC typically installs 10 AWG from the truck to the camper.  That's a long run and small gauge to supply much charging current.  We recently had ours upgraded to 4 AWG and it made a huge difference.  We also had a DC-DC charger installed in anticipation of upgrading when our current AGMs need to be replaced.  It probably isn't necessary right now, but it does provide multi-stage charging that is separate from whatever charge profile the alternator uses.

[eyemgh]

That's great.  You can just get a different dongle if you decide to change from AGM to LiFePO4 at some point.  We are stuck unless we replace the Iota when we upgrade to LiFePO4.  Fortunately, we don't use shore power much.

 

FWIW, if you are planning to rely on the alternator for charging, you might consider upgrading the wiring from the truck to the battery (if you haven't already).  FWC typically installs 10 AWG from the truck to the camper.  That's a long run and small gauge to supply much charging current.  We recently had ours upgraded to 4 AWG and it made a huge difference.  We also had a DC-DC charger installed in anticipation of upgrading when our current AGMs need to be replaced.  It probably isn't necessary right now, but it does provide multi-stage charging that is separate from whatever charge profile the alternator uses.

 

Good call. We never shore power either. the only reason we're setting this up with the IOTA is that the alternator was the only charging we had. It's probably been chronically under charged. We'll plug at home to get the battery topped off. 

[ntsqd]

As to what AGM's we're using, I'd have to look. I'm sure that they're nothing special as I wasn't willing to put a bunch of money into batteries for a camper that I wasn't sure if we'd have it much longer. Turned out that the replacement camper also used 2GC's and had a fairly new pair of wet batteries in it. So we still have those AGM's now in the newer camper.

 

In the old camper I put a single 100W panel on the roof with a PWM type controller and it kept up with all of our needs. But we're in the desert SW where we get lots of sun year round. So much so that at the time I wished that I'd done the solar first and then the truck connection may never have happened.

The new camper has a single 160W panel and it doesn't do quite as well. I suspect that most of the problem is in the no-name controller.

 

If you have power available where ever the camper is parked between trips and uses you might consider a maintainer. I set up both campers so that their maintainer is live whenever we do plug into shore power. I've also put a dual sensing ACR in both campers so when the shore power or solar has topped off the camper batteries it then goes to work on topping off the AGM truck batteries. I see that as a big downside to a DC-DC charger, as best as I can tell they only work in one direction. If forced to use a DC-DC charger I would seriously consider setting up a maintainer for the truck batteries that is plugged into the camper's shore power circuit as late model trucks have lots of little draws that when parked for a while can pull the starting batteries flat.

 

[eyemgh]

As to what AGM's we're using, I'd have to look. I'm sure that they're nothing special as I wasn't willing to put a bunch of money into batteries for a camper that I wasn't sure if we'd have it much longer. Turned out that the replacement camper also used 2GC's and had a fairly new pair of wet batteries in it. So we still have those AGM's now in the newer camper.

 

In the old camper I put a single 100W panel on the roof with a PWM type controller and it kept up with all of our needs. But we're in the desert SW where we get lots of sun year round. So much so that at the time I wished that I'd done the solar first and then the truck connection may never have happened.

The new camper has a single 160W panel and it doesn't do quite as well. I suspect that most of the problem is in the no-name controller.

 

If you have power available where ever the camper is parked between trips and uses you might consider a maintainer. I set up both campers so that their maintainer is live whenever we do plug into shore power. I've also put a dual sensing ACR in both campers so when the shore power or solar has topped off the camper batteries it then goes to work on topping off the AGM truck batteries. I see that as a big downside to a DC-DC charger, as best as I can tell they only work in one direction. If forced to use a DC-DC charger I would seriously consider setting up a maintainer for the truck batteries that is plugged into the camper's shore power circuit as late model trucks have lots of little draws that when parked for a while can pull the starting batteries flat.

 

The IOTA with IQ4 is a multi stage charger. It will charge at up to 14.8v, initially, eventually slowing, and finally shifting into float mode. Pretty slick. 

Edited by eyemgh, 27 August 2021 - 02:26 PM.