Airstream announced a new power option for 2021 models which has an option to upgrade to lithium batteries, which will be installed by the dealer and not before shipping.
Airstream said its Airstream Power Plus option was created as a flexible solution that offers advanced power for travel trailers and is a dealer-installed lithium battery option for 2021.
Airstream Power Plus ships with Victron solar controller and battery monitor, two AGM batteries, and respective solar panel(s). If customers choose to upgrade to lithium, the dealer-installed upgrade will replace two AGM batteries with two LiFePO4 lithium batteries and an upgraded power converter.
“By making the 2021 upgrades with the power inverter and solar controller (if solar package is chosen), it is now easier than ever to fully upgrade to a lithium battery option because the components that come with the factory solar package are compatible with lithium batteries,” Airstream stated. “Today, when an Airstream customer picks up their new travel trailer, they have flexible options for their batteries and can choose the power needs that fit their lifestyle. Plus, the warranty will start at the time of purchase instead of when the trailer leaves the factory.”
To ensure all batteries are fresh and ready to go upon pickup at the dealership, Airstream said travel trailer batteries will not be included as standard equipment but instead will be installed upon arrival. If the optional solar package is chosen on select models and installed at the factory, the travel trailer will ship with two AGM batteries.
Upgraded 1,000-Watt Pure Sine Inverter
Almost all Airstream travel trailers (not available with Bambi and Basecamp) offer a 1,000-watt pure sine wave power inverter as a standard feature.
The upgraded Progressive Dynamics continuous 1,000-watt pure sine wave inverter is optimized for battery compatibility, Airstream said, meaning that it is ready to invert power from all of the most common RV battery types. The Progressive Dynamics inverter also comes with an interior monitor for power and voltage readings.
Upgraded Solar Controller
By choosing the factory solar package Airstream customers get solar panels – and for 2021 models, an upgraded Victron solar controller, which takes the energy collected by the panels from the sun and stores it in the batteries. The Victron solar controller features MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), which optimizes solar energy collection by actively tracking voltage and output of the solar panels.
The controller technology works well in cloudy or shaded conditions by intelligently optimizing the harvest of solar energy from the roof-mounted or external solar panels to ensure that no energy is wasted and that batteries can get to a full charge as quickly as possible.
Upgraded Power Plus Lithium Batteries
With safe, powerful and rapid charging capabilities, Airsteam said its optional dealer-installed LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) batteries are 100 amp hours, lightweight and easy to install because they have the same form factor as existing batteries.
Airsteam said the LiFePO4 batteries charge an average of five times faster than lead acid batteries because of their lower internal resistance and will last 10 times longer.
LiFePO4 batteries have two to three times more usable power and are able to be depleted to 0 percent charge, then back to 100 percent – AGM and lead acid batteries are recommended to charge when they reach 50 percent capacity, Airstream said.
Each battery has an internal heating element for cold weather charging – lithium batteries are not safe to charge if the temperate gets too cold – while a BMS system monitors cell voltage, currents and temperatures to make sure the batteries are operating in a safe range.
“Whether you’re looking to truly embark on a boondocking journey or just want to expand your onboard battery capacity, lithium batteries are a great solution for high performing, long-lasting power,” Airstream stated.
