Upgrade to 2 x 6V Batteries on 2005 Intl' 22'

[lewster]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

Who is the vented box that Lew and Randy are talking about available from?

Most well stocked RV supply shops have them, or 'should' have them. If you can't find them, let me know and I'll get you a list.

[Pacerized]

I'm glad I came across this thread. I plan on adding another battery, and didn't take the gas danger into proper consideration. I did a search on ventilated battery boxes, and they seem to be used largely in race cars for those wanted to move their battery inside. It looks fairly simple to use these, they just seal, and have a couple of ventilation tubes that you could run to the outside. I think I'm going to look into this. I've already bought the new Parallax temp control charger which I installed tonight. It varies it's charge based on battery temperature, and voltage with a wider range of charge options the the 3 stage chargers. This should go a long way toward preventing overcharging. Putting this in place of the old univolt opened the space to add the additional battery. I think I'll do a little more homework, but I'm leaning toward adding this vent box.
Thanks: Charlie

[rseagle]

Very similar arrangement to mine. Good job!

[68 Overlander]

I'll look into getting some sealed vented boxes in stock for interior installations. There are not many like Charlie found but they do make them.
Also, for those that do some serious dry camping, the new Lifeline 300 AH 6 volt just became available. Pricing is probably not for the faint of heart and I don't know yet if we can ship them UPS like the others. I'll have the details next week but you can see the specs on the lifelinebatteries.com website.

[Pacerized]

Originally Posted by 68 Overlander

I'll look into getting some sealed vented boxes in stock for interior installations. There are not many like Charlie found but they do make them.
Also, for those that do some serious dry camping, the new Lifeline 300 AH 6 volt just became available. Pricing is probably not for the faint of heart and I don't know yet if we can ship them UPS like the others. I'll have the details next week but you can see the specs on the lifelinebatteries.com website.

Please let me know if you get something like this. The price on the box I found was around $100 which seems a little high for a plastic box with hose coming out.
Thanks: Charlie

[markdoane]

You can buy a vented battery box at many RV parts houses. LaVanture products makes one.

I just bought one for about $26. It's plastic, has a tongue and groove seal. You do need a hose and outside vent.

I plan to use AGM batteries, but I still use a vented box. I never know what the next owner may do.

[Pacerized]

Thanks Mark:

I found a site online for this box, but it only showed a 24 series size. I'm looking to add a 29 series battery with the box. I was also able to find another box that I think might work, but I"ll have to wait until mon. to call them.

One more question for everyone:
Is it o.k. to mix 2 different sizes of batteries. My original external box will only hold up to a 27 series, but I have room to add a 29 series inside with the ventilated box. I'll be buying both new since my old battery needs replaced anyway. Is there any issue with the 27 series having a slightly lower cca that it might wear down the bigger battery in much the same way that an older battery could if it were mixed with a new one?
I appreciate the advise, just finding this box will save a lot.
Charlie

[markdoane]

You can buy a larger box from PPL. According to the listed dimensions it will hold a BCI# 29.

I'm not sure I would use a 29 in combination with a 27. If you got the batteries at the same time from the same manufacturer, they might work together ok.

Or they might not. The gain in CCA with the larger battery might not be worth the hassle factor. I would go with a matched pair of 27s.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by Pacerized

Thanks Mark:

I found a site online for this box, but it only showed a 24 series size. I'm looking to add a 29 series battery with the box. I was also able to find another box that I think might work, but I"ll have to wait until mon. to call them.

One more question for everyone:
Is it o.k. to mix 2 different sizes of batteries. My original external box will only hold up to a 27 series, but I have room to add a 29 series inside with the ventilated box. I'll be buying both new since my old battery needs replaced anyway. Is there any issue with the 27 series having a slightly lower cca that it might wear down the bigger battery in much the same way that an older battery could if it were mixed with a new one?
I appreciate the advise, just finding this box will save a lot.
Charlie

Charlie,

Any battery bank should contain the IDENTICAL type and size of battery. It's a BAD idea to mix and match for a number of reasons, one being differing draw down dates for the unequal batteries and the other being VERY different charging rates that would do strange and serious things to your converter/charger, not to mention to the batteries themselves.

Everything that I've ever read or learned about battery systems points to identical batteries in a bank, even down to the same date of manufacture!

[JK3500]

Originally Posted by rseagle

Very similar arrangement to mine. Good job!

It ought to be, since I got most of my information from you. Thanks for the help! jk

[Pacerized]

Mark, and Lewster:
Thanks for the info again. I found a 29 series without the 3/8" plastic lip that I had around my old 27. It's tight but it will fit in my original battery box. The battery is a little under 13" at the top, and 12.5 at the base. I found a company in Denver that sells a similar box, but it's slightly smaller then the PPL, however no shipping fee. I'm going to check it out, and if it works I'll go with it. If not, I think I'll order the PPL, and get it done this week. The size of the PPL box will defiantly work with the 29's, and 2 of them fit with a littler slack were my old univolt used to go. With 3 29 series batteries I get 375 AH. We're going on our first outing of the year to Arches park on May 9th., and will be dry camping. It'll be nice to not have to worry about running out of power.
Thanks: Charlie

[FrenchBern]

and the other being VERY different charging rates that would do strange and serious things to your converter/charger,
lewster, can you elaborate on this statement? I don't get it. Thanks

[lewster]

Originally Posted by FrenchBern

and the other being VERY different charging rates that would do strange and serious things to your converter/charger,
lewster, can you elaborate on this statement? I don't get it. Thanks

FB,

When a 3 stage charger 'reads' the state of charge in your battery bank, it is based on the assumption that your 'bank' is composed of identical batteries. Mix-and-match batteries will not charge at the same rate and will not give the charger the proper information that it needs to lower the charging voltage to the next 'stage'.

The charger will then continue to charge at the higher rate, possibly causing battery damage, as well as potential damage to the charger's electronics.

[Pacerized]

Originally Posted by markdoane

You can buy a vented battery box at many RV parts houses. LaVanture products makes one.

I just bought one for about $26. It's plastic, has a tongue and groove seal. You do need a hose and outside vent.

I plan to use AGM batteries, but I still use a vented box. I never know what the next owner may do.

Mark:
I also noticed this site with what appears to be a larger Lavanture box then the one I first found, the price is much better then the ppl box, and the external size would work better. While the dimensions given for the larger PPL box would hold the 29 series, this Lavanture box is right on the edge of working. It list the internal length at 12.75 inches. The 29 series battery I'm looking at is 12.5" at the base, but it's just under 13" at the top due to some plastic ribs that are larger near the top. The box looks to be slightly wedge shape, and smaller at the base. If you have this same box, and it's not too much to ask, would it be possible for you to measure the internal length at the top?Boat-N-RV Warehouse Online Store

[markdoane]

Charlie,

The box I have is 12 13/16" inside, at the parting flange, and 12 9/16" at the top where the vent fitting is located. Unless you can grind off the ribs, I think its a no-go.

The top of the battery will extend most of the way into the top of the box, so the top of the battery would need to be less than 12 5/8".

[Pacerized]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Charlie,

The box I have is 12 13/16" inside, at the parting flange, and 12 9/16" at the top where the vent fitting is located. Unless you can grind off the ribs, I think its a no-go.

The top of the battery will extend most of the way into the top of the box, so the top of the battery would need to be less than 12 5/8".

Thanks a lot for checking. I was thinking of the top of the base section at the separation point as needing to match the top of the battery. You're correct of course that I should have been thinking of the top by the vent. There would be no way to make that one work. I guess I'm stuck with getting the ppl, or hoping the one I found in Denver works. I can't tell from this website what brand, or internal size it is, but I hope to find out tomorrow.
Charlie

[SmokelessJoe]

I’m glad that I too came across this thread. I’d assumed AGMs like LifeLine would be perfectly safe under the bed.

From all the illustrations I’ve seen it’s not apparent how the cables run in and out of the box. Are there vapour proof openings?

It seems a regular battery box could easily be vented to the outside with a flex tube of some sort, which would save the trouble of tracking down the more exotic boxes.

Sergei

[markdoane]

Sergei,

The "sealed" boxes have a foam gasket, and the gasket crosses the openings for the cables. Not a very workable solution in my opinion.

I added two pass-throughs on the box that I am using. It locates the cable connections on the top of the box where it is easy to connect and disconnect.

I think by the time you added a nipple and a way to seal the edges, using a regular boat type battery box may not be that much cheaper or easier.

Here's a picture of the cable pass-throughs I made. Just a couple of 1/4" threaded brass rods and an insulated boot.

[SmokelessJoe]

Mark:

Thanks.

Just to make sure I understand your photo:

The positive and negative posts are some sort of “pass thru” device that screws into the lid? The battery cables attach to the inside portion and you use separate, perhaps made up, cables attached to the outside portion of the device?

The black and red markings are decorative, added by you for clarity?

Did you add the 90^ fitting with clamp or does that come with the box?

I don’t think making your own box necessarily saves money but it saves searching around for something that might be a compromise in the end.

If you make your own box it’s purpose made.


Sergei

[68 Overlander]

Nice work Mark!