LPG and Lifepo as bunk mates?

[nrhmaine]

For our 5x10 teardrop, I plan to put all electric in a Diamond plate tongue box. If there’s room, I’d also like to mount an 11# propane bottle inside. I’m planning to vent the bottom of the box, and install a gasketed firewall between the electric and gas sides of the box.
Something like this:


Any problems with this idea?

Thanks,
Nate


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[tony.latham]

Well.... if you mounted the tank on the outside of the box, you'd have a place to put all your junk, such as wheel chocks, tools, etc.



And of course, there wouldn't be a need to vent the box or worry about a big shebang.



Tony

[nrhmaine]

Well.... if you mounted the tank on the outside of the box, you'd have a place to put all your junk, such as wheel chocks, tools, etc.



And of course, there wouldn't be a need to vent the box or worry about a big shebang.



Tony

That’s true.
Do you find that the LP bottle is something you have to be careful about when maneuvering in reverse?


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[noseoil]

Just enough room for the bottle. It's a welding gas bottle "clamp" welded to the box...

[nrhmaine]

Just enough room for the bottle. It's a welding gas bottle "clamp" welded to the box...

Looks good. Nice welds.

This is another option for me. I’ve got about 23” of space between the jack and the front wall of the cabin. I could either put a 21” deep box (haven’t found a 23”d box) with tank inside, or a ~13” box with the bottle mounted forward.



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[bdosborn]

Remember that you can't charge LiFePo4 below 32F so it's not the best arrangement for cold weather camping. They also can't be stored below -20C (-14F). Most people put their LiFePo4 batteries inside the camper or get battery heaters if they plan on camping in the cold.
Bruce

[tony.latham]

Do you find that the LP bottle is something you have to be careful about when maneuvering in reverse?

Nope. My truck will never touch it.

Tony

[nrhmaine]

Remember that you can't charge LiFePo4 below 32F so it's not the best arrangement for cold weather camping. They also can't be stored below -20C (-14F). Most people put their LiFePo4 batteries inside the camper or get battery heaters if they plan on camping in the cold.
Bruce

Thanks Bruce.
I expect some shoulder season use, but not likely a lot of sustained sub-freezing use. I’m in the habit of removing my deep cycle batteries for winter storage in my heated shop, with maintainers.

I’m still on the fence about a heated battery. My guess at this point is that I’ll get a simpler (but reputable) lifepo without heater, but I’m heater curious. Could add a hive-heater later if we end up using it in the cold more often.

Nate


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[bdosborn]

I expect some shoulder season use, but not likely a lot of sustained sub-freezing use. I’m in the habit of removing my deep cycle batteries for winter storage in my heated shop, with maintainers.

That's perfect.

I’m still on the fence about a heated battery. My guess at this point is that I’ll get a simpler (but reputable) lifepo without heater, but I’m heater curious. Could add a hive-heater later if we end up using it in the cold more often.

Yeah, it's super easy to do and much cheaper than a built in too.
Bruce

[TCJ]

I expect some shoulder season use, but not likely a lot of sustained sub-freezing use. I’m in the habit of removing my deep cycle batteries for winter storage in my heated shop, with maintainers.

That's perfect.

I’m still on the fence about a heated battery. My guess at this point is that I’ll get a simpler (but reputable) lifepo without heater, but I’m heater curious. Could add a hive-heater later if we end up using it in the cold more often.

Yeah, it's super easy to do and much cheaper than a built in too.
Bruce

I don't know about that. I have a 100Ah SOK, which has been fantastic, but I sure wish I'd waited 6 months when purchasing until the heated version came out because the heated version is only $20 more than the unheated one. And although setting up a little heating system with a thermostatic control and some bee heaters was fun, it would have been both cheaper and easier to just buy the heated battery.

https://www.us.sokbattery.com/products

[nrhmaine]

I expect some shoulder season use, but not likely a lot of sustained sub-freezing use. I’m in the habit of removing my deep cycle batteries for winter storage in my heated shop, with maintainers.

That's perfect.

I’m still on the fence about a heated battery. My guess at this point is that I’ll get a simpler (but reputable) lifepo without heater, but I’m heater curious. Could add a hive-heater later if we end up using it in the cold more often.

Yeah, it's super easy to do and much cheaper than a built in too.
Bruce

I don't know about that. I have a 100Ah SOK, which has been fantastic, but I sure wish I'd waited 6 months when purchasing until the heated version came out because the heated version is only $20 more than the unheated one. And although setting up a little heating system with a thermostatic control and some bee heaters was fun, it would have been both cheaper and easier to just buy the heated battery.

https://www.us.sokbattery.com/products

Yeah, the progress on batteries seems to be measured in weeks and months these days. I’m just starting my build, and buying lots of stuff so I have correct dimensions etc, but I’ll delay buying a battery until the very end of the build, because it seems likely that prices will continue to drop and features increase.


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[bdosborn]

I don't know about that. I have a 100Ah SOK, which has been fantastic, but I sure wish I'd waited 6 months when purchasing until the heated version came out because the heated version is only $20 more than the unheated one.

Guilty, its been more than a couple years since I've looked at AIO batteries. Nobody had heaters and Battleborn had the only heater retrofit kit ($220). BUT, I have to say its nice to have a switch that turns off the heaters, just in case. I have little trust in Chinese BMS.

Speaking of battery progress, I just saw a spec for a CALB cell that can be charged at -5C. The whole heater thing might go away over time...
Bruce