Battery box vent kit?

[glamourpets]

Has anyone installed a battery box vent kit like this? What do you think about it? Its a little pricey, but maybe it would be possible to make my own kit with generic parts. Thoughts?

Battery Box Vent Kit fits ALL Battery Box sizes and brands | eBay

Manufacturer link for the same product:

http://www.quickcable.com/products.php?pageId=808

[cpaharley2008]

Seems to me you could make one for about $10 from parts at your local hardware store, 5' hose, 2 clamps and vent. There is no moving parts involved. Save yourself $35

[Donna D.]

Yeow! from the eBay link the S&H is more than the product costs.

Or, you could get a box and the necessary stuff already made here: Battery Boxes Vented for Sale - PPL Motor Homes

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Seems to me you could make one for about $10 from parts at your local hardware store, 5' hose, 2 clamps and vent. There is no moving parts involved. Save yourself $35

The savings would probably be more than $35. They want $50 shipping to Canada.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Yeow! from the eBay link the S&H is more than the product costs.

Or, you could get a box and the necessary stuff already made here: Battery Boxes Vented for Sale - PPL Motor Homes

Sadly, PPL won't ship to Canada.

I just wonder about the efficiency and safety of an arrangement like this. I would like to put the batteries under one of the benches. Would I be sleeping with a bomb under my pillow?

Derek

[Donna D.]

I know Casita builds their trailers with a sealed and vented area inside, rather than placing on the tongue, etc. I think a number of Escape 19 owners have the same thing, so it is doable if you don't want to buy the much more expensive sealed battery http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ery-55754.html.

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I know Casita builds their trailers with a sealed and vented area inside, rather than placing on the tongue, etc. I think a number of Escape 19 owners have the same thing, so it is doable if you don't want to buy the much more expensive sealed battery http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ery-55754.html.

One of the ideas I have played with is whether the bench seat itself can be sealed into place. I could then just put a vent through the wall to the outside. Vented. Done! In theory all I need is a tube of silicone to seal the seat into place...

Derek

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by glamourpets

One of the ideas I have played with is whether the bench seat itself can be sealed into place. I could then just put a vent through the wall to the outside. Vented. Done! In theory all I need is a tube of silicone to seal the seat into place...

Derek

You will want access to clean terminals and add water. Maybe make a gasket?

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

You will want access to clean terminals and add water. Maybe make a gasket?

Good point. One thing I didn't think about is that the bench seat has a lid. That would be a good access point for water and whatever. Its also a good place for gasses to leak into the cabin. Its effectively just a piece of plywood. This is probably a harder spot to get a good seal. Maybe some of that door seal foamy stuff would work.

The trailer tongue may be the best spot for the batteries. I would be happy with them here, I'm just concerned about tongue weight. I have a tongue box and they could go in the bottom, but since I need to get tongue weight under 250 lbs, I am going to need to get weight into the back of the trailer.

Derek

[cpaharley2008]

I'd just get an AGM battery and move on. You will have a new battery, it will not need maintenance, you can use the rest of the space for storage, you will not need to drill a vent thru the wall, and you will have peace of mind, priceless!!

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'd just get an AGM battery and move on. You will have a new battery, it will not need maintenance, you can use the rest of the space for storage, you will not need to drill a vent thru the wall, and you will have peace of mind, priceless!!

This certainly would be the easiest approach.

For double the price......
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en


Derek

[Francesca Knowles]

Is this going into the compartment at the front streetside of the trailer?

If so:

Before you go to a whole lot of trouble thinking you're lightening the tongue by putting the battery there:

I'd sure weigh the tongue first with the battery (ANY battery) in those two positions. I'm not sure you'll get much bang for your lightening buck by shifting it the twelve inches or so rearward you're probably looking at here.

Francesca

[Donna D.]

I think Francesca has it right. If the ultimate reason is to lighten the tongue, you're not going to get much benefit for all the work if you just put the battery inside at the front.

Do you have a fresh water tank in the rear? Is there room next to it for a battery? You could put in a hatch and slide for the battery to access it from the outside ala Casita.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Is this going into the compartment at the front streetside of the trailer?

That doesn't seem likely to me, given Derek's description of the target location:

Originally Posted by glamourpets

I would like to put the batteries under one of the benches. Would I be sleeping with a bomb under my pillow?

Dual benches are at the back of a Boler 1300; the main bed is made of those rear benches and the table.

[Francesca Knowles]

I thought Derek might be talking about the front bench area that many '70's Bolers have, such as this one of Fred Smaile's:



Francesca