Upgrade Your Life On The Road | Make the Switch To Lithium

Choosing to leave your everyday life, and start living the RV or Van Lifestyle, is a deeply personal choice. This is a fact many Harvest Hosts members know well. Although it can be scary to take that chance, the scariest ones are usually the most life-changing. For most people who have made the jump, it is a choice you never look back on.Although the experience can be daunting initially, many resources are out there to make the transition easier. Across the board, folks' biggest lesson they learn on the road is the best way to manage their power sources. For many, this journey begins with the standard lead acid batteries that come with their rigs. They quickly learn that LiFePO4 chemistry (lithium-ion phosphate batteries) is the best way to reliably power their lives on the road, boondocking or otherwise!

Less Junk, More Journey Upgrades

In 2015, Nate and Marissa Moss of Less Junk More Journey decided to take a chance and live on the road. They sold most of their belongings and hit the road. The family of four has since spent the past seven years exploring full-time. The Moss’s have found a deep appreciation for an unconventional life. Throughout the years, they have called seven different rigs home, but at the end of the day, home just means they are together.Throughout their years of travel, the Moss family has fallen in love with boondocking and exploring off the grid. Early on, they began searching for a way to get off the beaten path while still enjoying the luxuries of plugging into electricity. Eventually, they found Battle Born Batteries, and their lives off the grid completely changed.Before upgrading, Nate and Marissa constantly balanced their available power with the electronics and appliances they could use.  Marissa states, “Now that we use Battle Born Batteries, we can just live life and take out a lot of the guesswork. I don’t have to ask what I can use anymore. We can simply live, and camping feels more like living in a house, but we still get all the great views!”

The Painted Buffalo Finds Peace

After serving in the United States Marine Corps for ten years, Jessica Rambo was medically separated due to an accident. This left her feeling lost. Her decision to apply for art school changed everything. Through art, Jessica found purpose and slowly began to rebuild her life.

During her time in art school, Jessica bought her first skoolie intending to turn it into a home. She persevered despite lacking building experience and gradually saw the pieces come together. This imperfect skoolie build became their cherished home.After completing art school, Jessica had a new dream for her family, which involved a new skoolie. This time, with more skills and knowledge under her belt, Jessica successfully transformed her 2001 Blue Bird All-American school bus into their new home on wheels. The build process was quicker and smoother than the first time, marking a new beginning for her family.

Making Road Life Adaptable

As for most families on the road, powering your home on wheels is one the most important aspects of a comfortable space. For Jessica, adding a sturdy electrical system was a crucial element of the Skoolie’s renovation. Jessica consulted the skoolie community for recommendations on electrical components and settled on Battle Born Batteries. Jessica says, “Battle Born is renowned for its dependable service, products, and exceptional customer care.” The family's new electrical setup has transformed their lives in ways that Jessica had never imagined. In the previous skoolie, Jessica was plagued with battery anxiety - a common theme among AGM battery users. She constantly had to worry about the weather and whether or not they had enough power to operate everything they needed. With the Battle Born Batteries system, Jessica can now power all of their needs, and they can continue their life of adventure!

**Is it Time to Upgrade? **

As campground reservations become more challenging and costly to secure without months of planning in advance, those dedicated to living life on the road have looked to boondocking or “dry camping” instead. However, your RV may lose its charge overnight without a proper power setup. The energy you consume on your rig determines when an RV battery can hold a charge. RVs typically have a 100 Ah lead-acid battery that can power essential items like lights and water pumps for about 24 hours. However, if you deplete a lead-acid battery below 50% capacity, you risk causing irreversible damage, reducing its ability to hold a charge significantly. An RVs battery provides minimal power to propane-powered devices like refrigerators and heaters. As these applications run, they will require more energy, and if you're camping in cold weather, your power gets drained even quicker. If your RV battery drains quickly overnight, it might be time to conduct an energy audit and upgrade your system.

Lithium vs. Lead Acid

Lithium batteries have a five to ten times longer lifespan than lead-acid batteries and maintain their performance throughout their life cycle. Lithium batteries also have a 100% depth of discharge compared to just 50% with lead acid batteries. In addition to those impressive discharge rates, lithium batteries have a lifespan of 3,000 to 5,000 discharge cycles, in contrast to a typical lead-acid battery's maximum capacity of just a few hundred cycles. Lithium Batteries are lighter weight, charge faster, and maintenance free. This means they can be stored in hard-to-reach places allowing more room for other fun stuff in your rig! And to top off, American companies such as Battle Born Batteries have the added benefit of a ten-year warranty and a technical sales team that is a phone call away for assistance.   With lithium batteries, you can get more power out of each charge. Longer charges mean more stability and more power to your rig. Which, in turn, gives you lots more time on the road or out in nature!

Are Lithium Batteries for Me and My RV?

If you spend a lot of time in RV parks or campgrounds, you may wonder if switching to a lithium-ion battery in your RV is worth it. We are here to tell you, without a doubt, it is worth it! The simple principle of how long-lasting and reliable lithium-ion is makes it worth it. Gone are the moments of needing to replace your lead-acid batteries every season! Invest in something up front that will last for MANY seasons. Lithium-ion batteries are also inherently safer than lead-acid batteries. They do not produce toxic fumes and won't catch fire if they are shorted out. The materials used in Battle Born Batteries are non-toxic and much safer for human health. Another added benefit of lithium-ion batteries is that they weigh half as much lead acid. This advantage with weight can add up to significant savings in space and money! For perspective, a typical 100-ah lead-acid battery weighs 60-70 pounds, whereas a lithium-ion battery pack weighs about thirty pounds!

Living a BucketList with BattleBorn Batteries

Geoff and Jo share a love for the outdoors and a passion for travel. They relish spending time together exploring nature, hiking, and riding e-bikes. The two always search for novel ways to engage in outdoor activities during their free time. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and they both started working from home, they felt the urge to escape and explore the world. Despite challenges, they decided to transition into full-time travel. They downsized their possessions, purchased an RV, and hit the road!At the beginning of their adventures, life threw some major curve balls at them. Their first rig was totaled, and it took three months to find a new one during the pandemic. The new rig's brakes failed and took a month to repair. Then, Jo received a cancer diagnosis that forced her to quit her job. Life was hitting them fast and hard, but they had each other and their community to help them through the tough times.

Following Their Dreams

After surgery, Jo is now in remission with a new lease on life! She knew it was time to start genuinely chasing her dreams, and she joined her husband on the road full-time.  Planning travels, booking appointments, and managing social media, means they can work up to 70 hours per week. Reliable internet, and reliable power, are crucial for them. Jo and Geoff have found RV life to be fulfilling, despite the ups and downs of life on the road. Throughout the past two years, they have learned how to make their lives more comfortable. It has been an ongoing learning experience. “We decided we wanted to live a bucket list life daily,” says Jo. While everyone's bucket list is different, they hope to inspire others to do the same.

Never Looking Back - the Future of Batteries is Lithium

Upon purchasing their RV, they realized the rig's single lead acid house battery was insufficient. Geoff recognized lead acid batteries' limitations and knew he needed more power to pursue his desired lifestyle. Despite upgrading to two AGM batteries, the electrical system still had room for improvement.Geoff started to do in-depth research and chat with others in the RV community. He quickly discovered that Battle Born lithium-ion batteries were the best path forward. He found the battery management system (BMS) one of the best and most innovative on the market. Making the switch to Battle Born Batteries has been a game-changer for Geoff and Jo! They now have the freedom to park anywhere and go anywhere without constantly having to plan campgrounds and reservations. It has given them the space to be more spontaneous and go off grid! They have complete confidence in their electrical system, making them feel more secure on the road. Switching to lithium was one of their best choices for their adventurous life on the road!

Time to Take a Leap of Faith

Living on the road in an RV can be a life-changing experience but can come with some challenges. Learning how to adapt is one of the best skill sets to have! Many people start with standard lead-acid batteries but quickly realize they must pick and choose what they want to power. Battle Born Batteries have become a go-to choice for those looking to upgrade their electrical system for their RV or skoolie. Customers like the Moss family and Jessica Rambo have found that Battle Born Batteries have transformed their lives on the road, making it easier to enjoy all the luxuries of plugging into electricity while exploring off the grid. Suppose you're struggling with battery anxiety or worrying about having enough power to operate everything you need. In that case, it might be time to conduct an energy audit and upgrade your system. Don't let power concerns hold you back from your adventures on the road. Call the technical specialists at Battle Born today and see how they can help you live your best life on the road!