Double Battery Venting

[oldfrog]

Just got delivery on my new '12 Loredo 266RL 5er. It came with a group 24 battery which was vented via the standard tube to the exterior. Since I had just installed 2 new group 27's in my trade-in, I requested they mount my batteries in the new trailer.
After inspection I found the one battery was vented from the original layout, but not the 2nd. The mgr. stated the since the compartment is vented (bottom holes), it wasn't necessay. My old trailer had both batteries vented & looked just as vented (pipe holes in the bottom).
Comments please. Thanks.

[SteveC7010]

I ordered the second vented battery box the day we closed on the trailer. I didn't give them the change to fib to me.

IMHO, if one battery comes from the factory installed in a vented box with a hose to an exterior vent, then adding a second battery should be done in exactly the same manner<period>.

[JRTJH]

Our trailer came with one 12V battery, We dry camp more than we use a campground so adding a second battery was one of the first things we did. I ordered a battery box like the vented one that Keystone installed. When it arrived, I cut a 2" hole in the steel floor of the front compartment, put the box in alongside the original battery box and wired the battery as well as installed a battery cutoff switch. As for venting, I placed a 1.5" PVC TEE in the original vent hose and added a second "leg" to vent the new battery box. The hose is almost 2", so to seal the new smaller TEE, I wrapped each leg with 3/8" x 1" weatherstripping that I had left over from installing a fiberglass pickup bed cover. The hose fits very snugly on the TEE with the weatherstripping around each leg. I used 3/4" screws through the hose and into the TEE to secure it so it won't pull apart. It's weather tight, hasn't separated through many "lid removals" to check battery acid level and isn't in the way as much as two separate vent lines would be.

I'd take pix, but the trailer is in storage already for the winter.

[SAABDOCTOR]

I DID SOMETHING SIMILAR. I CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE 2ND BOX TO VENT OUT BUT I PUT A PCV DRIER VENT HOSE ( I HAD SOME LEFT OVER) BETTWEEN THE TWO BOXWS THAT WAY I ONLY HAVE ONE HOSE TO DEAL WITH WHEN CHECK THE BATTERY'S. 2 YEARS SO FAR SO GOOD.

[JRTJH]

Just goes to show... There's more than one way to "skin a cat"

[RCrawler]

I wouldn't accept that. The gases from the battery are going to go up, not down. If the holes in bottom were enough, the original battery would not need the vent.

My plan was to T into the original vent hose so I wouldn't need to cut another hole for a vent, like JRTJH mentioned.

Has anyone added an external battery quick disconnect plug? With the single battery, I almost have to charge it before every trip, so I have been leaving the cover loose for easy access. Would be nice to just connect my charger without having to open the door and remove the battery cover.

I'm going to push on the dealer to replace the original battery before the warranty is up, since I've had issues from day one. I think it sat on the lot and had the battery ran down too many times.

Jason

[smiller]

Originally Posted by oldfrog

The mgr. stated the since the compartment is vented (bottom holes), it wasn't necessay.

That's just silly on the face of it because of the obvious question: If the manufacturer thought that the holes in the bottom of the compartment were enough, why did they vent the first battery separately?

If I add a second battery I plan on doing it just as JRTJH did.