Battery drawer accessible from inside?

Mike S · 05-04-2008, 07:15 PM

I plan on using the Argosy I am currently buying to camp in remote areas off the grid. I will take a generator, but decided that I would upgrade, if possible, from a single 12V battery to 2 6V AGM 420 AH batteries. These are heavy and will not fit in the battery compartment.

I thought I might build a vented compartment with a slide out tray and mount them and the charger/Inverter there. This would make them accessible from the inside, as well.

Good idea? Bad idea?

**overlander63** · 05-04-2008, 08:09 PM

The batteries really need to be vented to outdoors. What size Argosy do you have?
A friend put a pair of batteries in his Argosy 24, but it did take some work.

Mike S · 05-05-2008, 07:44 AM

It's a 24T. I thought they would fit well where the electrical is currently. AGM batteries off gas very little, and I could use a 4" flex hose to vent into the existing battery compartment. The existing compartment is just too small.

Thanks.

Leipper · 05-05-2008, 09:24 AM

2 2400 watt hour batteries to replace a single 1000 watt hour battery? From 1 kw to near 5 kw is five times the weight or getting to be on par with the weight of your water tank when full. That may impact handling.

Code for battery compartments makes no distinction between wet cell and AGM although it seems a lot of folks ignore code for AGM's and depend upon never overcharging them.

There are some good storage compartment sliders that will handle 500# that might help.

**azflycaster** · 05-05-2008, 10:33 AM

We have 1 grp 27 Lifeline in our Trade Wind. We can go 4 days off the grid with no problem, but we tend to be conservative with power usage. I carry a EU1000 just in case we need to put some electrons back into the battery. Once you find the right setup for you you should not have to slide the batteries out very often. If you go to the slide, I would just use it for the batteries and not the converter. Adding additional wire to accommodate the slide added to the flexing of the wires when you use the slide sounds like more issues down the road. I like to keep things simple.

Mike S · 05-05-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

... If you go to the slide, I would just use it for the batteries and not the converter. Adding additional wire to accommodate the slide added to the flexing of the wires when you use the slide sounds like more issues down the road. I like to keep things simple.

Good thought. Only in planning stages, but I need to have maximum off-grid capability. Also planning on a generator.