Our Kings 120Ah lithium battery has been in the back of the Prado for a year, running the fridge on every trip. It sits in our Kings BatBlock 25, and the only thing that charges it is solar. In that year it hasn’t missed a beat. We paid $275 for it.
What’s in the box
The Kings 120Ah lithium battery is a blue 12.8V LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) deep cycle battery with 1,536 Wh. It weighs 12 kg, has a black Kings carry strap on top and is rated for over 2,000 charge cycles. Inside is a BMS, a battery management system that keeps the cells within safe limits, and there’s nothing to top up or maintain.
What we like
- 120Ah, 1,536 Wh
- 12 kg, with a carry strap
- Inbuilt BMS for cell safety
- 2,000+ charge cycles
- A year with no issues
- Good value at $275
What we don’t
- Needs a lithium charger
- Not for under the bonnet
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Adventure Kings |
| Model | AKEP-BATLITH120_01 |
| Weight | 12 kg |
| Size | 33 × 17 × 22 cm |
| Battery | 120Ah LiFePO412.8V1,536 Wh |
| Charging | 14.6VUp to 60A |
| Output | 120A continuous150A for 5 seconds |
| Features | Inbuilt BMS2,000+ charge cyclesCarry strap |
In our BatBlock
We bought the battery together with the BatBlock 25, a battery box with the charger, monitor and sockets built in. It fits the box exactly: the BatBlock takes batteries up to 330 × 173 × 220 mm, and the battery is 330 × 170 × 220 mm. A strap holds it down, and the cables in the BatBlock’s lid bolt straight onto the two terminals. Our BatBlock setup guide shows each step.
The strap on top makes the 12 kg battery easy to get a grip on when you lift it in or out. The battery runs our Kings 40L fridge, which kept going on our three-week trip through the outback in over 40 °C heat, and it charges our phones and lights.
Charging it
Ours charges on solar only. The Kings 160W semi-flexible solar panel on top of our rooftop tent plugs into the BatBlock, and when we park in the shade our Kings 240W solar blanket goes out in the sun instead. In full sun in the middle of the day we see 12 to 14 amps going in, enough to keep the battery topped up through a day at camp.
You need a charger with a lithium setting: Kings says lead-acid chargers aren’t suitable. The DC-DC charger in our BatBlock is set to LiFePO4. The battery arrives charged to only 30% because of shipping rules, so a sticker on top asks you to charge it fully before you use it.
Specs and limits
The battery can deliver 120A continuously and 150A for five seconds, which is plenty for a fridge, lights and charging, and it takes up to 60A when charging. It works from −20 °C to +55 °C, but it only charges between 0 °C and +50 °C. The label also says it’s not suitable for under the bonnet, so it belongs in the back of the car or a camper, not in the engine bay.
Which size: 65Ah to 200AhWhich size
Kings makes its lithium batteries in several sizes, from 65Ah up to 300Ah. The 100Ah and 120Ah are almost exactly the same size, so the 120Ah gives you 20% more capacity in the same space and still fits a BatBlock 25. The 200Ah and the 300Ah (≈27 kg, 520 × 269 × 220 mm) are a lot bigger and heavier, and won’t fit a standard battery box. Check the maximum charge current when you pick a charger: the 25A charger in our BatBlock is well within it for every size.
| Tested 120Ah | Smallest 65Ah | Smaller 100Ah | Bigger 200Ah | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits the BatBlock 25 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Max charge current | 60 A | 30 A | 50 A | 100 A |
| Size | 330 × 170 × 220 mm | 228 × 138 × 210 mm | 328 × 172 × 215 mm | 485 × 170 × 240 mm |
| Best for | A fridge, lights and charging | Small 12V setups | Standard battery boxes | Bigger inverter setups |
| Weight | 12 kg | ≈6.2 kg | ≈10 kg | ≈23 kg |
| Shop | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
The Slimline series
If a standard battery shape doesn’t fit your setup, Kings also makes the Slimline series of lithium batteries. They’re built to save space, so they suit spots where a block-shaped battery won’t go: behind the seats, along a canopy wall or in a shallow drawer. The series comes in two versions with the same 100Ah capacity, 2,000+ charge cycles (at 80% depth of discharge) and an internal 100A BMS, but with very different shapes and outer casings. For a battery box like our BatBlock, the standard 120Ah is the better fit; the Slimline is for when the space is long and flat rather than square.
Conclusion: Kings 120Ah Lithium BatteryConclusion
The Kings 120Ah lithium battery has done everything we asked of it. For a year it has sat in our BatBlock in the back of the Prado, charged only by solar, and run our fridge on every trip with no issues. It’s 12 kg with a carry strap, holds 1,536 Wh and is rated for over 2,000 charge cycles. You need a lithium charger and it can’t go under the bonnet, but at $275 for 120Ah of lithium it’s good value.
A solid 120Ah lithium battery for $275.
It has lived in our BatBlock in the back of the Prado for a year, charged only by solar, and it has run our fridge on every trip with no issues. It weighs 12 kg, has a carry strap and is rated for over 2,000 charge cycles.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Van-lifers
Yes. $275 for 120Ah of lithium is good value, and after a year of trips on solar alone it has never let our fridge down.
