A Complete Review of the Redodo Mini Lithium Battery in 2024
LOOKING FOR A COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE REDODO MINI LITHIUM BATTERY?
You are in the right place because we have done the research and testing to bring you this Redodo mini lithium battery review. We are Coltin and Candice, and have traveled in our RV since 2010, bringing you the best destinations and products.
We have been testing the Redodo Mini lithium battery for a while and bring you the information you need to decide if this battery is for you. Our favorite part about this battery is the size!
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Coltin’s Pro Tips for Using a Lithium Battery
If you have not used a lithium battery before, there are some things you should be aware of because they are different and function differently than your typical lead acid battery.
Lithium batteries do not gradually die. This means you will have full power until you have no power at all. This means when you realize your batteries are dead, you will not be able to start your generator, but with lead acid batteries, you will start to see your lights dim and other appliances stop working, and you can start your generator before the batteries fully die. Be prepared.
Many lithium batteries are smarter than lead-acid batteries. Batteries can be damaged if they are charging and the temperatures are too cold, too hot, overcharged, or discharged too much. Good lithium batteries have BMS or battery management systems that stop the battery from being charged when the battery is too cold or too hot.
Lithium batteries charge at different rates than lead-acid batteries. This means when you are using lithium batteries, you should have charge controllers, converters, etc, that are compatible with lithium batteries. If you do not, your battery might not ever fully charge or discharge properly.
More Differences Between Lithium and Lead-Acid Batteries
Lithium batteries can fully discharge and not be damaged like the equivalent lead acid battery. This means your lead acid battery will last longer than your lead acid battery. Lithium RV batteries can last up to 10 times longer than your typical lead acid battery.
Lithium batteries are much lighter than lead-acid batteries. Installing and removing lithium batteries is much easier because the batteries weigh about half as much as your lead acid battery.
Lithium batteries can discharge and charge much faster than lead-acid batteries. This can catch you by surprise as you can use your battery charge much faster than you are used to, but you can also charge your battery faster. You do need to have the correct charging equipment to take advantage of the high rate of charge.
Unboxing the Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
The Redodo mini 12v lithium battery comes in basic battery packaging. You have styrofoam around the battery to protect it from any bumps along the travel. The one thing we first found surprising is how small the battery is.
We knew we had a mini battery coming, but we had not handled one before, and once we opened the box, we were surprised at how small it really was.
Specifications and Features Unique to the Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
Operating Voltage: 12.8V
Charging Voltage: 14.4V
Recommended Charge Current: 20A
Max Continuous Discharge Current: 100A
Max Continuous Output Power: 1280W
Cell Type: LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
Nominal Voltage: 12.8V
Rated Capacity: 100Ah
Energy: 1280Wh
Battery Management System (BMS): 100A
Continuous Discharge: 250A
Dimensions (LxWxH): 10.241” x 5.24” x 8.96”
Temperature Range –
Charge: 0 degrees C to 50 Degrees C
Discharge: -20 degrees C to 60 degrees C
Storage: -10 degrees C to 50 degrees C
Installing and Using the Redodo Battery
The Redodo mini lithium 100ah battery was the easiest battery we have ever installed. It was an awesome experience to install this battery because it is so small. It is the lightest and smallest battery we have ever installed into our camping, making it a breeze compared to installing your typical-size batteries.
You install these mini 100Ah batteries the exact same way as you install all of your RV batteries. The only difference is that the Redodo mini battery is ten times easier to install in small spaces because of its compact size.
What We Like About the Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
What we like about the Redodo mini lithium battery is the size and weight of the battery. If you have ever used a 200 Ah battery, you will notice that you can fit four 100 amp hour mini Redodo lithium batteries into the same space as your typical 200 amp hour battery. This is huge!!
The battery also weighs less than your typical lithium battery by around 5 pounds. The weight and size make this a fantastic battery that is perfect for those like us who have an RV battery compartment that is a little small and want more amp hours to power your recreational vehicle.
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What We Didn’t Like About the Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
The main dislike for the Redodo mini lithium battery is that it only comes with your basic battery protection. You are not going to find these batteries with smart protection and Bluetooth capabilities.
We also wish the battery post-terminal bolts were longer. The Redodo mini battery posts bolts are a little smaller than your normal size 100 amp hour batteries, and those are small also.
The type of battery cells that are used are slightly less durable. Mini batteries use pouch cells instead of Prismatic cells. The difference is probably negligible for most consumers. The pouch cells are similar to the battery that is used in your phone.
The pouch cells used by mini lithium batteries are more susceptible to temperature changes. Now, these are the two main things to be aware of when looking into mini batteries
Our Overall Impressions of the Redodo Battery
Overall, we really like the mini lithium batteries made by Redodo. They functioned in an equivalent manner to the normal-sized lithium batteries we have tested. If you have a small battery space in your camper and want to add more power to your RV, this is the way to go.
If you are new to lithium batteries and do not want to purchase the more expensive lithium batteries, these should be something you are looking at. They are super easy to install, and they are easier to maneuver because of their smaller size.
If you plan on camping in areas that are going to be cold, we would not use this battery or your normal-size lithium batteries unless you are purchasing batteries that will self-heat. Lithium batteries with a BMS will not charge when the temperature is below freezing.
Some smart lithium batteries can bypass this feature in a pinch, but the mini batteries cannot. If it is cold and you need to charge your batteries, the only way to do this is to warm your lithium batteries first and then charge them.
FAQ: Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
Can You Revive a Dead Lithium-Ion Battery?
You can revive some dead lithium batteries by using specialized chargers, but in general, if your battery is “dead” and is not working, you should get a new battery, or you risk being left without power when you need it.
How Do You Fix a Lithium-Ion Battery That Won’t Charge?
You fix a lithium battery that won’t charge by placing the battery on a lithium-specific charger that can recondition the battery. This can extend the life of the battery, but it does not mean the battery is going to be equivalent to a new battery.
Conclusion: Redodo Mini Lithium Battery
We were very pleased with the Redodo mini lithium battery. We are looking at making this our go-to battery because we have a small battery compartment and are always looking for ways to have more amp hours available for our boondocking. If we use your normal-size battery, we only fit 200 amp hours, but with the mini battery from Redodo, we are able to fit double the amount of power with 400 amp hours.
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We don’t camp often in freezing temperatures, so the cold weather BMS shut-off is not something we worry about much. If you worry about cold temperatures, you need to purchase a smart lithium battery or self-heating lithium battery, or you will want to make sure your battery compartment is sufficiently heated and insulated.