Eagle HT 284bhok battery replacement

[eagle mike]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and recently bought a used 2021 Eagle HT 284bhok.


Overall we love the camper, however the single 12v lead acid battery is shot and needs to be replaced.


I'm considering going with a Renogy AGM battery (possibly upgrading to two of them) or a Renogy lithium battery.


I've noticed when I installed a Progressive Industry hardwired surge protetctor that there was a switch on my breaker box to switch from lead acid to lithium.


My question is, can I simply change that switch and drop in a lithium battery or is there much more I need to do in order to fully use a lithium?


I don't have solar and don't plan on adding any panels anytime soon even though the camper is prepped for it.


Or would I be better off to just dropping in a new AGM (or two) batteries and calling it a day?

[Jagiven]

Welcome Aboard. I really cannot answer your question about which type of battery is better for you. The key is how do you use your new HT? Boondock a lot? Have a residential type frig, run a CPAP or like to use power as if you are hooked up to shore power? Use the furnace much, it can drain a battery in a single day. Understanding your power needs is first.

For example we boondock a small amount (wish it was more often). I have a CPAP with a 12V power cord, no inverter to run 120V items. Our single Duracell group 31 AMG battery (105 Ah) works fine for us. But we are old backpackers and it is not a big deal for us to be power conservative. We have a generator to top off the battery and will use it to run the AC or microwave if needed during the day.

Understanding your power needs is so important. You might want to run everything on battery just like you are connected to shore power. If you do, more batteries with higher capacity maybe required.

As for that switch. My understanding it changes the charging profile required for the lithium batteries.

[eagle mike]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Welcome Aboard. I really cannot answer your question about which type of battery is better for you. The key is how do you use your new HT? Boondock a lot? Have a residential type frig, run a CPAP or like to use power as if you are hooked up to shore power? Use the furnace much, it can drain a battery in a single day. Understanding your power needs is first.

For example we boondock a small amount (wish it was more often). I have a CPAP with a 12V power cord, no inverter to run 120V items. Our single Duracell group 31 AMG battery (105 Ah) works fine for us. But we are old backpackers and it is not a big deal for us to be power conservative. We have a generator to top off the battery and will use it to run the AC or microwave if needed during the day.

Understanding your power needs is so important. You might want to run everything on battery just like you are connected to shore power. If you do, more batteries with higher capacity maybe required.

As for that switch. My understanding it changes the charging profile required for the lithium batteries.

Thanks for the welcome!


That's a good point about needing to know power usage.


We don't boondock and don't see us doing this much if any at all. With the kids and wife I see us staying at least with water and electric (which is what we've been doing so far) or full hookups.


The biggest issue is we don't have a 50amp hookup outside our house, so the camper my stay unplugged for 2-3 weeks at a time before being used.


I'd really like to be able to have it unplugged for this time without having to worry about the battery being dead. That is at least until we get a 50 amp plug outside.

[Keithb]

Originally Posted by eagle mike

Thanks for the welcome!


That's a good point about needing to know power usage.


We don't boondock and don't see us doing this much if any at all. With the kids and wife I see us staying at least with water and electric (which is what we've been doing so far) or full hookups.


The biggest issue is we don't have a 50amp hookup outside our house, so the camper my stay unplugged for 2-3 weeks at a time before being used

I'd really like to be able to have it unplugged for this time without having to worry about the battery being dead. That is at least until we get a 50 amp plug outside.

Hi Mike,
I’ve got the same trailer.
Battery question:
I added a second Group 31 lead acid battery as a simple way to increase my available amp hours for overnight when not plugged in. We have the DC refrigerator.(and we love it)
Home plug in question:
You need to keep your camper plugged in at home or the battery will be dead within a couple of days due to parasitic loads. Get a couple of dog bone adapters to get your 50 amp plug down to a 15 amp plug. Then plug into a 20 amp circuit and you’ll be good to go. Everything except the air conditioner can be operated. (just not all at once!) A 50 amp plug at home is great, but until then a 20 amp will keep you powered and battery charged.
There are many considerations to going Lithium, so spend some time on the forums.
Keith

[Jagiven]

If the issue is keeping the rig powered while at home, have you considered a 15 amp to 50 amp adapter? It will give you enough power to keep the lights on, frig on, run the slides and so forth. Just cannot run the AC and microwave.

We use to use a 15 to 30 amp adapter until I installed a shore power box on the side of the garage.

https://www.amazon.com/RVMATE-Adapte...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[eagle mike]

@keithb @Jagiven I hear you both and I actually have all the dog bones to go from 50 > 30 and 30 > 15. Presently, the closest 15amp outlet is inside my garage. So I need to run an extension cord out the back door or run it through the front under the garage door and around to the camper.



It seems to me sticking with a lead acid battery will work just fine for my needs and instead of spending more for lithium, to spend that extra money on an outside outlet for the camper, be it a 15amp or a 50amp.

[Joeyd3713]

Why can’t the ac be run at home? I’ve been doing it for 2 years off of a 20amp outlet from my garage. Just turned off all breakerS except the inverter to charge the batteries and the 15 am breaker for the AC. What is the negative outcome of running the AC off of 20amp? Thx

[Jay2504]

Of course the AC can be run at home. What happens is when people plug their camper into a 15 amp house outlet, unless there is very little else on that circuit,it pops the house breaker. Also if you are running an extension cord to the camper it needs to be 12gauge wire. For the OP, measure the rails, especially the one closest to the hitch ball. Most Campers with the batteries on the tongue, can’t hold 2 group 31 batteries. Jay

[Wirenut]

The factory "lithium" setting on the converter sets it to put out a continuous 14.6 volts. This really isn't the way a lithium battery should be charged. After it's full the voltage should be reduced to something more like 13.4 volts. So really the setting is kind of useless.

In my particular case my Kilovault lithium batteries call for only a 14.1 volt full charge so I really don't want to hit them with 14.6.
I do have solar which I have programmed for 14.1 and i let that do most of the charging. I leave the breaker to the converter off most of the time. If the solar isn't keeping up I turn the breaker on with the converter still in the lead acid setting. I watch the batteries until they are close to 90% full and then I turn the converter back off.

I hope to come up with a better more hands-off solution soon.