RV ENERGY UPGRADES
More usable power. More freedom to roam.
We design and install modern RV power upgrades built around the way you camp—from lithium battery banks and BougeRV solar charging to Victron inverter/chargers and system monitoring.
YOUR AIR CONDITIONER CAN RUN ON LITHIUM BATTERIES
Your air conditioner can run on lithium.
Many RV owners assume air conditioning always requires shore power or a running generator. A properly sized LiFePO₄ battery bank and inverter can power your RV’s air conditioner. The real question is how much cooling time you want between charges.
Start with the math. Build around your goals.
Runtime ≈ usable battery watt-hours × inverter efficiency ÷ average appliance watts.
We calculate your AC’s running load and starting surge, other appliances, desired hours of use, and how you will recharge. Available installation space and your budget shape the options, alongside payload limits, battery and inverter ratings, wiring, protection, and temperature.
How we calculate your estimate
24V starting system: LiTime 25.6V / 230Ah batteries provide 5,888Wh and 5,120W nominal continuous output each. We first size the shared bank for the requested runtime and full running demand. Up to four batteries stay on this platform with MultiPlus-II 24/3000/70-50, 120V inverter(s).
Automatic 48V upgrade: Above four starting batteries, use LiTime 48V / 100Ah Smart ComFlex LiFePO4: 51.2V nominal, 5,120Wh and 5,120W continuous per battery. Each has a built-in BMS; continuous discharge is 100A (200A is limited to 2 minutes). Connect batteries in parallel, never series. More than four requires enabled battery communications; maximum 16 with communications, four without. Configure Victron integration and charging, protection, and a 48V-to-12V converter for the selected bank. Verify current at low voltage before installation.
Matching inverters: The 48V option uses MultiPlus-II 48/5000/70-95, 120V units (4,000W continuous at 77°F; 3,700W at 104°F). The original 24/3000 units provide 2,400W at 77°F and 2,200W at 104°F. We use the warmer-temperature ratings. If the original running load exceeds 2,200W, we plan two synchronized split-phase legs and retain that leg allocation when upgrading to 48V. Loads exceeding the selected inverter’s per-leg rating remain flagged for custom design.
Energy: [(AC watts × quantity × 90% + TVs × 60W + miscellaneous watts + lights × 6W) ÷ 0.90 + idle allowance] × hours. Idle allowance is 13W per active 24/3000 inverter or 15W per active 48/5000 inverter. Battery quantity is rounded up using the larger of energy demand and full running battery-power demand. The 48V option is rounded up to whole ComFlex batteries. Calculations use full rated energy, no reserve, and no solar or generator contribution. Fans, BMS/accessory consumption, battery heating, higher compressor duty, temperature, and aging can reduce runtime.
System limits: The ComFlex example supports up to 16 batteries in parallel with communications enabled; larger requests require custom design. This is a product-family ceiling, not a statement that the bank fits your RV. Payload, space, BMS current, charging limits, starting surge, apparent power, and circuit allocation require review. Both split-phase inverters share one DC bus. Individual AC units cannot divide their load across the two 120V legs.
Calculation & charging limits
Output power is the smallest of: available alternator amps × input volts × efficiency; charger input-current limit × input volts × efficiency; output-current setting × output volts; or maximum charger output watts.
Energy (kWh) = output watts × driving hours ÷ 1,000. Output amps = output watts ÷ charging voltage. Input amps = output watts ÷ (input voltage × efficiency). Delivered amp-hours = output amps × hours.
Available alternator output is already net of vehicle loads and reserve. No allowance is deducted again. This steady bulk-charge estimate excludes battery storage losses and house consumption. Charging taper, alternator temperature, engine speed, wiring, battery acceptance and charger limits can reduce actual delivery. Verify voltage compatibility, current settings and manufacturer ratings for your installation.
LESS GENERATOR TIME. LOWER FUEL COSTS.
Financial impact and Return on Investment
A properly sized lithium battery bank and inverter can power your RV while the generator is off. Here’s what reducing generator use from 24 to 12 hours per day could mean for your fuel budget.
This Onan 7000 gasoline example assumes 0.70 gallons per running hour at 80% duty and $4.00 per gallon —a fuel cost of $2.80 per generator hour.
Before: 24 hours/day
$67.20
Daily fuel cost
16.8 gallons of gasoline
After: 12 hours/day
$33.60
Daily fuel cost
8.4 gallons of gasoline
Your daily savings
$33.60
12 fewer generator hours
8.4 gallons saved · 50% less fuel cost
How fast will the system pay off?
With this setup, you could save $1,008 over 30 days of camping or $3,360 over 100 days of camping. These figures apply for each day that your new system prevents 12 hours of generator runtime.
Living on the road full-time? Your fuel savings could reach $12,264 annually. This scenario assumes a 12-hour daily reduction in generator runtime over 365 days, yielding a $33.60 daily savings at $4.00 per gallon. Actual results vary based on how often you achieve that reduction.
Direct fuel-only payback = total installation cost ÷ $33.60 saved per daily cycle.
Your personal calculation is best determined by your specific quote and actual usage habits. Cutting generator runtimes also minimizes engine maintenance and noise pollution; those advantages are not represented in this raw dollar figure.
Fewer generator hours may also reduce maintenance and noise; those benefits are not included in these dollar amounts.
Illustrative fuel-only scenario, not a guaranteed return or a runtime claim for the single battery in the comparison. The bank must cover generator-off loads, and the remaining generator hours must supply running loads and recharge the bank, including losses.
The fuel-burn rate is a planning assumption, not a verified manufacturer rating. Actual savings depend on load, generator fuel consumption, charging performance, fuel price, and use. Payback excludes financing, maintenance, battery replacement, and other ownership costs.
UNDERSTAND THE CHEMISTRY
All lithium batteries are not the same.
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄, or LFP) is the rechargeable lithium-ion chemistry featured in our RV battery upgrades. Chemistry, battery quality, and installation all matter.
What about older metallic-lithium batteries?
Traditional lithium-metal batteries use metallic lithium in their negative electrode and are generally non-rechargeable, such as some camera and coin-cell batteries. Conventional Lithium Iron Phosphate RV batteries use lithium ions moving between electrode materials, rather than a metallic-lithium anode. Lithium metal and lithium-ion are different battery categories—not simply “old” and “new” versions of the same chemistry. Lithium-metal batteries remain in use today.
This distinction helps explain why “lithium” alone does not describe a battery’s safety. Lithium Iron Phosphate still requires proper charging, a suitable BMS, and protection against damage and short circuits.
More stable chemistry. Lower thermal risk.
LFP’s phosphate structure resists heat-driven breakdown and releases less oxygen than layered-oxide cathodes. This reduces susceptibility to thermal runaway—a self-heating reaction that can cause fire.
A BMS adds protection.
A suitable battery management system monitors voltage, current, and temperature, balances cells, and can disconnect unsafe charging or loads. It cannot prevent every defect, impact, or wiring fault.
Charging and temperature limits matter.
Match chargers to the battery’s voltage, chemistry, and current limits. Follow manufacturer temperature restrictions; cold-weather charging requires appropriate protection or controlled heating.
Build for life on the road.
Secure mounting, protected terminals, correctly sized cables and fuses, and sound connections help manage vibration, short circuits, and overheating. Protect batteries from water and physical damage.
Lead-acid has different hazards.
Flooded batteries contain corrosive acid and can release hydrogen while charging. LFP avoids those normal-operation hazards, but can vent hazardous gases during failure.
Lower risk does not mean fireproof. We evaluate batteries, charging, protection, and mounting as one system.
A SYSTEM—NOT A PARTS PILE
A SYSTEM—NOT A PARTS PILE
Every component needs to work together.
01 / STORAGE
Lithium battery banks
Increase usable capacity while reducing weight and improving charging performance when the RV and installation are suitable.
04 / VISIBILITY
Monitoring & controls
See battery state, charging activity, loads, and system health locally—and on compatible systems, remotely.
02 / AC POWER
Victron inverter/chargers
Combine battery charging and dependable AC power in one coordinated package, with features designed for mobile and off-grid use.
05 / PROTECTION
Wiring, fusing & disconnects
Proper cable sizing, overcurrent protection, isolation, grounding, and secure mounting are central to the installation.
A reliable upgrade begins with your real energy needs, existing wiring, alternator and shore-power sources, available space, ventilation, and future plans. We assess the complete system before recommending equipment.
03 / SOLAR CHARGING
Flexible & rigid glass solar panels
BougeRV solar options for RVs, camper vans, and travel trailers—designed around available roof space, battery capacity, and travel goals.
06 / HANDOFF
Testing & owner guidance
We verify operation under realistic loads and show you how to use, monitor, and care for the completed system.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION
Clean integration. Correct protection. Thorough commissioning.
A premium power system should look intentional and remain serviceable. We plan component placement, cable routing, overcurrent protection, disconnects, busbars, communications, and ventilation as one installation—not a collection of add-ons.
Victron MultiPlus
Inverter and charging capability selected for the RV’s electrical service and loads.
Protected distribution
Properly sized conductors, fusing, isolation, and organized AC/DC distribution.
LiFePO₄ storage
Battery capacity and discharge capability matched to runtime goals and inverter demand.
Tested handoff
Configuration, load testing, monitoring setup, and owner guidance before completion.
OUR APPROACH
Designed around your RV and your travel style.
1
Power audit
We identify the appliances, travel habits, runtime goals, and charging opportunities that shape the system.
2
Existing-system review
We inspect space, wiring, protection, charging equipment, and compatibility with the proposed upgrade.
3
Installation
Equipment is mounted, wired, protected, configured, and integrated for serviceability.
4
Commissioning
We test charging, transfer, inversion, monitoring, and representative loads before handoff.
System sizing matters. Battery capacity, inverter size, cable size, charging sources, and expected loads must be evaluated together. Final recommendations are subject to inspection, equipment specifications, and installation conditions.
PLAN YOUR POWER UPGRADE
Tell us how you want to camp.
Share your RV details, current equipment, and the appliances you want to run.
REQUEST MOBILE SERVICE
Start here →