What is the new battery ParkLiner is using?

[frank_a]

Looks like a group 27 deep cycle marine one, old fashioned kind. Is that correct? I want to provide batteries for the egg, but am concerned about putting the Optimas back in...

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/m...icture6895.jpg

Thanks for any help. Not sure what to do.

Frank

[frank_a]

Also, where is ParkLiner running battery cables through the body out front? Does anyone have pics of how and where the cables run? I think I could figure out a way to get at least one battery up on the tongue, if someone could let me know how these cables are run up front. Thanks!

Frank

[deryk]

Frank, check the pictures on the parkliner FB page....they show the batteries they were using....I'm at work so I can't check mine. I remember they ran wires out to the tongue but don't remember how they did it.

[accrete]

I would think running the wires up from where the sump pump is located would be real easy. No real wholes to cut as there is a small gap where the front shower wall and street side front bench fit together...well there was on my #35 anyway I just got a strip of white plastic 1/4 curve dowel from home depot and glued it over the gap. . . but running a wire through would have been easy if needed IMO.

In the picture below you can see a small gap between the wood door frame and the fiberglass bench...this is where i glued the white dowel so there was no chance of bugs getting in from down below.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by deryk

Frank, check the pictures on the parkliner FB page....they show the batteries they were using....I'm at work so I can't check mine. I remember they ran wires out to the tongue but don't remember how they did it.

If you could look at where that wiring came out of your trailer tomorrow, that would be fine Deryk, and much appreciated. I figure I can build something that would hold a battery in a standard black battery box up there for now until I can reschedule with ParkLiner for that slick elegant battery box they designed. In the meantime I want at least one good battery.

The ones in the FB pic are from O'Reilly's, but sure look like an old fashioned deep cycle group 27 to me. Group 24 were smaller, used to be chevy batteries, group 27 used to be fords. I'm dating myself here. I'd be getting mine (and any heavy duty long battery cables I needed) from NAPA simply because I get a deal on stuff there. Plus I already have an extra group 27 battery box I could use.

Thanks!

Frank

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by accrete

I would think running the wires up from where the sump pump is located would be real easy. No real wholes to cut as there is a small gap where the front shower wall and street side front bench fit together...well there was on my #35 anyway I just got a strip of white plastic 1/4 curve dowel from home depot and glued it over the gap. . . but running a wire through would have been easy if needed IMO.

In the picture below you can see a small gap between the wood door frame and the fiberglass bench...this is where i glued the white dowel so there was no chance of bugs getting in from down below.

Good suggestion Thom, I'll check it out in the a.m. I am very reluctant to put these two Optimas back in the trailer!

Thanks,

Frank

[Carol H]

Where do the wires from the wiring harness enter the trailer? Cant you just use the same entrance?

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Where do the wires from the wiring harness enter the trailer? Cant you just use the same entrance?

Don't know. Need daylight to look. Give me an hour or two...

Frank

[Tammie]

Hey Frank,
Our ParkLiner was built in late October/November last year, with the new battery box on the tongue. I would post pictures, but we're not home this weekend. We're staying in one of those stick-built things without wheels.

[frank_a]

Found a wire entrance near my electrical entrance just large enough to get two 10 gauge wires through. Got black run, need to run out and get some white. Going to attach them to the primary black & white lugs near the battery tray (the ones nearer the bottom of the pic), insulate everything, tie stuff down, see how that works.



Got to move the dual propane tanks back an inch or so to get a single deep cycle group 27 battery ahead of it. Got the battery, and a box for it. Wish me luck.

Frank

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Tammie

Hey Frank,
Our ParkLiner was built in late October/November last year, with the new battery box on the tongue. I would post pictures, but we're not home this weekend. We're staying in one of those stick-built things without wheels.

Thanks Tammie, but I think I have a temporary fix figured out. Pics sometime...

Frank

[frank_a]

Took most the morning, but did good. First I had to drill one small hole just big enough for one 10 gauge wire, while the other 10 gauge wire fit through an existing hole two small gauge wires run through.



Then I connected the white to white and black to black inside where the old batteries went, and lag screwed everything down tight.



Had to move the propane tanks back a bit to fit a battery box in front. Everything is close, but not too tight. I need to get some square u clamps to hold the battery box down, hook up the wiring to the studs on the battery, and move on.



Hmm, what next?

Frank

[Carol H]

Looks like a good fix Frank.

Are those burn marks in the hatch were the battery was sitting? Result of lack of correct venting??

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Looks like a good fix Frank.

Are those burn marks in the hatch were the battery was sitting? Result of lack of correct venting??

Thanks Carol. I have no idea what those burn marks resulted from. Suffice it to say we did not want to sleep in our trailer with batteries under our heads. ParkLiner has fixed this situation in a very elegant way that I cannot replicate, so what I've done will do the trick for now.

Frank

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Thanks Carol. I have no idea what those burn marks resulted from. Suffice it to say we did not want to sleep in our trailer with batteries under our heads. ParkLiner has fixed this situation in a very elegant way that I cannot replicate, so what I've done will do the trick for now.

Frank

The outline of the burn marks sure the heck looks like the distinct pattern of the bottom of an Optima Battery.

Really hope other owners of this trailer that still have their batteries as installed at the factory in that location and incorrectly vented see this and move them out of there before they have themselves a trailer fire!

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Carol H

The outline of the burn marks sure the heck looks like the distinct pattern of the bottom of an Optima Battery.

Really hope other owners of this trailer that still have their batteries as installed at the factory in that location and incorrectly vented see this and move them out of there before they have themselves a trailer fire!

Yes Carol, the outline is the bottom of the Optima battery. It's hard to show the detail in a pic.

Frank

[deryk]

Frank its pretty clear.... did it happen prior to you buying the ParkLiner, or after?

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by deryk

Frank its pretty clear.... did it happen prior to you buying the ParkLiner, or after?

Don't know Deryk. We went to NJ and bought #006, drove home, pulled the batteries to put them on a charger, and that's what it looked like when we pulled the batteries. All I know is I don't want them back in there under our bed!

Frank

[Carol H]

Pretty clear this is the same issue that another member had here last year but in her case she had smoke coming out of the hatch with children sleeping in the trailer at the time!

All the more reason why from a safety perspective it is just not right that the trailer manufacture has done nothing to try and contact all the people they sold the trailers to and fix it as soon as it was discovered! And recently telling someone they had to wait for several months of camping season to pass before they could fix it! SERIOUSLY?? No excuse for not putting something up on there website recalling all the trailers they incorrectly installed the batteries on & fixing them ASAP!

Frank you would be doing other new owners of this type of trailer that were built in the same time frame with the same incorrectly installed battery, a really big favour if you were to repost those photos under a new thread with a warning on it. I don't think you are the only purchaser of one of these trailers that has no idea as to what was is going on under that battery!

[deryk]

Honestly Frank, you should file suit....you had an agreed upon date for warranty repairs. You made arrangements for a place to stay and they cancelled your appt...let me guess they didn't contact you, you had to contact them?

Its another reason why I immediately went down and had it done. I thought to wait till the spring and make a trip out of it but I just wanted it taken care of.