LiFePo4 battery pack instead of Lead Acid

I dont know where you are getting your info from but silicate batteries are literally designed for cold weather areas, lithium is the exact opposite the only draw to lithium is weight savings and size, everything else about them is worse, from the process of making them to the process of disposing them

 

A friend of mine turned me on to blem batteries and I have been using them for about 10 years. I replaced them on December 16th of last year, are here is the date that I installed them. I paid $69.99. I don't remember what I paid in 2018, but when I first started purchasing blem batteries there were around $35.

 

I paid $150 for each agm from MHC with 18 month warranty.

 

You need a special type of alternator that can handle the fact that the internal BMS on any lithium battery may abruptly cut off charging, which will fry the alternator when they do this. Your alternator needs somewhere for that power to go in the time it takes to remove the load.

Also need a starting module, Maxwell makes one for trucks. Lithium battery can't handle the cranking amps for starting so the starting module charges slowly off them but can crank the engine, takes a few minutes to recharge it between crank attempts (will only turn engine over for around 5 seconds max).

I have mine set up like this.

Maxwell starting module connected to starter.
I have a deep cycle bank which is hooked up to the alternator (upgraded to 400amps in my situation) and also hooked up to trickle charge the starting module.

I have a CTEK smartpass 120 duo set up connected to the alternator and lead acid battery bank.

The CTEK will charge the lithium bank at 140amps after the lead acid bank is charged.

If truck is off and lead acid bank gets low, it will feed power from the lithium bank back to the starter bank if they have enough power.

This isolates your Lithium bank from your alternator and also from your starter.

You could pay several thousand for a special type of alternator that essentially uses a buffer and can directly charge a lithium battery, but they are very expensive and hard to find, spend less with the above system.

I can park for days and play games on my computer and never start my truck, these Lithium batteries will last longer than I'm willing to be in this profession so...

 

You're not the only one but not many people here does the EPU. I am one of the EPU guys and I have researched this a lot. On my next system I will be changing my Deepcycle batteries in my EPU for LifePo4 batteries or something newer if it is out. You cannot really change the starter truck batteries yet that I am aware of unless you can get a start battery like Maxwell that no longer make them. I also have solar and will add more solar to it to make it last longer.

 

So far anything I have found will not work as a starter battery., There is some new stuff coming out that might make this a thing in the next few months. Waiting on more details on it to see if it will work out or not. When I order my next truck I will be doing everything I can to make the full jump.