Battery Box Problem

CHIEF MK · 03-13-2014, 03:45 PM

I decided to take my battery out today, and give it a once over only to find the battery box full of water.

There are no drain holes in the bottom. Is this normal? Anyway I'm charging it up now after cleaning it all up, and plan to drill some holes on the bottom.

The battery cover has a small vent with tiny covers on them. I'm sure that's where the water came in. What are those vents even for? I mean it's not like the battery box cover is air tight. There is a USCG stamp of approval on it. Probably has something to do with vessels.

Jim & DJ · 03-13-2014, 03:55 PM

You have the right idea. My last RV had the
same problem and as you said, I also driilled
4 vent holes in the bottom of the box.
Worked great. Enjoy, summer, it is just around
the corner.

_________________________
A bit of our history:
Michelin LT XPS***no more g/y or duro's
68 Harley FLH (Basket case)
2004 R-Vision Trail-lite (gone)
2007 Mountaineer TT (gone)
2009 Montana F3465 SA(Best ever)
2007 F-350 6.0 D 4X4
2012 Shih Tzu (The boss)

Jim & DJ
Utah

Sduff · 03-13-2014, 06:25 PM

Isn't it a deep cell 'marine battery'...it belongs in water!! lol

CHIEF MK · 03-13-2014, 06:50 PM

^^^^ Yeah your right LOL!

CHIEF MK · 03-15-2014, 07:12 AM

I posted this , so people might be aware of a potential dead battery. If the battery leaks any acid at all from the top and then runs down the side, it could come in contact with the water which is an excellent conductor of electricity and then it could migrate to the frame and cause a parasitic electrical drain.

Check your battery boxes.

Festus2 · 03-15-2014, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHIEF MK

There are no drain holes in the bottom. Is this normal?

There is a USCG stamp of approval on it. Probably has something to do with vessels.

I suspect the reason for having no drain holes in the bottom of this USCG approved battery box is to contain any spillage so that it doesn't start eating away at the hull of your boat. Many marine batteries do rest on the hull of smaller boats and that is the last place you want battery acid to be!

CHIEF MK · 03-15-2014, 08:55 PM

^^^^ Probably right.

Ken / Claudia · 03-16-2014, 04:23 PM

I drilled holes in the bottom soon after purchase. Any water will drip into the ground. In the boat no way, but it is inside a compartment and should not fill with any water.

abneynormal · 03-16-2014, 04:49 PM

my batteries have the vent, hose and outlet and a big hole in the bottom. when I got mine the battery was sitting on top if 2 hex head screws that mount the box and the top was sitting on top of the battery terminals. ah keystone quality. I cut a piece of old torch down roofing I had to size and put on the bottom and notched slits in the top to accommodate the battery wires.

denverpilot · 03-21-2014, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abneynormal

my batteries have the vent, hose and outlet and a big hole in the bottom. when I got mine the battery was sitting on top if 2 hex head screws that mount the box and the top was sitting on top of the battery terminals. ah keystone quality. I cut a piece of old torch down roofing I had to size and put on the bottom and notched slits in the top to accommodate the battery wires.

LOL. I found that on my 2014 312RE also. Top cover just sitting there, no screws through it.

Seems more "lazy" than a "quality" thing but I definitely understand what you're saying.

Someone just didn't feel like backing the screws out, routing the wires properly through the slots on the sides of the cover, and screwing them down.

**hankpage** · 03-21-2014, 01:03 PM

Most of the time batteries are installed at the dealer, so can't blame Keystone for this one.

denverpilot · 03-21-2014, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankpage

Most of the time batteries are installed at the dealer, so can't blame Keystone for this one.

So they tow them to the dealer with the emergency brake system disabled for lack of power on coaches that use the coach battery for that?

That sounds like an accident and lawsuit waiting to bite the delivery company... Bad.

Being a new owner I suspected what you just said (dealer was lazy) but I couldn't quite convince myself they'd tow it from the Midwest to here without the safety brakes enabled.

**JRTJH** · 03-21-2014, 02:05 PM

Each driver has a battery with harness similar to one of these that they sit in the front compartment or in the battery box if it's a travel trailer:

http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Trail...+brake+battery

You're right, they can't tow without a break-away power source, the first time they hit a weigh station and got inspected, they'd be shut down until they got the emergency brake system working.

It's much simpler to pick up a 5 lb battery and clamp it onto the wiring in the front compartment than it is to lug around a 50 lb deep cycle battery.

Besides, trailers sit on the dealer's lot for sometimes a year or more, any battery supplied by the factory would be "toast" by then. Filling the propane tanks and supplying a battery is part of the dealer's prep.

denverpilot · 03-21-2014, 03:40 PM

Ahh, makes sense. What do you suppose lugging these things to dealers pays, anyway? Not anywhere close to retirement but that'd be a decent "not get bored" job...

**JRTJH** · 03-21-2014, 05:34 PM

Delivery charge (transportation part) on our Cougar fifth wheel from Goshen to northern Michigan (about 330 miles) was $650. That's roughly $2 a mile. I don't know if you can maintain a tow vehicle, pay for fuel/upkeep and make any kind of income at that rate. but it would be a way to get paid to travel, just without your own RV.

You may also like: