Powering Your Journey: Navigating Battery Choices and Solar Options

As outdoor enthusiasts, we understand that the key to a truly immersive camping experience lies in the ability to disconnect without sacrificing comfort or at least certain necessities. That’s why we’ve carefully curated our power solutions to provide campers with the freedom to explore off-the-grid longer while still enjoying some basic conveniences. In this guide, we’ll explain our recent move away from AGM batteries in favor of lithium, help you navigate the different battery size options, and shed light on the benefits of incorporating solar into your adventure trailer setup.
 

The Shift to Lithium: Efficiency and Reliability Now Come Standard 

Welcoming a new era, Timberleaf Trailers has recently fully embraced the benefits of lithium batteries over traditional AGM technology, by making lithium the standard in everyone of our trailers, offering a transformative camping experience to all Timberleaf customers. 



Lithium batteries provide a slew of significant advantages, from packing more energy into a smaller and lighter design to allowing you to access more power without sacrificing valuable storage space or fuel economy, making your journeys smoother and more enjoyable. With a superior depth of discharge, lithium batteries also provide longer-lasting power, ensuring you can venture further and longer with greater confidence. They also allow campers to enjoy faster charging times, spending less time waiting and more time exploring the outdoors. The lower self-discharge rates also mean your teardrop trailer is always ready for action, providing on-demand power even after extended periods of inactivity. 

 And most importantly, lithium’s superior energy conversion efficiency minimizes heat loss, which optimizes power usage — the reason they outlast their AGM counterparts. This translates to fewer replacements, reduced maintenance costs, and a sustainable power solution, all while contributing to an eco-friendlier camping experience. The upgrade to lithium batteries not only enhances the overall performance of your trailer but also aligns with our commitment to innovation, ensuring our customers enjoy the utmost convenience and reliability during their adventures. 

Choosing the Right Size: Tailoring Power to Your Camping Style 

While you no longer have to choose between AGM and Lithium, the choice between the perfect battery size is still pivotal in tailoring your camping experience to match both your preferences and the demands of your equipment. For the average weekend warrior who prefers conventional campsites with electrical hookups, where shorter getaways are the norm, our standard 60Ah lithium battery is an ideal balance of lightweight design, a cheaper price tag, and efficient performance. Tailored to meet minimal power demands, it provides ample energy to run essential devices like lighting, fans, and phone chargers without needing bulkier, high-capacity batteries.



However, for more avid adventurers embarking on extensive road trips to national parks or exploring off-grid on BLM land where electrical hookups are often scarce or non-existent, robust battery storage becomes the lifeline for an extended journey. Opting for larger capacities, such as the 135Ah or 320Ah lithium batteries, ensures an uninterrupted power supply to fuel your camper’s lighting, fans, and crucial appliances like electric coolers. These high-capacity options not only accommodate longer durations between charging but also empower enthusiasts to fully immerse themselves in the great outdoors without worrying about food going bad or whether they’ll get a good night’s rest.

The right battery size becomes an essential companion, ensuring power storage is tailored precisely to your needs so you can extend your trips as long as possible. 

The Electric Fridge Factor: Sizing Up for Cooler Adventures 

A key consideration that significantly impacts battery selection — briefly mentioned in the previous section — is the choice between a conventional ice cooler or an electric fridge-style cooler, such as the Dometic CFX-35. While the former relies on ice and no power, the latter offers the convenience of instantly chilled food and beverages on demand. Opting for one of our electric coolers may require upgrading to a larger battery, ensuring ample power to keep things cool throughout your journey without frequent ice runs in the nearest town or camp store. While we suggest a minimum of 135Ah for fridge use if you anticipate having to operate off the grid without solar power, or during overcast weekends, we strongly advise opting for the 320Ah option.

Harnessing the Power of the Sun: Exploring Solar Options 

To complement our lithium battery lineup, we also offer an exceptional solar integration solution for campers seeking to harness the sun’s energy and free them from the grid. Our 140-watt solar dropLeaf panel from LiteLeaf Solar, installed on the back galley hatch door, allows for “on-the-tow” charging and presents a sturdy, compact, and aesthetically pleasing solution for charging your battery, as well as easy positioning at camp. Weighing next to nothing, this removable solar panel seamlessly integrates with our charging system and includes a monitoring screen and a 20-amp MPPT charger, ensuring optimal power conversion.



You can embrace the freedom of off-grid camping with confidence, as this solar panel not only contributes to sustainable energy practices but also affords campers the joy of roaming further than ever with a continuous and eco-friendly power source. 

 Conclusion: Empowering Your Teardrop Adventure 

As outdoor enthusiasts, we know how crucial the right power solution is to a great camping experience. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a rugged overlander who spends weeks without a cell signal, the right lithium battery option and solar integration will give you the freedom to prolong your camping season, energize your essential devices, and most importantly craft enduring memories whenever you’re away from home. If you have any further questions, please reach out to the Timberleaf team who will gladly assist you in picking the perfect size battery for your custom trailer and lifestyle.