Adding Lithium Batteries to my OFF GRID Motorhome

Living full-time in a motorhome, I need to be as self-sufficient as possible. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’ve installed a diesel heater, I have refillable LPG bottles and have solar panels fitted. 

These are all things that help me stay off grid for longer. The final key motorhome upgrade I needed to complete my set up was power! That meant changing my leisure batteries to lithium ones and that's where Rob and the team at Eco Tree and Oaktree Motorhomes came in.

What is a leisure battery?

If you’re unsure what that is, the leisure battery in a motorhome or campervan is what powers all of the 12v sockets and appliances. Basically, it's the heart of the operation as without power, nothing will work (It is separate to the vehicle battery that helps start the engine).

As standard, leisure vehicles come with either a lead acid or AGM battery. These refer to the internal characteristics of the battery and how it can be handled and its charging capability. We don’t need to go into detail about that here. If you are interested in learning about it though, Eco Tree has a fab article on their website about different types of leisure batteries.

Why Change my Motorhome Leisure Batteries to Lithium?

There are many advantages to installing a lithium leisure battery. For starters, they are lighter than the other types of battery, meaning you can save some crucial payload in your motorhome. 

Most importantly, they can be run down to around 10% of their capacity, meaning you get more power from them in a single charge. This is in contrast to lead acid batteries which can only be dis-charged to around 50%. Running them below that can actually damage them.

There is also no drop in output when lithium batteries run low. What does that translate to in real life terms? No flickering lights for example.

With more charge cycles and a higher percentage of usable power, lithium batteries have a much longer life span. They are more costly to buy but in the long run, it does work out more cost effective.

Why Did I Choose Eco Tree Lithium Batteries?

I've had many offers to send me batteries in the past and I've never taken anyone up on it because I don't know what I'm doing. I don’t know where to start and, as I found out from past experience, things need to be done properly. So I’ve always said no.

When a video went out on my YouTube channel about struggling with power, Rob, the owner of Oak Tree Motor Homes and the supplier of the Eco Tree batteries, reached out to me.

He said maybe he could help me out and sort something out with Lithium. I responded to his email, we had a few chats on the phone and he explained it all to me really well. 

I had not used Oaktree or Eco Tree before but after the great conversions with Rob, I did some research and all I heard were amazing things. Oaktree Motorhomes, a family run business, have been in operation for over 25 years, with glowing reviews. 

Rob was happy for me to have the batteries installed and give my honest feedback on how they perform. I knew then that Rob would not put his reputation at stake, for the sake of selling a couple of lithium batteries off the back of this collaboration.

The same way I wouldn’t put my reputation at stake, with the channel I’ve built, for the sake of a couple of free batteries. I felt confident this was a good company to deal with, with a great product, so we came to an agreement. Then it was time to head to Oaktree for the install.

A Tidy Install on my New Eco Tree Lithium Batteries

In preparation, I moved everything up into the bed area to give the team access to the wardrobe and to under the sofa (that is where the components of my battery/solar set up are).

Then, I left them to it. In fairness, it was easier for me to be out of the way as this was done just after covid. Some spacing restrictions were still in place and it felt better for everyone involved.

Once they were all done, I went back to a wonderfully tidy set up.

They used my existing MPPT charge controller but installed a new B2B charger (a component that provides a rapid charge to your leisure battery when your engine is running). They also tidied up the wires and made sure everything was safe.

It turns out there was more to it than that, partly due to the existing issues I had with the install (done at a previous garage).

I might not have got any footage of the install but I did get to talk to the technician, Matt. He went through everything that was done.

Here’s the transcript of our chat (you can see the video of this, and my whole experience at Oaktree, here)

Fixing the Issues with my Previous Leisure Battery Install

Me: ‘So, I’m here with Matt, the technician, who’s just completed the install of my lithium. I thought I’d just run through what we've done? Or not what we’ve done, because I ain't done nothing! But what they've done and how they've installed it and what [not], because there was a few things [had to get to be sorted]’

Matt: Yeah, a few issues’ 

Me: ‘Yeah a few issues’

Matt: ‘Yeah [there was] a few issues, obviously through the vehicle, [then] fitting the lithium, check the lead acid batteries out and making them all nice and tidy in there.’ 

Me: ‘Yeah. Because, it's not just, you can literally swap [them]. [They’re] plug and play, aren't they?’ 

Matt: ‘Yeah, we [had to] put new terminals on there and everything [though].’

Me: ‘You had to check the whole system, didn't you? So you looked at my system and then there was a few issues. What were they?’

Matt: ‘So basically, obviously checking where the DC to DC is going in there and everything. We’ve got to make sure it's got deep pos[itive] and what have you. Um, obviously when the step got smashed off..’

Me: ‘Yeah, the steps had a very tough [life]. That step, it's been rebuilt by my friend Kev, which was brilliant, but it wasn't coming in and out when you turn the ignition on. 

Matt: ‘Yeah, now it does. When you turn the engine on, now before it was trying to chuck it out, ‘cause the wires were crossed on the motor, so we've changed that around now. We put the ignition on and now it goes back in.’ 

Me: ‘I am right saying when, because I've told people that it [does], the step came out when I started driving. People still don't believe me. That did, that can happen.’

Matt: ‘Yeah!’

Me: ‘See, I told you all, I told you all before, you thought I was just a shocking driver or something thats forgetting things out. So that's been fixed, we've got the DC to DC in, which has got a nice chunky cable all the way through.’

Matt: Yeah, upgraded all your cable, all the way through. 

Me: ‘And that's fused under the bonnet, which I've seen. It looks all nice and proper. Then you've, because I had a relay in, a relay issue, which melted, but the actual holder was so mangled and melted. It couldn’t..’

Matt: ‘We've obviously put a new one in.

Me: ‘So you put a new one on and you got a new fuse system, a new fuse box.’ 

Matt: ‘Yeah, we've had to put all new cables in, new relays in there now [as well]. So just basically, again, gone back to your wiring and put it all back so it all works perfectly, as it should.

Me: ‘So, the new fuse box that, because it's four fuses now, isn't it?’ 

Matt: ‘Yes. So basically we put a little fuse box right next to, you know, your fuses. We put that [in] so it keeps all the charge in that section. So it's away from the pump and everything like that.’ 

Me: ‘So that's for all the power that comes in, into the vehicle and into the batteries. And then the power from the batteries is on a separate [wire] into the fuse box. 

Matt: ‘Yeah. It goes into the bottom of the fuse box. So basically you put your power into the bottom of your fuse box, right? And that feeds all your fuses and then your earth banks at the top.’

Me: ‘Perfect. It looks, it's very neat. There will be no issues from now on guys. I mean, as you can see, and you can tell, I mean I don't [know about this], I'm learning about this and even, you know, almost 4 years in, I'm still learning. 

But you know, you need proper advice. And as a lot of, you know, I've had, Should we say not proper advice in, in the past. And I've had my fingers burnt before. 

So, you know, when you find someone that actually knows what they're doing and they can show you and they're, they're willing to, you know, let me free freely roam, freely film, do what I want, go anywhere, look at anything, ask any questions, and, you know, and come on camera.

It just shows a green light to me, and I can't wait. [I can’t wait to be] rocking around with lithium now. It's great. We've got loads of power! Nice one, cheers Matt. Really appreciate that, thank you.’ 

The Results of my New Lithium Battery Setup

I reviewed my new lithium batteries after 2 weeks and they were performing fantastically. They had been run down the lowest I've ever been on batteries, which was nerve wracking at first! But I had been assured that the batteries could be discharged right down and they would still perform.

I found that even at 70% discharge, the power output was still stable. I also found that the solar power coming in, charges the battery more than I thought. With my new set up, I was getting power in even on overcast days. Even if it was just a few amps in, it was enough to mean I could easily sit still and not have to drive to top my batteries up. Perfect.

I No Longer have to Move to Charge my Batteries

Being able to park up and knowing that I can take my batteries down quite a lot gives me peace of mind. It means I can be off grid for longer, I get a good four or five days and I can use most of the capacity in the batteries without worrying. Then I can go for a drive and get some solar and recharge. 

This now means I don't need to go to a campsite and plug in, or start the engine to get charge back in the batteries. 

Even better, I don't need solar every single day of the week. Great for full-time vanlife in the UK! 

That being said, you still have to be mindful of your usage. It’s always good to be sensible with your resources, just in case something changes and you find yourself not able to top up. That's just a general rule of vanlife to be fair.

There will obviously be limits of how much power I've actually got. But it's given me a lot more peace of mind, mainly because I can take the batteries down so much without damaging them.

So that's absolutely fantastic. 

How to Get Your Own Eco Tree Lithium Batteries

If any of you are interested in getting lithium for your motorhome or campervan, or you want to talk through your needs, I know Rob and the team are super busy now. But fear not! BlueFix Energy Solutions will be able to talk you through it all.

Eco Tree supply their Eco Tree lithium batteries to Mark and the team who do quality installs. If you're looking for a full system and would like me to help secure you a personal discount from BlueFix, email me at solar@theurbanmotorhome.com.

What I like is they will go through it with your individual situation in mind. They won’t over sell you or suggest you fit things you don’t need. 

Lithium is definitely an investment, the initial outlay may seem a lot but in the long run, they pay off.