Big Battery Storage on a 17' Bigfoot TT. 2 x 6v. Where to put them?

[Nik]

Having read a great book about batteries - I'd really like to have 2 x 6volt T-105 batteries. But where to store them?

1. On the tongue?
A lot of weight, not much room. I have no box up there and I really don't want more weight there. (maybe move the LP tanks to the back?)

2. One under each front booth seat? (I had an Airstream that had isolated boxes inside with vents and doors to the outside.)

3. Expensive non-vented batteries under the seats? (Is that really safe?)

Anything else? What are people with more than one battery doing with small trailers?

[upfisk]

We are considering larger batteries for later in our Casita 17. A single 4D starting battery has as many amps stored as pair of the Trojan golf cart batteries, 210 amps. You can get them in glass mat (AGM) so they can be mounted on their side and have no electrolyte to check, ever. They are pricey, about $350. They weigh twice what a Trojan weighs, around 100#. Our older Casita loads the battery from a removeable panel under the bed. There is no box, just a tie down. But we have room inside for a 4D. A vent to the outside is not needed as the AGM batteries rarely gas off.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by upfisk

We are considering larger batteries for later in our Casita 17. A single 4D starting battery has as many amps stored as pair of the Trojan golf cart batteries, 210 amps. You can get them in glass mat (AGM) so they can be mounted on their side and have no electrolyte to check, ever. They are pricey, about $350. They weigh twice what a Trojan weighs, around 100#. Our older Casita loads the battery from a removeable panel under the bed. There is no box, just a tie down. But we have room inside for a 4D. A vent to the outside is not needed as the AGM batteries rarely gas off.

how would you secure a 130 lb battery inside your Casita ? that battery is 20" long, which is just about as long as 2 T105's put together, about the only place I could see putting it is between the two rear benches under the rear bed. I think you'd need to build a metal frame to hold it thats bolted to the frame through the Casita's floor, and this would be right across the rear table leg base.

FYI, we're talking about batteries like this,
https://www.fisheriessupply.com/life...ycle-batteries

[WizWid]

There are 2 "normal" 12v batteries in the front box, in front of the propane tanks, on my 17' Bigfoot....

[Nik]

What about moving LP tanks to the rear bumper? Some plumbing for sure, but that would free up a bunch of space and weight on the tongue and I could make a custom box, as my original is missing.

Anyone stick tanks in back? Is that even legal? I'm thinking of the exploding Pinto!

[John in Santa Cruz]

I'd be hesitant to put them in back for exactly that reason.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by Nik

What about moving LP tanks to the rear bumper? Some plumbing for sure, but that would free up a bunch of space and weight on the tongue and I could make a custom box, as my original is missing.

Anyone stick tanks in back? Is that even legal? I'm thinking of the exploding Pinto!

Well if you are making a custom box what about this for an idea?
Remove your 2 20# propane bottles and replace with one 30# one centered.
That will leave loads of room for a battery each side parallel to the frame....

[Franswa]

My BF came with 2 six volt batteries located under the left dinette seat (courtesy of the PO)....his was a "quick and dirty" installation using two plastic battery boxes and thin straps looped around light duty plastic hold-down hardware (that quickly failed)....

BF 17s came out of the factory overweight on the left side...(just have a long hard look around yours)...his choice of install location made this condition worse....

I looked for quite a while for a location that would address/mitigate the weight distribution issue, use up space that would otherwise be less than desirable as handy/use all the time location....and would not involve really long wire runs...

it's a compromise (always is)...but this is what I came up with:

under right dinette seat, forward
home made battery box, screwed down to the floor
six inches of hose to an outside vent (small hole near bottom of box for air in)

if I was doing it again I would do one thing differently (you always do)...I would have run the wires straight down, through the floor and then back up again inside left side of trailer (I ran mine straight across, fastened to the front bulkhead)

Out of the factory, a single battery was located at the front of the FG box (propane locker)...all my "landing gear", blocks etc etc are located there now and I find that very handy

[Nik]

Franswa: There we go. That's it. A Nice box with a vent pipe. Thanks for the pics. No reason to cut a big hole and install a door like the Airstream had.

Your BF layout looks different than my gaucho. Still, I see your point about heavy on the left. Except when I fill my fresh water tank.

That right seat corner is a problem to access so I won't mind finding someplace else to store my tools.

I see what you mean about the wires. I'm thinking about running them along the floor/wall seam on their way to the right side. But we'll see about that.

Also what's nice about this set up is that even with the vent the batteries are likely to stay warmer than out on the end of the tongue.

Thanks!

[Nik]

Originally Posted by widgetwizard

Well if you are making a custom box what about this for an idea?
Remove your 2 20# propane bottles and replace with one 30# one centered.
That will leave loads of room for a battery each side parallel to the frame....

That would work spatially because I don't use that much propane. Thing is I really like the fact of two bottles so I never have to worry about running one tank down - I always have that second one.

[Franswa]

your idea of running wires along floor is even better...easy to hide with a piece of trim and no holes in floor.....I like it!

[k0wtz]

Ok I have to ask what are you using to consume so much 12v? we boondock and have gone out as much as 6 weeks and never run out of battery power!

we don't run any 12v appliances such as tvs and such but with that I would consider either a small gen. or put the battery on charge off the car to charge the battery up.

My 40ft bus was equipped with 2 8d batteries they would last 1 year then off to buy more so one year I went to walmarts and bought 2 of the largest 12v batteries they had put them in the bus it started just fine and ran all the 12v just fine plus I got a 5 year warranty on those things. This bus had all sorts of 12v goodies on it including a big shower!

Our 13f scamper has just one small battery it has been a month since it has been charged up we have been out and it still runs 12.5vs on it I have a monitor on it by the way!

there is more than one way to skin a cat or think outside the box but I don't like heavy weight added anywhere on a tt.

just my opinion

bob

[John Linck]

Nice looking box Francois. How did you seal the lid? I used closed cell tape, but worry those pesky Hydrogen atoms will find their way thru.

Also I suggest folks run their Hydrogen vent tube at an upward slant. I assume you did. The gas is lighter than the gases that make up air so if you ask it to go downward it will find another exit from a box.

I also wonder how much of an issue the gas is with a well designed charging system. Still I was careful with my venting. I don't want to learn the hard way that it is an issue. I do that too often in other ways; So far none lethal.

Again, a nicely crafted box. Congrats. john

Pic of 4 inch wide carnivorous Sundew plant in Wisconsin's North woods. Bugs beware.

[WaltP]

My 2002 BF 17' had the two batteries mounted on the tongue in front of the two propane tanks, all under the FG Cowling. The weight worked out okay, with total weight 3500 lb loaded and 410 lb hitch weight.

[MAP 56]

I put mine in the cabnet with the water heater. if i was puting stuff on the rear bumper it would be the batterys .small foot print and way safeyer. mine are golf cart batterys about 40 lbs or 20 ks each .They are placed end to end along with a 2500 watt power inverter + solar and led lights . i put 2 30lbs tanks on the front .I cut the tank support out and lowered it to fti the tanks.I also cut a cover in the tank cover for to make it user frendly. Also sprayed whitw bed liner on cover and front.

[rmullinsbc]

Escape Trailer (17) has the two 6 volt batteries mounted on the rear bumper. Not the most picturesque place... but you certainly do not have to worry about gases and vents etc. etc. and wiring should be easy and underneath. Also easy hookup for external solar.

[Nik]

Nice illustration of the bumper battery idea.
I'm curious about how much benefit comes from taking weight off the tongue. A whole other thread for that question.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by Nik

I'm curious about how much benefit comes from taking weight off the tongue. A whole other thread for that question.

No benefit at all towing-wise. Tows worse. More likely to sway.
But you can stuff more junk in your tow vehicle.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by widgetwizard

No benefit at all towing-wise. Tows worse. More likely to sway.
But you can stuff more junk in your tow vehicle.

This is too broad a statement. Assumptions are not facts.
Escape designed the 17 and placed the batteries so that the trailer tows like a dream.
They don't place batteries at the rear bumper on the 19, 21 or 5.0 TA fifth wheel.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

This is too broad a statement. Assumptions are not facts.
Escape designed the 17 and placed the batteries so that the trailer tows like a dream.
They don't place batteries at the rear bumper on the 19, 21 or 5.0 TA fifth wheel.

Exactly. That was how is was designed.
The question I was answering was "what is the benefit of lowering tongue weight" (or something like that)