I am moving my pair of Costco Golf Cart Batteries from the tongue, to the rear of the camper under the bunk area. Primary reason is to get my tongue weight down a little bit. I've done all the calculations and scales visits and this is a good solution to keep me in the 900-1100 or 12%-14% tongue weight range. So I would obviously need to put the batteries in a sealed, secured and vented battery box top and bottom - no problem. The new battery location would be located right next to the charger/converter, so wiring would be very convenient. This pic shows the new location.Question: Is rewiring the batteries in a new location, as simple as I think it is? Battery negative bonded to the frame and Battery Positive to the 2nd lug of on the charger/converter circuit board (see picture)? I would also add a battery disconnect near the new battery location, like we have up front. Also, there are electrical component wiring (emergency brake, tongue jack,etc) at the old location on the tongue that I think will still operate as long as I leave the existing positive battery cable in tact. I will leave all the existing wiring to the front, in tact anyway, as to easily return to the original setup if desired and to keep power to the front junction box. Is there something I am forgetting to consider here?

I like that idea. I have thought about doing the same thing to cut down on tongue weight. also it would help aid in shortening wires if you were to add a inverter later. Great job on your threads

If you vent the batteries be sure it is a box that is vented not just a vent for the larger area where the batteries are sitting. All those fumes are very corrosive and will attack anything metal.Also if you boil out the fluids you need to address where the run-off is collected or bypassed to.The battery fumes are also very explosive and should not be around anything that can spark on you.I personally would not like having wet cell batteries anywhere close to where I would be sleeping. To me batteries belong outside on the trailer tongue but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes...If money was no object here I might think about getting some sealed AGM type batteries if they were to be used inside the trailer.Roy Ken

climb.on wrote:I am moving my pair of Costco Golf Cart Batteries from the tongue, to the rear of the camper under the bunk area. Primary reason is to get my tongue weight down a little bit. I've done all the calculations and scales visits and this is a good solution to keep me in the 900-1100 or 12%-14% tongue weight range. So I would obviously need to put the batteries in a sealed, secured and vented battery box top and bottom - no problem. The new battery location would be located right next to the charger/converter, so wiring would be very convenient. This pic shows the new location.Question: Is rewiring the batteries in a new location, as simple as I think it is? Battery negative bonded to the frame and Battery Positive to the 2nd lug of on the charger/converter circuit board (see picture)? I would also add a battery disconnect near the new battery location, like we have up front. Also, there are electrical component wiring (emergency brake, tongue jack,etc) at the old location on the tongue that I think will still operate as long as I leave the existing positive battery cable in tact. I will leave all the existing wiring to the front, in tact anyway, as to easily return to the original setup if desired and to keep power to the front junction box. Is there something I am forgetting to consider here?I like your idea of moving batteries, but your plan will not work.You are loading a 150lbs on the heavy side of your trailer. MM49

RoyB wrote:If you vent the batteries be sure it is a box that is vented not just a vent for the larger area where the batteries are sitting. All those fumes are very corrosive and will attack anything metal.Also if you boil out the fluids you need to address where the run-off is collected or bypassed to.The battery fumes are also very explosive and should not be around anything that can spark on you.I personally would not like having wet cell batteries anywhere close to where I would be sleeping. To me batteries belong outside on the trailer tongue but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes...If money was no object here I might think about getting some sealed AGM type batteries if they were to be used inside the trailer.Roy KenIt's not ideal of course, but I feel it's reasonable and can be done safely. Good point about the metal corrosion in there. I only use SS fasteners in my RV, so I should be fine there. I will vent the new battery compartment space and mount the current battery boxes in that space. They will catch any boil over.MM49 wrote:I like your idea of moving batteries, but your plan will not work.You are loading a 150lbs on the heavy side of your trailer. MM49 I'm not worried about 150 throwing off the side to side balance of an 8000lb trailer. I tend to think the slide out is the heavier side, not the side the batteries will be on.

I'm particularly interested in thoughts about the wiring.

Relocating Batteries | Good Sam Community

Lantley
Nomad
Jun 27, 2014
Seems like a lot to go through just to reduce TW.
I would either move other cargo not batteries to rear store and go . Or build a rear platform for back of trailer.
The batteries are kept outside of the living space for a reason. Why put them into a living /sleeping area. There is a risk associated with the batteries. I would seek a different solution.
westend
Explorer
Jun 27, 2014
You will need to either make a sealed and vented box in that location or buy one. You can't use the typical black plastic battery boxes and vent the area that they sit in. If you proceed with that, you'll have the explosive hydrogen and corrosive hydrogen sulfide free to work it's destructive magic. One spark in the area when those gases are present can ignite the gas mixture.

You should also do some side-to-side weight measurements to make sure this is a viable weight transfer.

FWIW, I have two GC2 6v's inside a box located just in front of my axles, inside the cabin. The box I made for the batteries is gasketed/sealed and vented to the exterior.

You may need to upgrade the wire to the tongue to operate the jack but I don't know the specifics of the load and your wiring. Fuse the positive lead from your new battery location at the batteries.
hddecker
Explorer
Jun 27, 2014
I saw first hand what happens when a battery blows up, just about lost an eye when it blew.

Yes you can probably do it and not have a problem, but what happens if your trailer blows up or burns, just the sort of thing an insurance adjust could use to deny the claim.
brulaz
Explorer
Jun 21, 2014
My old trailer had two golf cart batts in a vented box inside. No problems.

I mounted the battery box with bolts through the side walls, not the bottom, so any battery leakage (and there definitely was some) collected on the bottom of the box and didn't drain into the trailer.

Later noticed that the side bolts were rubbing against the batteries, wearing into their walls, so added plastic spacers between the box walls and the batteries to prevent that.

With the new trailer, I thought about moving the batteries to a tray built on a reinforced rear bumper to reduce tongue weight like you. Electrically there wouldn't have been any problems, I think. The existing 6ga cable from the mid-trailer converter to the front junction box would feed the jack, stabilizers, and other (?) stuff.

But laziness got in the way, and now my Solar panel wiring is routed to a controller at the front near the batteries on the tongue. On the positive side, they say a high tongue weight makes for a more stable tow.;) But my truck doesn't particularly like it.:(
mbopp
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
The wiring should be OK as you described it. Be sure to isolate the old battery feed to prevent a short, and add a circuit breaker between the batteries and the converter.
climb_on
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
I'm particularly interested in thoughts about the wiring.
climb_on
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
RoyB wrote:
If you vent the batteries be sure it is a box that is vented not just a vent for the larger area where the batteries are sitting. All those fumes are very corrosive and will attack anything metal.

Also if you boil out the fluids you need to address where the run-off is collected or bypassed to.

The battery fumes are also very explosive and should not be around anything that can spark on you.

I personally would not like having wet cell batteries anywhere close to where I would be sleeping. To me batteries belong outside on the trailer tongue but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes...

If money was no object here I might think about getting some sealed AGM type batteries if they were to be used inside the trailer.

Roy Ken

It's not ideal of course, but I feel it's reasonable and can be done safely. Good point about the metal corrosion in there. I only use SS fasteners in my RV, so I should be fine there. I will vent the new battery compartment space and mount the current battery boxes in that space. They will catch any boil over.

MM49 wrote:
I like your idea of moving batteries, but your plan will not work.You are loading a 150lbs on the heavy side of your trailer.
MM49

I'm not worried about 150 throwing off the side to side balance of an 8000lb trailer. I tend to think the slide out is the heavier side, not the side the batteries will be on.
MM49
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
climb.on wrote:
I am moving my pair of Costco Golf Cart Batteries from the tongue, to the rear of the camper under the bunk area. Primary reason is to get my tongue weight down a little bit. I've done all the calculations and scales visits and this is a good solution to keep me in the 900-1100 or 12%-14% tongue weight range.

So I would obviously need to put the batteries in a sealed, secured and vented battery box top and bottom - no problem. The new battery location would be located right next to the charger/converter, so wiring would be very convenient. This pic shows the new location.

Question: Is rewiring the batteries in a new location, as simple as I think it is? Battery negative bonded to the frame and Battery Positive to the 2nd lug of on the charger/converter circuit board (see picture)? I would also add a battery disconnect near the new battery location, like we have up front.

Also, there are electrical component wiring (emergency brake, tongue jack,etc) at the old location on the tongue that I think will still operate as long as I leave the existing positive battery cable in tact. I will leave all the existing wiring to the front, in tact anyway, as to easily return to the original setup if desired and to keep power to the front junction box. Is there something I am forgetting to consider here?
I like your idea of moving batteries, but your plan will not work.You are loading a 150lbs on the heavy side of your trailer.
MM49
RoyB
Explorer II
Jun 20, 2014
If you vent the batteries be sure it is a box that is vented not just a vent for the larger area where the batteries are sitting. All those fumes are very corrosive and will attack anything metal.

Also if you boil out the fluids you need to address where the run-off is collected or bypassed to.

The battery fumes are also very explosive and should not be around anything that can spark on you.

I personally would not like having wet cell batteries anywhere close to where I would be sleeping. To me batteries belong outside on the trailer tongue but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes...

If money was no object here I might think about getting some sealed AGM type batteries if they were to be used inside the trailer.

Roy Ken
RsqMech_
Explorer
Jun 20, 2014
I like that idea. I have thought about doing the same thing to cut down on tongue weight. also it would help aid in shortening wires if you were to add a inverter later. Great job on your threads

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