SOK Not for Outdoor Use

rmaddy said:

Don't forget that it is very bad to charge a LiFePO₄ battery at freezing or below. Keep that in mind depending on your usage.

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Yes, I know that is an issue. I am depending on the quality of the SOK BMS low temp charge cutoff, the Epever 4210 low temp charge cutoff, and the Victron 30 Amp DC-DC Charger to do what they all said they were capable of doing when the PA winter temps drop below freezing. Any failures, and I have an expensive mistake to explain to my wife while buying new batteries and building a space for the batteries inside the RV (eliminating storage space) and running a small heater in the RV over the winter months. I hope to avoid the backup plan!

Mainly interested in batteries for canoe/kayak applications where weatherproof, and low temp charging cutoff is available. There doesn't seem to be both of those combinations out there..

Oh man. I normally over-research purchases and friends usually have a good laugh at my over-analysis of every detail.

In this case, I relied on the glowing recommendations for SOK batteries and ordered four of the 206Ah with Bluetooth and heating. Big disappointment to learn that the 206Ah use their BMS which was designed for 100Ah batteries. Being limited to 50 amps of charging in a 206Ah battery is bad enough, but it's just as bad to find that this heated battery is only suited for indoor use.

My fault for not digging in deeper, but I sure wish these limitations had been more prominently noted in the product description and in the reviews.

I have two of the 206 AH SOK batteries in a self built steel shelf under the back of my 2015 Roadtrek 190P motorhome. These are located where the Onan generator used to be located, using the same frame mounted side supports and 1.25 inch angle steel to support the bottom of the shelf. The SOK batteries and a Victron 30 Amp DC charge controller are shielded to within 1/4 inch of the RV floor with 1/16 inch sheet steel on the front, sides, and bottom. A frame isolated positive connection point is mounted just aft of the batteries and forward of the propane tank. The rear side of the battery shelf is shielded by clear plexiglass. I have used the RV in wet weather several times since my August 2021 install. I have no rust on the batteries or the case screws. There has been no sign of moisture around the batteries or the Victron charge controller. The SOK BMS managed the charging from the RV solar panels in the cold Pennsylvania winter months while the RV was parked and the battery monitor reports 13.7 volts routinely. For better or worse, Roadtrek has placed batteries and electrical connection points below the RV floor for years, and although I was concerned about the inside vs. outside issue, it appears to be working out ok with the precautions I have taken.