My Battery Burst Last Night

[skane]

So, around 10:30 last night we heard an explosion outside my house. It was dark, so I walked around with a flashlight but could not find anything. I could smell a sulfur-ish smell so I assumed it was just some dumb kid playing with fireworks because this is the first week school is out.

Well, this morning when I was walking up to my truck I noticed a piece of plastic on the ground. Sure enough, the battery was in pieces on the front of my camper.

At this point, I have no idea what happened and I am hoping you brilliant folks can provide advice.

I do keep my camper plugged in the entire time it is at my house, we like to keep the refrigerator running because we camp every weekend throughout the summer.

Very little is known about this battery. It came with the camper (2016 Passport 2400BH) but I know for a fact it did not originate with the camper. The camper dealer puts all of their batteries on a shelf post-winterization and they just grabbed one of the random batteries when I bought it.

Ideas on what could have caused this? Thank GOD it didn't cause a fire AND thank GOD that no one was near the battery when it did this.

Thanks for your advice,
Sean

Images Below:

[BamaRam]

Before trying to figure out what caused it I would get big box a baking soda, mix it with about a gallon of water and neutralize the acid. Brush it on anything that may have been affected, let it sit about an hour, then rinse with fresh water. If any acid went in a crack or crevice you may need to disassemble to treat.

Then I would check the output of the convertor.

Had you checked the water level in the battery lately? If water is low the plates may have warped and shorted together causing the explosion.


I'm going to check my water level now

[buvens]

Had that happen on a 78 Cadillac. Daughter got out of it and went to a friends place. A few minutes later she hears siren. Turned out it was a fire truck coming to put out the fore of what was left of the Cadillac.

[Canonman]

I'm going with overcharged and under flooded i.e. low water. If the converter is overcharging then the water boils off and leaves the plates exposed. Whenever a lead acid battery is charging, hydrogen and oxygen are created and need to be vented. Flooded batteries are always venting unless for some reason the vents are clogged. Looking at the photos, the cell caps are blown off so I'm thinking they may have been clogged and the gasses inside the battery couldn't vent. Also hydrogen is very explosive. Any spark could set it off. Exposed plates can short out or spark and there you go.
BamaRam is right, you need to neutralize everything quick. Sulphuric Acid will eat everything.
Then, check the converter output but you will need a good battery attached to do it right. Most RV's are equipped with WFCO converters. Ours is an 8935 with the following specs: Automatic three-stage charging extends the life of your battery with output voltage modes of 13.2 VDC range “float” mode, 13.6 VDC range “absorption” mode, and a 14.4 VDC range “bulk” charge mode.
Once a battery is charged the converter should automatically reduce the output to float or maintenance mode. If it fails to step down (low water can cause this) the battery will overcharge and well...
Best of luck with your repairs.

[sourdough]

Neutralize now with baking soda and water mix. The acid will begin deteriorating everything it touched immediately.

As far as the battery exploding, I suspect no water. From the sound of the way the battery was provided it could have been old, clogged, empty???? Another reason you can't take anything for granted on an RV; like the old saying; "trust but verify".