AGM Battery Alternatives

It's again that time of year when attention goes toward the coach batteries in the RV. When the RV is in frequent use, this is never an issue. Running the engine will charge those batteries, as will plugging into shore power.

However, in winter, some of us put our RV into storage. Those AGM coach batteries then self-discharge. Sulfation may occur and if the batteries are sufficiently discharged they may freeze and undergo permanent damage. In winter, our attention turns to the coach batteries. When spring arrives some of us may be unhappy to find that our batteries have only 75-85% of rated capacity, or less.

Is There a Better Way?
In my case, I installed a 50 watt solar panel and charging system to help those AGM batteries. I also installed a smaller solar panel to offset parasitic drain for the engine battery. Both of these have seemed to help. I went to the storage facility for my RT and the coach battery monitor indicated my coach batteries were in "fair" condition. That has been typical; I suspect my RV which was purchased one year after manufacture had damaged AGM batteries. My current interest is in getting the maximum benefit from whatever coach battery system I have.

On my most recent RV inspection the engine started fine and I charged the coach batteries for a half-hour. Not a lot, but intended to augment the solar charging system.

But is there really a better way? I think lithium batteries are the way to go. I've begun exploring this.

1. Smaller lithium battery systems have been proven in sailboats.
2. Faster recharge times. 
3. Lithium batteries have half the weight of the AGM batteries on a weight versus output basis; that's another 70 lbs. of gear, or improved fuel economy, in my case. Or more battery capacity at the same weight!
4. Lithium batteries, while more costly initially do have a higher number of charge-discharge cycles and can tolerate deeper discharges. In simple terms, they will last far longer than the AGM batteries. 
5. There is some evidence that lithium batteries cost less over the life of the battery than do AGM batteries. For anyone who intends to use a RV for 10 years or so, this is significant. 
6. Lithium batteries don't freeze at low temperatures and have the winter problems of AGM lead-acid/water batteries. In other words, fewer winter maintenance issues. Roadtrek states in their 2014 210P manual "AGM Battery Warranty....... is voided if AGM batteries are tampered with, topped off with distilled water or allowed to sulfate or freeze due to lack of charge."
7. Lithium batteries have lower self-discharge rates. In other words, they can be stored for extended periods at full charge and don't self deplete. 
8. Lithium batteries can tolerate deeper discharge than can AGM batteries.
9. AGM batteries have high ambient temperature restrictions.  AGM batteries are designed for an average annual temperature of 77F (25C). If the average annual temperature is 95F (35C) then the battery life will be reduced by about 50 percent. 

Improving Solar Response
I've also been researching improved solar panels and I've decided it would be pointless to put them on an AGM battery system.  Improved solar panels would benefit with an improved electrical storage system. In other words, the system is limited by the weakest link in the chain.

I'll continue my research and will post the upgrades as I make them.

Why Do Manufacturers Use AGM Coach Batteries?
That's a question you might ask. The reasons are straightforward.

1. AGM technology is well established and existing system designs are in place.
2. Alternative battery technologies, such as lithium, are at a higher initial cost. This increases the purchase price of the RV.
3. New designs will require engineering manhours which is an additional cost to the RV manufacturer.
4. Other technologies are new and are not well understood. In other words, while technically superior, some technologies have not yet been widely offered because the sales, marketing, management and engineering departments at RV manufacturers have not yet come to grips with the benefits.
5. It's a competitive world. Most users (RV buyers) compare total cost to overall performance. It's only after purchase that the limitations become apparent.
6. Leadership entails risks. However, most western companies are risk-averse. My company recognized this. We were leaders in our field and as president I would remind our employees that "There is the leading edge, and then there is the bleeding edge." I can say that we did find ourselves from time to time on the "bleeding edge." Good engineering, attention to detail and serious prototyping kept us and our clients from going over the edge. I would say that lithium batteries, which are well proven in smaller systems such as sail boats are not at all like what I was facing with hardware and software which didn't perform as expected. This isn't 2008, nor was the microprocessor invented only four years ago. This is 2015 and there are a lot of Tesla motor vehicle on the road, and lithium batteries are not uncommon on sailing vessels. Lithium batteries are entering the mainstream.  

A West Coast Trip - Segment Maps

Here's the itinerary for a really wonderful west coast trek. I'm including a few maps here. The first is the entire trek. Then there are three segments. I designed and did this trek a few years ago.

The yellow rectangles are stops along the way and I have photos for each of those, and points in between. In all, about 1,500 photos. This trek is 2,392 miles, per the odometer. It requires a minimum of 12 days. I broke it into three segments, or "legs."

I'l be posting more on this in the coming days and weeks.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

I'm just about caught up with this trek!

During our stay in Tucson, we mentioned our return itinerary which included Oklahoma City. Our neighbors suggested we stop at the National Cowboy Heritage Museum. So we altered our return trek to include this. We spent a morning there.

That's one of the joys of trekking in a camper van. Meeting other travelers and sharing knowledge. One can also take alternative routes as the weather or desires change. So, on our return we altered our itinerary and off to the museum we went.  It was impressive. Our Canadian acquaintance was spot on with her recommendation.

The museum includes impressive art, a full-scale replica of a 19th century western town (Prosperity Junction) and extensive exhibits of the history of the cowboy in film. In all, more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. We found the volunteer guides at the museum to be very helpful and talkative. We discovered a lot about the contents of the museum and really enjoyed our conversations. Overall a really informative, educational experience.

I am including only a sampling of photos. The exhibits include authentic western and Indian clothing, tools, and certainly the best barbed-wire exhibit on the planet. I never knew my nearby town of Dekalb was so linked to the cattle industry.

After Tucumcari, Samosa's for Lunch

One of the delights of travel is a variety of cuisine. We do a lot of cooking and I have a propane BBQ which we take on our treks. The Roadtrek has a two-burner propane cooktop, and a microwave convection oven. We added a small toaster as we are very particular about our english muffins in the morning; we prefer them crisp. Balancing this with a variety of restaurant stops, we are well fed and quite happy on our treks.

One item I have on my "to do" list is a carbon steel dutch oven. I like to do some cooking over hot coals, and that includes cobbler, stews and so on. Corn bread baked in a dutch oven is scrumptious. For an outdoor treat, I like to make donuts in a wok.

An urge for samosa's 

A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils and also with ground meat (lamb, beef or chicken). After leaving Tucumcari, we headed northeast and were hungry. G spotted a billboard advertising Indian cuisine at a truck stop ahead and had a desire for Samosa's. So in pursuit of a samosa lunch we went. They were delicious.

After our snack we continued on our way.

Oklahoma City - Cattlemen's Steakhouse

Our trek included some business in Oklahoma, and a brief stay in Oklahoma City. After a day of honest labor we decided to sample local hospitality and we were both hungry. So we headed to Stockyard City for an evening of good food and fine wine. We proceeded to the Cattlemen's Steakhouse.

What a fabulous meal! I have spent a lot of time in Texas, Montana, Oklahoma and Nebraska and in addition I'm a decent cook. I know a thing or two about good food, steak,  and I can hold my own when it comes to grilling.

We enjoyed a really fine meal and great hospitality. Our server, Miranda, made this end to a long day a wonderful one.

It had been a somewhat chilly day, so my spouse began the meal with a cup of hot tea but I went directly to a cabernet sauvignon and we toasted a successful day, each other and our wonderful trek. We then settled into a marvelous steak dinner (I had steak and shrimp) which ended with our sharing a homemade blueberry cobbler a' la mode.

Here's to a good life, to good people and to Miranda who was the perfect server!

Route 66 and Tucumcari

Taking a long distance trek provides opportunities and requires decisions. We decided to travel to Tucson using both U.S. Highways and the Interstate system. Of course, if one is going to travel the U.S. Highways from Chicago in a south-westerly direction, one should consider Route 66, and we did!

As the sign above implies, there is the current iteration of Route 66, and then there is the "Historic" Pre-1937 route. We traveled portions of both.

Travelling Route 66 took us to Tucumcari, NM and we stayed in a campground nearby so we could see the town and its famous murals in the morning. At this time of year, there aren't a lot of vacationers, and so we had a quiet stay. We arose in the morning, had breakfast and then prepared to see the murals and continue our trek.

We were not disappointed and enjoyed the murals. Of course, this being winter many tourist establishments were not open, but no matter. Our Roadtrek is very self-sufficient with the larger 5 cu. ft. refrigerator, generator for power and bath facilities. And, there are any number of eating establishments nearby. So we toured the town and weren't disappointed. The murals were everything we expected.

I had presciently purchased a Route 66 hat so I could do this in the appropriate style.

Here is a sampling of the murals, I suggest the interested traveler schedule some time in Tucumcari, NM so all can be seen.

There were a few surprises in Tucumcari, but I leave these for the traveler to discover. I don't want to give it all away and the trek was worth our while. I was impressed by the pride of the local establishments and a school. Definitely a lot of home town pride.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

During any long distance trek in the winter months winter will do what it does. As should be expected, travelers need to deal with the weather.

In this trek we experienced snow, ice, frigid weather, rain and also abundant sunshine. While we experienced an unusual rainstorm, back home in Wheaton there was an unusual 20 inch snowfall!

I can say we enjoyed the rainfall more than we would have "enjoyed" the snow.