Our batteries were three years old this spring. As we plan for future trips we were interested in upgrading our batteries to lithium so we would have more use of the available power and be able to stay longer untethered to shore power. So, we opted for 2 BattleBorn lithium batteries rated at 100 watts each. The install seemed straight forward but it was not. And not with the part I thought might be challenging. The first step after removing the old batteries was to install the upgraded converter. That turned out to be the easy part. Five wires, and four screws (of course with three different heads!) and the converter was done. The batteries fit exactly with the same footprint but the issue began when the terminals were not round posts but retangluar. The very heavy gauge wire would not bend well so off to the store to get two cables made that were flexible. The second issue was just space, very little room to work and so it was a tedious job. Now you are thinking - “Wow, Dave, I didn’t think you did that sort of thing. I’m impressed.” Don’t be most of the actual work was done by my grandson, Kellen.
We have not taken the Oliver out but so far everything is working as expected. And, the best news is so is our inverter. The final step - maybe - is a recalibration of the solar charger to accommodate the new batteries. The gadget I need arrived Friday. So, at least by Monday I’ll see what I can do. Before I call Kellen!
