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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: RPod with Solar Option questions
    Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 12:50pm
Just to put some numbers to it, my microwave draws 1414 watts so it would require something like 150A at 12V assuming 20% inverter and wiring losses, which would be pretty typical. If you have a 100 amp hour lead acid battery you would consume about half of your usable 50 amp hour capacity in just 10 minutes of microwave runtime. If you really want to run the micro from your battery I suggest sticking to nuking popcorn and warming leftovers and installing a dual battery system. 
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GCRicker View Drop Down
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Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb 2020 at 1:38pm
I went to the RPod dealer this past weekend, and the good news is that I ordered the new 2020 RPod 190! It should come in around the 1st week in May. The bad news is that we talked about the microwave not being able to run on their 1000 watt inverter, and getting a 2000 watt inverter would be very costly. I guess I'm going to have to learn to cook on the stove top.

However, the big concern I have now, and my dealer's service team is investigating, is that the RPod comes with a WF-8735P converter. I was planning on using a Battleborn 1000 Amp lithium battery, but this converter is not lithium compatible, and will not fully charge lithium batteries. Has anyone upgraded their RPod to lithium and were you able to find a direct replacement for the WF-8735P converter that would work?
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Posts: 259 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb 2020 at 2:18pm
Originally posted by GCRicker

...However, the big concern I have now, and my dealer's service team is investigating, is that the RPod comes with a WF-8735P converter. I was planning on using a Battleborn 1000 Amp lithium battery, but this converter is not lithium compatible, and will not fully charge lithium batteries. Has anyone upgraded their RPod to lithium and were you able to find a direct replacement for the WF-8735P converter that would work?

I was recently investigating this as well and found this, which is consistent with what you've stated:

Q: WFCO WF-8735P Power Center and Go Power GP-PWM-10-SQ solar controller. Compatible? Thanks.

A:  The WFCO units only seem to put out around 13.6 volts when our lithium batteries are installed. Although this will put some charge into our batteries, its will be no where near the rated 35 amps and effectively turns the unit into a trickle charger. Because of this you may never see the batteries get to full and you wont be able to take advantage of the passive balancing effect of our bms that starts at just over 14 volts. We would recommend upgrading to a lithium version of converter.

The Go Power charge controllers usually work well in the AGM setting if a lithium mode is not available.

battlebornbatteries.com/charger-compatibility-table/

I too am interested in knowing the answer to your question.

Note that the solar controller does have a Li-ion setting (at least mine does) and will charge the battery based on Battleborn's comment...just not nearly as quickly as a converter would.

These threads may interest you as well:
2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb 2020 at 3:10pm
Unfortunately, it does not look like there is an upgrade for the 87xx series power center. I have the 8955 in mine and was able to swap out the WFCO 8955 MBA for a WFCO 8950L2 MBA (L for Lithium). You would likely need to remove the 8735 Power Center and install the WF-8950L2PEC Power Center if the dimensions allow. I don't know if Progressive Dynamics make something that could replace just the converter section. If so, it would likely be a floor-mounted unit instead of mounting in place of the existing converter section (if that is even removable).
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Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2020 at 7:38am
I heard back from Progressive Dynamics about the replacement converter for the WF-8735 that will charge lithium...

"We have the PD4135KW2BV power center which replaces the WF-8735.
This model includes a manual Charge Wizard control button on the DC distribution board.
Activating "Boost" mode will allow you to fully charge your lithium battery. This is a 35 amp charger and will allow you to charge your battery in about 3 hours."
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Posts: 259 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2020 at 9:02am
Originally posted by GCRicker

I heard back from Progressive Dynamics about the replacement converter for the WF-8735 that will charge lithium...

"We have the PD4135KW2BV power center which replaces the WF-8735.
This model includes a manual Charge Wizard control button on the DC distribution board.
Activating "Boost" mode will allow you to fully charge your lithium battery. This is a 35 amp charger and will allow you to charge your battery in about 3 hours."

So I did a little research this morning after seeing your post and found this post from last July:

_________________________________________________________________

My understanding (as a self-admitted amateur in this field) is that using a lithium battery with a standard RV converter or lead acid charger (multi stage included) will give you the advantage of the greater depth of discharge available with the lithium battery but you sacrifice the higher capacity of the lithium battery because for a full charge it requires higher voltage that the lead acid chargers will usually provide. So yes, it will work. But will it work "perfectly well" is subjective.

But since I am not an expert in the field, I will quote the manufacturer of what has to be the most common brand of converter / charger in RVs... Progressive Dynamics:

Can I Use My Present Progressive Dynamics PD9200, PD4000 or PD4500 Series Lead/Acid Units With the Charge Wizard to Charge My Lithium Battery?

Yes, if you are willing to live with an expensive battery that is only partially charged. The Normal Output voltage of the PD9200, PD4000 and PD4500 Series voltage provides only 13.6-volts and a full charge voltage for Lithium needs to be 14.4 – 14.6 Volts. The PD9200, PD4000 & PD4500 Series Charge Wizard will initially jump to 14.4-volts in the Boost Mode when first connected to 120 VAC power and will remain there until the battery voltage reaches 13.8-Volts, then automatically drops down to the Normal Mode of 13.6-Volts. The faster charge rate of Lithium means that in the Boost Mode it will reach this 13.8-Volt point after only a few minutes of recharging and then the charging current will drop to ZERO AMPS and will not add any additional charge to your Lithium Battery. This lower charge state will not damage your battery, but will eliminate most of the advantages you paid for.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f95/need-advice-on-replacing-lead-battery-to-agm-or-lithium-89668.html
______________________________________________________________
More definitive advice from PD is probably needed here as to the Charge Wizard Boost Mode of the 4135 series power centers and Li-ion batteries.
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2020 at 11:07am
I think you are overthinking this, understandable because the charger manufacturers’ product literature doesn’t use the same terminology and is written by marketing types to try to differentiate their products rather than explain how they all do pretty much the same things.

The difference in how you charge Li vs Pb acid batteries is that you need to drop down to a “float” mode at about 13.6v to maintain full charge on a PbA battery. If you leave it charging at 14.4v it will consume too much water.

Li batteries are much simpler to charge than PbA’s. The float charge mode is unnecessary for the Li battery, it’s fine to take it on up to 14.4V and leave it there, in fact it results in an undercharged battery if you don’t. So, if you use a charger that drops from 14.4v to 13.6 you are leaving some of that expensive Li capacity on the table.
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