There are so many things to reduce when you are a traveler: complexity, maintenance-intensive junk, stylishness & fripperies, wasteful habits, etc. One good thing about serious rig problems is that it focuses you on reducing the weight of your rig. In fact I have reacted to trailer problems in the past by going on a real jihad against unnecessary weight. (In contrast I have never had a weight-related problem on the tow vehicle, a full-sized van.)
So it is trailer "diet" time again. Progress is being made, but it is slow and humbling. Most of the discretionary weight in a trailer lies in water, canned goods, and tools. (Paper books were transferred to electronic storage of information, years ago.) One can either reduce things or redistribute them to the tow vehicle, assuming that it is not overloaded.
I was a bit discouraged because you'd think that many years of experience would make it easier to put the rig on a 'diet'; yet the opposite seems to be true. Does this come from being too "set in my ways?" I don't think so. It is more likely that an experienced traveler has already optimized possessions and their storage. Where do you go from 'perfect?'
The biggest weight reduction available to me is to switch from (5 year old) lead-acid batteries to a lithium battery. As a lifelong late-adopter I have resisted jumping on the LiFePO4 (lithium) bandwagon, while waiting for the cost to come down and the bugs to be worked out.
Or take the opposite approach by ruggedizing the trailer. Some of this has already been done: for instance, I added (rubber) Sumo Springs (from eTrailer) to the trailer's suspension system. I have the means to reduce the air pressure on washboard roads, and then put it back in before coming back to pavement. Before that I increased the load rating of each leaf spring from 1750 pounds to 2900. And the tires have gone up one notch in "height" (that is, diameter) and load rating.
I am going to start injecting synthetic grease into the bearings a couple times per year.
But trailers that are dragged into the backcountry also tend to damage/crack the frames on the front half of the trailer, where the frame rails (from the tongue at the front) come back at an angle, and then are welded to the parallel frame rails that extend to the rear of the trailer. (See Slim Potatoheads's video on this. The same thing happened to my first trailer.) This bend is a weak spot. Perhaps an experienced and clever welder could come up with a suggestion to strengthen this weak spot.
Comments
While the main benefit for me is the higher voltage as they get depleted to power my fifth wheel jacks, they also can be placed on their side. That enabled me to put two extra in my battery compartment.
But is the battery-manager of a lithium battery replaceable/serviceable? I worry about the battery manager failing while the battery itself is OK. I would end up with a $600 piece of debris.
But WOW checking battery charge level with a Bluetooth app on your Smart Phone. Plus being able to put them on their sides allowing for even more batteries in the compartment. That would mean there could be even more solar panels on the roof or if not enough roof room then an even BIGGER RV. That would be some real RVing progress right there!
Fire danger is greatly minimized within the constraints of normal use.
2) Yes the BMS (battery management system) can be replaced if the owner has the requisite DIY skills - the case will need to be opened, new BMS soldered in place etc..
3) LiFePo4 batteries should not be charged below freezing temps, use is OK - most BMS units will cut off the power at freezing temps, or the owner can manage this with a switch on the solar cells.
4) They also require a different charger/PV charge controller for maximum capacity.
That said, they are superior to lead acid in so many ways.... that's a longer discussion.
Decent LiFePo4 RV batteries start at ~$300 now.
This is the route I went about two years ago, no regrets, but do read up.