Trillium 5500 battery location - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-04-2016, 03:57 PM   #1
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Trillium 5500 battery location

Can anyone confirm where the battery was originally mounted in a Trillium 5500?
My batteries are currently on the tongue, but it looks like there is a battery vent under the front left dinette seat (many 5500 I've seen have this vent) . I'm thinking that's where the battery might have been installed initially.

Any 5500 owner who can confirm this?

When I bought my trailer last summer it came with 2 large and heavy 6V flooded batteries (Trojan T-105's) mounted on the tongue. Looks like one of them has a bad cell and I can't recharge it. They are old batteries, I'm not gonna replace just one, and I don't think I need the capacity of such large batteries anyways, so I'm thinking of replacing them with a single 12V deep cycle Group 27. That vent under the dinette seat is not used right now, but I'm thinking of getting a sealed battery box and use it to vent my battery.
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Old 03-05-2016, 06:21 PM   #2
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I have a 1975 Trillium 1300 and originally the battery was located under the bench - front, roadside.. The location was not vented to the outside (which maybe was OK in 1975 but now, some some 30 years later, we have very stringent RV industry standards - probably even rules that no longer allow this situation.. I had a choice - enclose the battery and vent the enclosure to the outside or put the battery on the tongue.. I chose the tongue location as not only would it allow me to check the battery fluid levels with ease, it was a simple install.. This also gave me more inside storage and no holes in the hull for venting ;-)

On the topics of One battery vs. Two and 6 volt vs. 12 volt - In my humble opiniion, it depends on how you use your Trillium..

Are you an on-grid or off-grid user??

If you are an on-grid kinda guy - a single 12 volt will do just fine.. If you are an off-grid kinda guy - You probably want to consider acquiring the ability to charge your battery with a generator or Solar panel..

If you are a weekend warrior kinda guy a 12 volt single battery will do just fine..

If you are the kinda of guy that enjoys longer periods of off-grid adventures, I suggest that you seriously consider setting yourself up with 2 deep cycle 6 volt batteries - Yup, you won't be able to start your truck with them but the two 6 volts will have substantially more amp hours in them than two 12 volt's.. With two six volts and a solar panel and life is good
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Old 03-05-2016, 07:15 PM   #3
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Hi Chris

Thanks for you input. Like you said, I suspect having the battery inside was pretty much the standard in those years.
I'm debating whether putting the battery inside where I think it was (with proper vent), or on the tongue and keep the inside space available.

I have an issue with tongue weight. The previous owner of my trailer made extensive modifications to both bumpers of the trailer. The rear bumper has been modified to accommodate a large tote tank and a genset. The spare tire - originally on the rear bumper - has been relocated on the front bumper, which also holds two 20# LP tanks and the two big Trojan 6V batteries. I don't know what the tongue weight is, but it's probably like 600 lbs, waaaay too much.

So the two 6V are going. One is bad anyways, and they have to be replaced in pairs. I'm pretty sure a single 12v battery will be enough for me. We've been camping for over 15 years in our popup, camping off grid 99% of the time, with a single Delco Voyager Group 27 deep cycle battery, and ran out of juice only maybe a couple times. I can't see my trailer requiring much more power than my popup.
And my trailer has two 15W solar panels. They're old but they work and should compensate at least partially for our daily power usage.

Reinstalling the battery inside (and the spare tire back at the rear) should bring my tongue weight within reasonable limits. Although I'll know the exact weight only when my renos are completed, with 2 LP tanks and the battery under the forward dinette seat I'm not worried about the tongue being too light.
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Old 03-11-2016, 03:03 PM   #4
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on my 5500 the battery is mounted under the front left(drivers) side seat close to the washroom, it is in a plastic box that as far as I can tell is original, it vents through the floor. I use an AGM spiral grid battery.
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Old 03-11-2016, 06:20 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe MacDonald View Post
on my 5500 the battery is mounted under the front left(drivers) side seat close to the washroom, it is in a plastic box that as far as I can tell is original, it vents through the floor. I use an AGM spiral grid battery.
Joe
Thanks for that, Joe!
The location you describe is exactly where I figured the battery was initially.
I have the slinky storage tube that runs in that compartment, next to the washroom/shower wall, then next to it is a vent hole on the floor (currently covered with a piece of duct tape...) and the vent on the side wall.

Unless I find a sealed and vented battery box at a fair price around here (that would be surprising) or find some kind of sturdy and sealed plastic bin of the appropriate size (similar to the Plano brand plastic bin from Walmart) I think I'll just built my own with plywood.

Thanks again!

Carl
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Old 03-11-2016, 06:42 PM   #6
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The one at this Direct RV Products > Electrical Site looks identical to mine, price seems reasonable
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Old 03-11-2016, 07:01 PM   #7
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This reseller is in the US. Add shipping, custom and brokerage fees, provincial tax, plus considering the exchange rate, it can get really expensive.

I'll check if I can find one locally. If not, maybe Amazon.ca is a cheaper option.
https://www.amazon.ca/Atlantis-Plast...ds=battery+box

Does a group 27 battery fit in this box?
How about the wires, do they have some sort of sealed grommets?

Thanks!
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Old 03-13-2016, 11:01 AM   #8
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I didn't look closely at where you were located, try princess auto or Canadian tire. They both sell battery boxes for boats, all you would have to do is drill a hole in the bottom, and slip a fitting through the floor. Sometimes they even have a master switch mounted which would be a plus when not in use mine has openings on. Each side for wiring.
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Old 03-13-2016, 11:03 AM   #9
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Thanks Joe.


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