Why Did We Upgrade Our Houseboat To Lithium Ion Batteries From Lead Acid?

Taking our off-grid houseboat to the next level with lithium ion batteries.

The Backstory

If you're new to our houseboat adventures, you may not know the backstory of why we decided to take our houseboat on Lake Lanier to the next level on our green houseboat journey. I, Trey, have been particularly passionate for years about wanting to upgrade our houseboat from lead acid batteries to lithium ion batteries, to be able to more efficiently power our houseboat when off-the-grid. In the past, we have primarily used our gas-powered generator to power our houseboat while houseboat camping, which is expensive, not great for the environment, and potentially dangerous due to carbon monoxide emissions. Though, we never felt like we could use our eight lead acid batteries because the batteries were old, drained, and needed to be replaced.

I found in my research that lead acid batteries are sensitive to temperature swings and aren’t ideal for longer periods away from the dock because lead acid batteries shouldn’t be drained below 50%, unlike lithium ion batteries that can be drained to zero. Coupled with having to manually maintain the quality of lead acid batteries, and potentially getting sulfuric acid on my body, I knew it was time to upgrade to lithium ion batteries that had a self management system. New lithium ion batteries and a new inverter meant our family no longer had to run the generator and burn gas on off-grid adventures, or worry about low battery power.

Who We Chose & Why

From the get-to, I immediately valued Battle Born’s ten-year warranty and couldn’t find in my research any lead acid battery seller with a warranty over 12 months. I also liked that Battle Born is a U.S.-based company, with batteries manufactured close to home. Considering supply shortages around the world, we could get what we needed from Battle Born in a timely manner. Most importantly, I really appreciated the customer service and buying experience where I could fill out a form online and have an actual person call to help with my needs.

Battle Born batteries and the new inverter have absolutely changed how our family does off-grid adventures. We no longer have to power our houseboat away from the dock with our gas generator or old technology batteries, but can instead with our quick-charging lithium ion batteries and inverter. We can now power key outlets, use all lights, listen to music, cook, and move air through the cabins with ceiling fans, which greatly improved our quality of life on the water in both warm and cooler months. Our family is most excited that we can stay off-the-grid on our Lake Lanier houseboat in a safer way and for longer amounts of time.

And now you know the whole backstory from our YouTube announcement about our upgrade to lithium ion batteries for our houseboat! You can check out that video, below, for an in-depth look at our green houseboat upgrade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_JkZjNL9w

We are proudly part of the Battle Born family, and are happy to answer any additional questions you may have about our experience with their batteries. Leave a comment, below, or visit their website through our partner link: https://battlebornbatteries.com/?afmc=deephouseboatlife.

Deep Houseboat Life