Trojan AES Alternative to Lithium Upgrade

[cruz-in]

Hi All,

I have installed a full Lithium/solar upgrade on our Airsream and was all set to do it on our Ranger Tug. Then I stumbled across Trojan AES Batteries. Trojan has a good history of deep cycle batteries. So I tend to (within reason) trust thier claims. If accurate, these batteries make an interresting alternative to a full Lithiium Upgrade. Simple direct repalcement for current lead Acid batteries. Local Trojan Dealer quoted me $429 for a Trojan Group 27 AES Battery. Trojan claims some pretty impressive stats quoting from thier website. 1200 100% DoD cycles, haemless PSoC, and a 3 year warranty.

Interested in you all's thoughts.

Quote from thier website in below:

"UP TO 3X THE CYCLE LIFE OF STANDARD AGM

The new Trojan AES Batteries deliver up to 3x the cycle life with high, sustained performance versus standard AGM. And, the battery maintains high capacity in extreme deep-cycling (up to 100% DoD), partial charging, and challenging environments.

It outperforms the competition in these areas:

Lasts Longer: Up to 3x longer cycle life than standard AGM. Validated at 1,200 cycles at 100% DoD vs. 400 cycles for AGM.

Performs in harsh conditions: Robust performance in extreme temperatures and conditions. Temperature range from -40 °F to 160°F (-40° C to 71° C).

Delivers harmless PSoC: Tested to withstand partial state of charge, again and again."

 

[KlaassyC]

I have been running Discover Drycell batteries in both my RV and C28 and have been very impressed by their performance. The pair in my RV are at least 4 years old and work perfectly. They seem to have similar characteristics to the Trojan AES batteries. Can handle over 350 cycles at 100% discharge and can handle partial SOC relatively well.
I have a pair of their EV12 A-A at 145AH each in our C28 and they have performed flawlessly. We are not heavy inverter users and tend to only use it while underway and not at anchor. I also have a 355W solar panel, so the battery doesn’t stay at partial states of charge for any length of time.
For our use case, lithium doesn’t make a lot of sense. We rarely stay in one anchorage for more than 36 hours, and our current system provides plenty of power even with no sun.


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[Rocky Lou]

Following, I'll need batteries at some point and prefer to stay with like replacement over 'upgrades' to avoid unknown issues.

Is this the same one for $260?: https://www.amazon.com/MR127-Maintenanc ... hdGY&psc=1

 

[KlaassyC]

The most important thing you can do to get long life out of your batteries (any lead acid, no matter what the marketing department calls it) is install a battery shunt/monitor. We use a Victron 712 and with the Bluetooth connection to my phone, I can see how much power we’re using, which loads are the heaviest, and most importantly, state of charge on the bank. I’ve yet to run it below 76%. For the best life, keeping it above 50% is key. Occasional dips below that probably won’t harm the batteries I’m using, but I avoid it if at all possible.


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[cruz-in]

I think the important stats for the Trojan AES is:

1) "Validated at 1,200 cycles at 100% DoD"
AND
2) Delivers harmless PSoC: Tested to withstand partial state of charge, again and again.

These are fairly significant stats. If accurate, IMO, it is a fairly big deal.
1) 1200 cycles at 100% DoD. Say I drain the battery to 100% DoD 60 times a year. It would take me 20 years to reach the 1200.
AND
2) Harmeless PSoC. No worries on storage ( a few weeks of not using the boat) at PSoC.

Now, I sure wish they were as lite as a Lithium. : )

 

[KlaassyC]

Those are excellent stats, much higher than the Discover batteries. Seeing as it’s your money, buy them and report back in a year 🙂


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[cruz-in]

Those are excellent stats, much higher than the Discover batteries. Seeing as it’s your money, buy them and report back in a year 🙂


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LoL and Big Smile....

I do think I will give them a try. I will report back.

If accurate, they do seem like an option in betweeen AGM and Full Lithium. I have done the full Lithium upgrade on our AirStream. Not that hard. However, it does take some planning.

 

[glider4]

I’ve looked at higher performance deep cycle AGM batteries for the house bank. Their much higher cost compared to average quality deep cycle AGMs has caused me pause. Can’t justify $450 each for a high performance battery that will probably go 7 years or more that’s more than 2X the cost of an average battery that I expect to get 4 years of service life from. Just too easy to replace old batteries with new in my C-28. I never run my house batteries below 65% SOC so getting a high performance battery that has a better cycle metric isn’t relevant for me.

 

[Submariner]

I think the important stats for the Trojan AES is:

1) "Validated at 1,200 cycles at 100% DoD"
AND
2) Delivers harmless PSoC: Tested to withstand partial state of charge, again and again.

These are fairly significant stats. If accurate, IMO, it is a fairly big deal.
1) 1200 cycles at 100% DoD. Say I drain the battery to 100% DoD 60 times a year. It would take me 20 years to reach the 1200.
AND
2) Harmeless PSoC. No worries on storage ( a few weeks of not using the boat) at PSoC.

Now, I sure wish they were as lite as a Lithium. : )

I upgraded to Lithium 1.5 years ago (320amp-hour).
We use our boat a lot, and we use a lot of electrical on our boat.
Since upgrading to Lithium we have put on 344 engine hours and covered 4,942 miles.

My Victron battery monitor keeps track of the following information and was reset to 0 when I converted to LiFePo4.

I've got 36 total charge cycles.
Total charged: 189,000 watt-hours.
Total discharged: 181,600 watt-hours.
Cumulative amp-hour drawn: 13,826 amp-hours.
My deepest discharge was 246 amp-hours (out of a possible 320). (23% SOC)
Average discharge is 152amp-hours. (52% SOC)

I really don't think numbers like 1,200 cycles vs 300 cycles really mean much to us recreational boaters.

Being able to stay in a partial state of charge (PSoC) is important though as that's what kills AGM/FLA batteries.