Big Battery bank in bed instead of portable generator. EcoDiesel questions

[gtex1970]

2022 1500 EcoDiesel , I pull a small camper occasionally. I'm considering putting a big battery bank in the bed to substitute as a generator for the camper.

my stat sheet says I have a 250amp alternator. is that real? I know these new trucks have a lot of electronics, but that sounds huge to me.

Does that alternator need to spin faster than idle to make more power? Does the engine computer increase engine speed if needed for the alternator?

At idle, how much current do you think I cold draw from the alternator to charge some LiFePo batteries?

the mission is to haul the camper about 4 hours to the beach and be fully charged on the battery bank. (should start the trip with a decent charge from home)

I can add some low power solar and medium power Wind charging while setup at the beach.

then if needed run the truck to help recharge the batteries. I feel like this truck just sips on the diesel at Idle. Does anyone have any numbers for diesel consumption at idle?

probably a crazy idea. but jacking around with generators at the beach isn't much fun. and these LiFePo batteries have come along way and dropped in price.

 

[Travelin Ram]

What you want is a DC to DC charger. Companies like Redarc and Victron make them.

You won’t be able to charge at anywhere near the peak rating on an alternator for very long or it will overheat.

 

[gtex1970]

50 to 100 amps, that seem reasonable and pretty good charge rate. going to need some fat wires, obviously.

 

[RamDiver]

50 to 100 amps, that seem reasonable and pretty good charge rate. going to need some fat wires, obviously.

The charging rate of LiFePo batteries is very specific and not usually anywhere near where you have identified.

The rate of discharge, depth of discharge, and charging rate will be directly related to the longevity and expected number of charging cycles.

Start at the beginning and assess your load requirements, which batteries will provide the required service and life expectancy, and then read the specific manufacturer's recommended charging rate.

This isn't something to fudge or guess at unless you have an endless budget for battery replacements. Li batteries are not usually very forgiving, they just die a pre-mature death.

I have used many types of Li batteries in dive lights and 2 underwater scooters.

I like your idea though. What is your expected load and for what period of time?

.

 

[chri5k]

Big question is what size / type of load are you running while at the beach?

Get a Yamaha EF2000iS. It will run 1/4 load (400 watts) all day on 1 gallon of gas. Much less of a hit to payload at 50lbs than a battery bank, dc to dc charger, solar panels and a windmill. Much easier to setup and very quiet.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Big question is what size / type of load are you running while at the beach?

Get a Yamaha EF2000iS. It will run 1/4 load (400 watts) all day on 1 gallon of gas. Much less of a hit to payload at 50lbs than a battery bank, dc to dc charger, solar panels and a windmill. Much easier to setup and very quiet.

And a lot less hit to the wallet also.

Although I do respect the value of silence. Our coach has generator, solar, batteries, and an inverter. It is nice to be able to run the coffee maker on battery on a quiet morning

 

[Wild one]

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[NCRaineman]

Going electric instead of a gas generator only makes sense if you plan to have a solar setup to charge those batteries, otherwise it's just a lot of weight you are carrying around for no reason. Modern generators are quite efficient and pretty darn quiet. That's why you see Tesla owners getting them to charge their oversized golf carts.

 

[crash68]

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I have the Honda, I don't think you could go wrong with either one though.
If you're camping you can dig a hole to put the generator below grade will help quiet it down more.

 

[gtex1970]

I currently run a Predator 3500 generator and it's pretty efficient, but not a gallon per day efficient. it's about 100lbs alone, plus it needs a couple 5 gallon gas cans. It gets quite dirty at the beach due to the wind and sand. I might be able to rig up some sort of generator table and cover. It does not like being in the bed of the truck when running. Hot and noisy. I assume the battery setup would also generate heat. but I don't imagine it's as much as the generator. If I try to somehow attach the generator to the camper it would probably create vibration in addition to the noise. This predator runs quiet for a generator (56dB) , but it's still audible.

the generator solution is probably more robust and cheaper. but i was just exploring the battery concept using the road trip there as a top-off charge and using the truck if needed to recharge.

At the moment, I think it would require a lot more battery than i'm willing to haul or pay for $$. but, the idea is still interesting and tempting for other reasons.

 

[RamDiver]

I currently run a Predator 3500 generator and it's pretty efficient, but not a gallon per day efficient. it's about 100lbs alone, plus it needs a couple 5 gallon gas cans. It gets quite dirty at the beach due to the wind and sand. I might be able to rig up some sort of generator table and cover. It does not like being in the bed of the truck when running. Hot and noisy. I assume the battery setup would also generate heat. but I don't imagine it's as much as the generator. If I try to somehow attach the generator to the camper it would probably create vibration in addition to the noise. This predator runs quiet for a generator (56dB) , but it's still audible.

the generator solution is probably more robust and cheaper. but i was just exploring the battery concept using the road trip there as a top-off charge and using the truck if needed to recharge.

At the moment, I think it would require a lot more battery than i'm willing to haul or pay for $$. but, the idea is still interesting and tempting for other reasons.

Your specific load requirements will dictate the costs involved and might make the decision quite simple.

A buddy of mine runs his home-built inverter with AGM batteries but his load requirements are most likely far below yours. He considered Li but the price pushed him back to AGM.

He charges dive lights and scooter batteries over a few days and then plugs in somewhere if he isn't home yet.

.

 

[chri5k]

Or buy a Lightning pickup. It has an inverter and a big battery pack. Of course the blue oval thing on the front might be a problem.

 

[Wire4money]

Wouldn’t it be easier to upgrade the battery on the trailer and have a couple solar panels installed on the roof?

 

[gtex1970]

if it's in my truck, I can use it for other purposes and also maintain the charge by doing my normal commuting stuff.

As for a Lightning pickup, I have no issue with the Blue Oval. I'm more of a Ford man than I am a Dodge/Ram guy. but I do have an issue with the near 6 figure price and towing with an EV isn't good for 200 mile trips yet.

 

[lpennock]

Your specific load requirements will dictate the costs involved and might make the decision quite simple.

A buddy of mine runs his home-built inverter with AGM batteries but his load requirements are most likely far below yours. He considered Li but the price pushed him back to AGM.

He charges dive lights and scooter batteries over a few days and then plugs in somewhere if he isn't home yet.

.

The AGM upfront cost is cheaper; however, if you look at the cost over 8-10 years or 3-5000 Full discharge cycles the LiFePO4 batteries are actually much cheaper. Over the life expectancy of a LiFePO4 battery you will consume 3-4 AGM batteries.