The DFUN battery rep has been after me to review their LiFEPO4 battery for a while now. I hesitated since it looked almost exactly like the SOK battery I reviewed a few years ago. I figured it was just a cheap knock-off. But he assured me it was different and used a similar case design. … Read more
Last summer, I extensively reviewed a portable lithium power station from a company called Bluetti. The model AC200P boasted impressive power with a 2048-watt-hour LiFePO4 battery pack and a 2000W pure sine wave inverter. The AC200P performed well in my off-grid camping tests. It was able to power any appliance in our RV and charged up … Read more
In this video, I demo and review a 100 amp-hour 12V lithium battery from Aolithium. The battery looks well made and utilizes quality components like grade “A” CALB brand lithium cells. But what intrigued me was the inclusion of Bluetooth data connectivity. A feature not often seen in a battery that sells in the same … Read more
A few years ago, I installed a Renogy DC-DC charger for improved charging power from my truck alternator to my trailer batteries. My truck has an optional 220-amp alternator, so I was able to go with a 40-amp DC-DC charger. It’s worked out great and allows me to recharge my lithium RV battery bank as … Read more
As I was heading back north this spring, I stopped off for a visit to the Lion Energy headquarters in American Fork Utah to meet the team and check out their operation. While I was there they were in the process of expanding the warehouse. Their business appears to be growing by leaps and bounds! … Read more
Recently WFCO Electronics contacted me and asked if I’d like to test and review a new product they are releasing. It’s a power converter charger that can auto-detect whether the RV has lead-acid or lithium-type batteries installed. Once it detects which type, it adjusts its charging algorithms for the most efficient charging. I thought my … Read more
In this video, I demo and review a 12V 100AH self-heating lithium battery from RELiBATT (Model RE12-100BL). I was interested in testing out a lithium RV battery with low-temperature charging capability. This option could come in handy for RVers who like to venture out camping or hunting in wintertime. Lithium cells might be damaged if … Read more
Luckily, I’ve had a chance to try out and review several portable lithium power stations throughout the last couple of years. I’ve tested various Jackery, Himcen, Bluetti, and Lion Energy offerings. In the comment section of these videos, I’d often hear about another lithium power station maker called EcoFlow. Several people even asked if I … Read more
I thought now would be a good time to publish an update on a pair of my core RV boondocking products I have previously reviewed. First, the heart of our system, three Lion Energy Safari UT1300 lithium-type batteries. Second an Energizer 2000 watt gas generator from Midland Power. I’ve used the products for a decent … Read more
In this video, I review the Safari ME portable power station from Lion Energy. This isn’t my first time reviewing a Lion Energy product. In fact, two years ago I installed and reviewed their UT1300 12V RV lithium battery offering. Over the months that followed, I published a number of updates and demo videos. They … Read more
In this video, I demo, test, and give my initial review of the new SOK SK12V100 12V lithium battery. I test charging, discharging, and check it’s overall amp-hour capacity. I also take the top cover off and give you a peek inside. Disclaimer: Love Your RV! received this SOK product sample free of charge for … Read more
In this video, I do an experimental test by charging my Lion Energy UT1300 batteries using my regular OEM lead-acid converter charger and my InteliPower PD9260 converter with the optional Charge Wizard pendant. The Charge Wizard allows me to override the normal lead-acid charging algorithm and put the charger into 14.4V manual boost mode. I … Read more
In this video, I perform an informal, unscientific test of the Safari UT1300 lithium batteries cold-weather performance. Charge/discharge tests, how low can you go? I put the battery inside a plastic file box to simulate a battery box and load it into my deep freeze. I then and test the charge and discharging amperage at … Read more
A few weeks ago, I played around with repurposing a spare Bogart sc2030 solar charge controller as a DC-DC charger to increase charging from my truck alternator to my trailer batteries. The experiment worked, but my results were lukewarm. So, I decided to buy, install, and review a charger designed for the purpose, of the … Read more
In this video, I update you on how it’s going with the new Lion Energy UT 1300 batteries now that I have been doing some real-world tests boondocking in the southwest. I’ve been able to charge the batteries perfectly well with my existing Bogart solar controller and my Intelipower PD9260 converter charger by using its … Read more