EarthX Battery

Before completing the aircraft wiring, I decided to switch to a Lithium battery, and EarthX seems to be the most popular brand for RV builders. The difference in weight between the original lead acid battery and the Lithium battery is substantial. I didn’t have the original battery specs, but it must be 3-4 times heavier than the Lithium battery. There are some other benefits too, such as a longer period of output, longer store of charge, and a battery health indicator output wire.

The EarthX 1200 series is an almost exact match in size. It’s slightly deeper, slightly narrower, and the top is shaped differently. The battery came with some foam to help make up for the narrower shape. I added a washer on each side to account for the wider shape, and added some aluminum strips with foam to the hold-down bar to ensure a snug and secure fit.

The battery terminals are basically the same, so once I had modified the hold down bar and charged the battery, it was ready to go.

Original Vans supplied battery. This is a few years old now.
Side by side comparison of Vans batttery (right) with EarthX battery (left)
Test fitting. Not the gap under the hold down bar
Added some aluminum strips and foam to the hold down bar
Final installment. Note, the ground is disconnected since I’m still running on ground power at this point