Changing from lead acid to LiFePo4 battery?

[Boomerweps]

Do I need to replace the original converter/charger in my 2019 Wolf Pup 16BHS?
TT has a factory 10amp solar jack.
Awaiting a solar panel kit that should have a controller and wiring due in the next few days, just ordered a 100AH LiFePo battery.

[time2roll]

Boomerweps wrote:
While working I discovered the battery is now at 100% charge. It says that on the top mounted display. Just using the basic WFCO converter but I did hook the panels up for about 3 hours the other day. I’m not bothering to change out the converter. I’ll just buy a stand-alone charger for $40 if I later decide I need it.

Any chance that you monitor the voltage and you see 14.2-14.4 as the low battery gets charged would indicate the existing WFCO is working properly. Mostly WFCO just goes to 13.6 with flooded batteries due to poor design. The 13.6 is fine just a bit slower and may not trigger cell balancing. The solar will complete the charge and allow the balancing at top charge.

Have yet to read a good report on the WFCO lithium converter. Others are available if/when needed.

[S_Davis]

Just don’t plug in and float your LifeP04 batteries.

[StirCrazy]

Boomerweps wrote:
$246.44 for the WFCO lithium battery conversion part.
I’m holding off for now until we start camping more to make it worth the investment.
I’ll just use the regular converter and top off the battery with the solar panels for now. Invested enough $$ in those. Stormy day today. My plan WAS to use the panels today via the factory solar plug with the 30 amp plug pulled to shut off the converter. That’s FAR easier than on my knees with a flashlight jammed between the fridge and bunk bottom in my TT to find the right breaker. Probably ought to mark it boldly anyways to use the solar panels while camping when Air conditioning means keeping the AC power running.

ya your basically replacing the converter section of the power panel. if your doing that anyways get away from a WFCO and get into a PD lithium compatible converter.

[Boomerweps]

Made the PVC pipe frames with legs for the flex panels. Screwed them on using the panel corner grommets. Not considering putting the panels ON the TT until I get all the parts to properly wire everything inside. I just press fit it all together for size verification and it is well stuck together! No glue needed right now. I did gently hammer it snug.
While working I discovered the battery is now at 100% charge. It says that on the top mounted display. Just using the basic WFCO converter but I did hook the panels up for about 3 hours the other day. I’m not bothering to change out the converter. I’ll just buy a stand-alone charger for $40 if I later decide I need it.

[Boomerweps]

Set the flex solar panels on the ground by the TT. Hooked them up in parallel with the supplied Y cables. Just used the supplied clamps to the battery from the controller. Rather than have the converter running at the same time, I just pulled the 30TT plug to shut off AC power to the TT and the converter, rather than crawl on the floor to open the converter breaker. As I was hooking up the panels, I tested their voltage output with my meter (good), but noticed the supplied short MC4 cables had the WRONG ends on the red and black cables that I had previously hooked up red to controller positive and black to negative, like normal color coding. I had to reverse them to get the right polarity from the panels. Lesson learned the easy way this time. A meter is a must. 18vdc from the panels, 14+ shown supplied by the controller.
I actually unplugged the TT this morning, we had freezing temps and might have more and I don’t trust the really cheap LiFePo4 BMS. Glad I hadn’t run water into the TT yet. Got a partial refund yesterday, I was suppose to get the Bluetooth monitored battery, I did not. Going to move my battery disconnect to a more convenient place soon. After I receive more parts, I’ll get everything properly mounted for ease of use. I also will make a portable controller for my suitcase panel to plug it direct into the TT 10 amp Furrion inlet. I had thought there was a controller built into the suitcase, nope. That was in the power box/solar generator. I will be adding a second higher power solar input SAE style direct to my current (excuse the pun) controller.
Received my industrial strength Velcro in today, still thinking about mounting my flex panels with that to the rounded TT front. Secondary method under consideration is a PVC Pipe frame with adjustable brace for tilt.

[Boomerweps]

$246.44 for the WFCO lithium battery conversion part.
I’m holding off for now until we start camping more to make it worth the investment.
I’ll just use the regular converter and top off the battery with the solar panels for now. Invested enough $$ in those. Stormy day today. My plan WAS to use the panels today via the factory solar plug with the 30 amp plug pulled to shut off the converter. That’s FAR easier than on my knees with a flashlight jammed between the fridge and bunk bottom in my TT to find the right breaker. Probably ought to mark it boldly anyways to use the solar panels while camping when Air conditioning means keeping the AC power running.

[StirCrazy]

time2roll wrote:

Boomerweps wrote:
Do I need to replace the original converter/charger in my 2019 Wolf Pup 16BHS?

Most OEM converters are better than the so called "lithium" models. Don't spend money until you know what the existing converter is.

Post the converter model number for best answers.

May as well post the battery information also.

Most OEM converters are WFCO and they get thrown in the garbage as soon as I sign the papers for the unit. let me rephrase that as I do have two WFCO converters, in the garage and the shop running 12V hoists for lifting stuff in and out of the back of the truck :B

[Grit_dog]

Nice work! And use this as an opportunity to boot the pathetic WfcO converter when you have the opportunity to.

[Boomerweps]

Got the 100AH LiFePo4 battery mounted in the front storage area. Essentially a wood box mounted to the floor. Also installed a battery cut off that can be used with two batteries. Drilled a hole in the floor to run the original battery cables back into the cabin. Had to rewire my power tongue since I had run it straight to the battery (lazy, I know). Added a nylon strap with a cam lock to lessen bouncing.
Had a money saving thought right before I was headed out to buy heavy gauge wire. My SIL & grandson are demo derby smitten. So I asked if they had any battery cables laying around. They have a 3x3’ bin FULL of them.
I plan on trying to top the battery off with some solar panels tomorrow. It arrived 92% charged.

[StirCrazy]

I solved this problem temprarly by disactavating the converter charging feature in my camper and only use my solar. I am looking at a couple different newer converters but havent found one I like yet. personaly I won't use a normal converter for LFP although there are a few that do, its not that they will hurt your batteries if you have some other means of charging them to full once and a while to ensure they are in ballance, but rather because they won't charge them properly.

most of the single stages dual stages and tripple stage converters out there are a compromize not a proper charge but you make due with what you have. thats why I just use my solar charger as I can custom program what I want it to out put and when. I do have an idea for a new setup for when it is pluged in, but I am looking for the right units for that and it involves using two seperat single stage converters.

[time2roll]

Boomerweps wrote:

WFCO WF-8955PEC
GENERIC LiFePo4 100ah
It appears WFCO sells a lithium converter upgrade kit, checking their website.

Initially the existing WFCO will work fine.

These WFCO have poor logic to switch to boost mode (14.4v) when expected.
I have read no good results with the WFCO lithium version either. And the lithium goes to 14.6v which is higher than necessary and is the absolute max for lithium. This can stress the cells more than needed and if the cells are not perfectly balanced can trip them to shut down. Happens a lot especially with value priced battery brands. Full 100% charge can be attained with 14.0 to 14.4 volts and the battery lasts longer.

While a converter replacement is not immediately needed I recommend a standard Progressive Dynamics or Powermax when ready.

https://www.bestconverter.com/PD-4655L-MBA-WildKat-55-Amp-Main-Board-Assembly-for-WFCO-8955 Don't use the lithium jumper.

https://powermaxconverters.com/product/pm3-mba/. This one has adjustable voltage.

[MrWizard]

Get the charging specs for your LiFePo Battery, go by what the mfg says, the charge controller i had on my solar system has a setting for Li , stated 14.6v for LiFePo,
In general you can safely use a lower than specified voltage it will just never reach absolute full, but will not be damaged, this is opposite of lead acid batteries, which need a full charge to remove lead sulphate from the plates which restores the density aka specific gravity of the acid

[Boomerweps]

time2roll wrote:

Boomerweps wrote:
Do I need to replace the original converter/charger in my 2019 Wolf Pup 16BHS?

Most OEM converters are better than the so called "lithium" models. Don't spend money until you know what the existing converter is.

Post the converter model number for best answers.

May as well post the battery information also.

WFCO WF-8955PEC
GENERIC LiFePo4 100ah
It appears WFCO sells a lithium converter upgrade kit, checking their website.

[time2roll]

Boomerweps wrote:
Do I need to replace the original converter/charger in my 2019 Wolf Pup 16BHS?

Most OEM converters are better than the so called "lithium" models. Don't spend money until you know what the existing converter is.

Post the converter model number for best answers.

May as well post the battery information also.