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Old 12-11-2011, 03:45 AM   #21
jje1960
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Dual battery setup

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Originally Posted by jje1960 View Post
On our last TT I fabricated two brackets, one to relocate the existing battery and the other to add a battery. I'll try and find a picture to post, it worked out very well, the batteries were still outside, one on each side of the front hitch rails, just in front of the trailer body itself. This free'd up space for a flat plate that our 1k mitsubishi inverter was mounted on.
This is the only pic I could find... However shows the reposition.
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Old 12-11-2011, 04:35 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
I would think that you could utilize a single vent hose for your two separate batteries and their boxes by using a "T" as you described. This setup, while slightly different than mine, would accomplish the same thing. I have a single vent hose for two batteries in a single box --- you would end up with, by using a "T", a single hose for two batteries in two separate boxes. You shouldn't have to drill any extra holes.
I am going to take a closer look at all that in the spring when I get the trailer out of storage. I bought the battery box and did not have a chance to install it before the trailer had to go to its winter home.

IIRC, the new box has a bottom vent, and since the floor of the front utility compartment is a single layer of aluminum (I think), drilling the bottom hole should not be an issue. Even if it is a layer of wood and aluminum, still not much of a concern.

The upper vent is more so, although where the existing one is located above the door is an open area without too many layers of wall so it may end up being much easier to just drill the second hole.

I'll document the mod when I do it and post it on the forum.
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Old 12-11-2011, 05:49 AM   #23
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I wonder if two vented boxes could share one common vent line? So if I doubled my batteries (2 vented boxes) I could just T into the existing vent line and not have to drill an additional hole in the trailer?
I joined both top vents on my battery boxes with a T. The vent hose on your battery box is a unique size. If I remember correctly, it's closer to 2.25" so when you go to the big box store to get a T, none will fit. What I finally did was get a schedule 20 (thinnest wall available) t and then put some 1/4" foam insulation tape around it to build it up. so the hose would fit tighter against the ends of the T.

Like Steve, my trailer is in storage about 30 miles away, so I can't run outside and take a picture, but essentially, my boxes sit side by side. The original box has a vent hose that runs to the outside vent which is located just above the front compartment door. When I installed the second box, I placed it right beside the original box, made a new bottom vent hole so it fit flush to the floor, cut the original hose about 1' above the boxes, installed the T and ran my new vent hose to the T. Now, both boxes vent through the same opening on the front wall of the trailer just above the front compartment door.

One thing that Keystone failed to do was secure the hoses to the box and to the vent opening. I used a couple of square drive screws (same as those used everywhere in the trailer) and ran them through the hose/battery box flange, the T that I installed and also up at the vent above the door. Now the hoses don't slip off the box or the vent any more. Just makes it seem more secure not to keep finding loose vent hoses laying on the floor after every tow
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Old 12-11-2011, 06:11 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by jje1960 View Post
This is the only pic I could find... However shows the reposition.

That's cool. I did this on our last TT, welded a tray together using expanded steel and some small 1/2" angle iron so I could hold 2 marine batteries. Worked well, just bolted it then onto the original angle iron that the single battery was sitting in, and this gave me a place to set hitch pins and such while working in front of the TT. In this picture you can also see the cable lock I used to make sure they stayed there

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Old 12-11-2011, 06:18 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
I would think that you could utilize a single vent hose for your two separate batteries and their boxes by using a "T" as you described. This setup, while slightly different than mine, would accomplish the same thing. I have a single vent hose for two batteries in a single box --- you would end up with, by using a "T", a single hose for two batteries in two separate boxes. You shouldn't have to drill any extra holes.
Where did you find the larger vented box that would hold two batteries? I did a search and can only find the singles. I supose I could make one out of a plastic bin that would fit nicely also if I can't buy one. Seems that would be a cheap way to do it to.
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Old 03-04-2013, 08:53 PM   #26
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Hey all, I installed 4/6's to replace orig 2/12's and vented with T . after install which was done by sliding/dropping into boxes in compartment I got to wondering how the *#@%^ am I going to get them out if needing replacement. just finished "battery hoist" lift battery out of box, slide plank under,and slide battery out where you can get at it to lift. JRTJH this is the same model trailer as yours. Pics to follow if I get lucky.---LOU---
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Old 03-04-2013, 09:01 PM   #27
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LOU
Have you tested you hoist to see if it works? Looks like a great idea - especially trying to lift and move around those heavier 6volts! It looks like you have welded a couple of supports for your pulley system......????

I was thinking the same thing -- "How am I ever going to get them out?"
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:18 AM   #28
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LOU, ingenious, now when I do move to the 6V battery system..... So far, we're still getting 3 or 4 days off a full charge on the dual 12V system. So, I can't justify buying new batteries as long as these are working. BUT--- Once they start giving us problems, I'm looking to do the swap. Where did you get those battery boxes?

Festus2, There are two frame stringers running fore/aft right over the batteries. It looks like Lor drilled holes in them and bolted the blue angles to those stringers. I don't think there was any welding to do.....
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Old 03-05-2013, 11:29 AM   #29
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Festus & John, no welding on pulley mount only on lifter jig for battery. I bought the boxes from interstate batt. I have also seen them online. Avail. for side by side or end to end. If I can remember site for boxes I will post later--LOU-- ps: John, to fit 4/6's I moved the propane bottles over. Festus, tested OK.
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Old 03-05-2013, 12:22 PM   #30
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http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ox-what-to-use

FYI this site kind of has some of the same info...
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Old 03-05-2013, 12:33 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
I would think that you could utilize a single vent hose for your two separate batteries and their boxes by using a "T" as you described. This setup, while slightly different than mine, would accomplish the same thing. I have a single vent hose for two batteries in a single box --- you would end up with, by using a "T", a single hose for two batteries in two separate boxes. You shouldn't have to drill any extra holes.
Does anyone know what size the vent hose is? If I went to Home Depot to by a T and a short length of hose to vent off my second battery box.
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Old 03-07-2013, 10:10 AM   #32
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So to add to the ventilation talk, I really don't see the need to add the hose etc.. for the second battery install. I looked inside my front compartment and by each front jack are huge gaps a coupe of inches long by an inch or so wide, right to the outside air. With the new battery box being well vented it seems over kill. I can understand why there are the RV regulations for this, but it seems over kill to me...
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:28 PM   #33
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Comptech,

I tried to do what you're suggesting. Lowe's and HD have 1.5" and 2" hose. The battery boxes in my RV are 1.75" hoses. Yeah, I know, but the only place I found the correct size hose was at an RV parts house. I did try to use the 2" and wrap some foam insulation tape around the vent. It worked for a while but after removing the box cover a couple of times to check battery water levels, it didn't hold up well. So I just bought the right size hose for a couple bucks more and it's been working well since I changed the hoses out.

As for battery box ventilation, it is my understanding that RVIA stipulates that the battery gasses must be vented to the outside of the RV. If you look at battery boxes for travel trailers with batteries mounted on the tongue, they have several vents molded into the top cover. These boxes are OK for mounting on the tongue, but should not be used in closed spaces such as the front storage compartment on a fifth wheel.

Battery gasses are primarily hydrogen, a "lighter than air gas" that is highly explosive. If you used the "tongue box type" in a closed compartment with open spaces near the floor, you conceiveably will release hydrogen that would float to the top of your storage space and remain there until you opened the door or until a spark ignited it. Having ventilation spaces around the bottom of the compartment won't effectively ventilate a "lighter than air" gas which accumulates near the top of the compartment.

The reason for air tight battery boxes and venting to the outside is to prevent the accumulation of hydrogen in the storage compartments. Will it happen? probably not, could it happen? Yes it could. Remember the Hindenburg......
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:38 PM   #34
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Jrtjh,
Yea Home depot was a bust nothing I could find would fit right... I guess for safety I will see about ordering a proper vented box like the ones shown in this thread... The front compartment is huge and seems anything but air tight and is well ventilated... IMHO
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Old 03-07-2013, 01:21 PM   #35
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Comptech, I totally agree with you, there's enough ventilation in the front compartment on my fifth wheel that I'm sure nothing could accumulate there (except dirt). But there's always that crazy "off chance" one in a million..... I just don't want to be out a bizillion miles from anything and have a spark cause a problem that I can't control. Just my luck that I'd be the only one "ever" to lose an RV like that.....
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Old 09-30-2013, 07:44 AM   #36
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PS. If anyone has knowledge of a hydrogen explosion that actually happened, please post a link to it.
Hi,

Saturday morning, 9/28/2013, everybody around the camp was talking about the gunshot they heard at 5am. The consensus was that it was at least 40 caliber. I didn't hear it(!), but my wife did. Turns out the gunshot was my battery exploding less than 2 feet from the head of our bed, and inches from the 2 propane tanks, in our 2010 Passport 2910BH. Blew to pieces the top of the battery box, blew the 2 caps off the battery and separated the top of the battery on 3 sides - I'll post a picture of that soon. Cowabunga!

Although I don't yet fully understand the mechanism of failure, I believe this was my fault and preventable. I left my camper plugged in for 2.5 years in my driveway and never once checked the water level in the battery. My inside camper lights had been surging for several months, with me thinking "huh, wonder why they are doing that?", but taking no action. Am now investigating battery technologies and explosion proof boxes.

I thank God that there were no injuries.
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Old 09-30-2013, 08:00 AM   #37
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Hi,

!

Although I don't yet fully understand the mechanism of failure, I believe this was my fault and preventable. I left my camper plugged in for 2.5 years in my driveway and never once checked the water level in the battery. My inside camper lights had been surging for several months, with me thinking "huh, wonder why they are doing that?", but taking no action. Am now investigating battery technologies and explosion proof boxes.

I thank God that there were no injuries.
Yes, you were very lucky! If you were plugged in for that long and didn't check the water level in the battery, they would have dried up and if they continued to be charged --- well, you witnessed the result.

I'm not sure if there is such a thing as an "explosion proof" battery box. The box is there to keep the terminals protected from accidental contact with other conductors - screw drivers, tools and FINGERS, to contain any spills that might occur, and to vent any gasses emitted from the batteries if they are housed inside an RV compartment. I don't believe the box is meant to be explosion proof.

Glad to hear that no one was injured or no damage was done. A reminder to all of us not to neglect our batteries!
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