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crispyboy · 05-23-2013, 08:03 AM

GAstreamin,
The reason they leak is because the caulk gets old, dried out and the weight of the battery causes flexing where the inner box meets the skin. The boxes are caulked both on the interior and exterior.
Of the 3 trailers I have owned two have had rotten floors due to battery box leaks and the third was stained from leaking. A few more years of leaking and the floor would have been too far gone.
Does your trailer have one or two battery boxes? You can add a second one but you will have to acquire an access door and black battery box. Just realize that it has the potential to leak over time. You would also need to remove the interior skin to install the box to caulk up the inside.

perryg114 · 05-23-2013, 12:13 PM

Well nothing wrong with moving them but I thought she should understand how they are supposed to work. The originals are sealed with that white putty stuff that cracks and lets water in. I cleaned all that mess off and used Trempro-635. Not a bad idea to support the bottom of the box with a wedge of wood to help them not crack.

My 30 year old boxes were just starting to come apart. The aftermarket ones seem to be heavier than the originals.

If you remove the door you will have to make some sort of patch to cover the hole. Your trailer may have only had one battery or one may have been taken out. If you remove the center wall section you can see the power buss where the batteries hook in. I only use one battery because I don't boondock. We just need enough juice so the water pump runs and we can pee while traveling if we run across some scary bathrooms.

Perry

cwf · 05-23-2013, 12:24 PM

Don't forget the battery is where power comes from for BRAKES in event of need for emergency brakes on trailer.

Sneakinup · 05-24-2013, 05:50 AM

My battery box was trashed as well so I just cut it out with my HF multi tool. I then built an aluminum box/frame to rivet to the inside of the original battery box opening and designed it to allow water runoff and ventilation. Caulked it all the way around. Then I built a battery box (as seen in the pix below). Shown without the sealed lid on it of course. Plenty of ventilation. I also made an aluminum screen panel for the inside of the opening to prevent critters from entering. The box will hold up to 3 batteries. Plenty of clearance for taller ones. I also have plastic bins that the batteries sit in. Took about a day to complete.

GAStreamin · 05-24-2013, 06:27 AM

I really like all the ideas I have gotten from this thread. Great thread. You all are making it hard to decide which way I fix my battery situation. :-)

surfpod · 05-24-2013, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idroba

If you make the box, make it tall enough for golf cart batteries. Two of them in series to give you 12 volts will make a much superior battery system than any two 12 volt batteries in parallel. It has been my standard RV battery setup for years.

This is the route I'm taking. I'm going to be adding solar to be able to be off grid without generator. And for optimal charging, the batteries have to be close to the controller. The closer the better. I'll have 2 6volt golf cart batteries. And very thick welding cable for the cabling.

GAStreamin · 05-24-2013, 06:57 AM

I would love to have solar, but it won't be this refurbishment go round. Maybe someday down the road.

perryg114 · 05-24-2013, 06:58 AM

How do you keep water from coming in the unsealed door and flooding your wooden box? I am assuming the door is only used as a vent and not to load and unload the batteries?

Perry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneakinup

My battery box was trashed as well so I just cut it out with my HF multi tool. I then built an aluminum box/frame to rivet to the inside of the original battery box opening and designed it to allow water runoff and ventilation. Caulked it all the way around. Then I built a battery box (as seen in the pix below). Shown without the sealed lid on it of course. Plenty of ventilation. I also made an aluminum screen panel for the inside of the opening to prevent critters from entering. The box will hold up to 3 batteries. Plenty of clearance for taller ones. I also have plastic bins that the batteries sit in. Took about a day to complete.

Sneakinup · 05-24-2013, 03:39 PM

The door only has 2 slits on top for ventilation and the two built in drains on the bottom. When I constructed the box I have it so that any water will drain out of the bottom holes as seen in the picture below.

The inside of the box is sealed and can handle up to an inch of water if that was to happen. I haven't had the trailer rolling down the highway in the rain yet, but sitting still with the torrential rains we have here in Tampa produced no water in the aluminum box. Not a drop. The frame for the battery door opening is extended to prevent water from running in. Some will obviously blow in but it is the same as was the original. Still, it should be minimal and will still drain right off. It solved my problem of of the busted battery box, and the fact that I wanted more than one battery and my trailer only had the one battery compartment.

Silver Hawk · 05-24-2013, 06:25 PM

I opted to use this space for my spare tire - Mounting two 330amp golf cart batteries was adding 180 lbs. (90lbs each) to my the tongue weight. I had already removed the front couch and replaced it with two recliner chairs adding about 150 lbs. up front. I put the batteries back over the axles (AGM types) where weight belongs. The spare fits perfectly behind the gas tanks and looks like it was meant to be there (moved the tanks forward about 1 1/2 inches).

howell57 · 08-11-2020, 12:55 PM

Just bought a 93 31' Excella and thinking about relocating batteries and converter. Do you still have your converter inside coach?

TKX

Mel Rich

howell57 · 08-11-2020, 01:03 PM

Do you still have your converter in same location? I'm thinking about putting batteries under tongue and would like to get a new converter that is more slim line??

dznf0g · 08-11-2020, 01:06 PM

I have a 2007 classic and I believe the layout is very similar to yours. Dual battery doors with the batts housed in vented plastic boxes, right?
My converter will stay in its oem location, but I am planning a removal of the cracked boxes, figuring out how to seal the doors, and moving agm batteries more or less in the same location inside the coach, under the front sofa.