Hi all,I am tired of lugging my TT batteries to my backyard shed to keep them charged up while my trailer is in storage. I want to build the coolest portable battery charging station/cart I can.The exterior frame will probably be plywood with wheels underneath. I want to mount two group 24 batteries (probably inside of plastic battery boxes) in this cart. The top part of the cart will be dedicated to the smart chargers and a power strip. When the trailer is in storage the cart will be inside the shed keeping the batteries charged up. When it comes time to install the batteries I can wheel the cart out to the trailer and transfer the batteries to the trailer.I am not seeing any good videos or plans for such a cart on the internets. Anybody got any good plans or ideas how I can build one? I can do woodwork and general mechanical stuff but I don't have a welder.

Dave5143 wrote:Hi all,I am tired of lugging my TT batteries to my backyard shed to keep them charged up while my trailer is in storage. I want to build the coolest portable battery charging station/cart I can.The exterior frame will probably be plywood with wheels underneath. I want to mount two group 24 batteries (probably inside of plastic battery boxes) in this cart. The top part of the cart will be dedicated to the smart chargers and a power strip. When the trailer is in storage the cart will be inside the shed keeping the batteries charged up. When it comes time to install the batteries I can wheel the cart out to the trailer and transfer the batteries to the trailer.I am not seeing any good videos or plans for such a cart on the internets. Anybody got any good plans or ideas how I can build one? I can do woodwork and general mechanical stuff but I don't have a welder.You don't mention what the terrain is like (grass, dirt, mud, stone, pavement) but that WILL determine exactly how your design will be determined..IE grass, dirt, stone = the need for large wheels/tires since small casters will simply sink right in..For that terrain I would start with this..For pavement (concrete, pavers, asphalt) you could go with smaller wheels and or casters..For that terrain I would consider starting with this..or if you are lazy, something like this..Those items although more expensive than DIYing your own, will end up being lighter, more compact and more durable than what you will be able to make from a woodshop project.I have used my tractor with frontloader to move my batteries but my trailer sits in my yard and I only used that when it came time to replace the GC batts..

Lil Red WagonJust a thought... A Radio Flyer Wagon. Has nice sized wheels.

How about leave them on the trailer with 100 watts solar to keep them charged.Always ready to go will be a big time saver.

If you plan to spend a bunch of money to keep batteries charged, why not just install some solar panels on your RV and keep the batteries fresh. There are additional long term savings as well.

DIY portable battery cart ideas wanted. | Good Sam Community

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Nov 19, 2017
Dave5143 wrote:
Hi all,
I am tired of lugging my TT batteries to my backyard shed to keep them charged up while my trailer is in storage. I want to build the coolest portable battery charging station/cart I can.
The exterior frame will probably be plywood with wheels underneath. I want to mount two group 24 batteries (probably inside of plastic battery boxes) in this cart. The top part of the cart will be dedicated to the smart chargers and a power strip. When the trailer is in storage the cart will be inside the shed keeping the batteries charged up. When it comes time to install the batteries I can wheel the cart out to the trailer and transfer the batteries to the trailer.
I am not seeing any good videos or plans for such a cart on the internets. Anybody got any good plans or ideas how I can build one? I can do woodwork and general mechanical stuff but I don't have a welder.

You don't mention what the terrain is like (grass, dirt, mud, stone, pavement) but that WILL determine exactly how your design will be determined..

IE grass, dirt, stone = the need for large wheels/tires since small casters will simply sink right in..

For that terrain I would start with this..

For pavement (concrete, pavers, asphalt) you could go with smaller wheels and or casters..

For that terrain I would consider starting with this..

or if you are lazy, something like this..

Those items although more expensive than DIYing your own, will end up being lighter, more compact and more durable than what you will be able to make from a woodshop project.

I have used my tractor with frontloader to move my batteries but my trailer sits in my yard and I only used that when it came time to replace the GC batts..
wildtoad
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2017
Lil Red Wagon

Just a thought... A Radio Flyer Wagon. Has nice sized wheels.
ScottG
Nomad
Nov 19, 2017
Garden wagon linky
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 19, 2017
How about leave them on the trailer with 100 watts solar to keep them charged.
Always ready to go will be a big time saver.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2017
If you plan to spend a bunch of money to keep batteries charged, why not just install some solar panels on your RV and keep the batteries fresh. There are additional long term savings as well.
shastagary
Explorer
Nov 20, 2017
something like this battery cart
Bmach
Explorer II
Nov 20, 2017
Why keep it on a charger at all. With no load a fully charged battery will stay charged for a couple months. So just top it off once in a while and it will be fine.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Nov 20, 2017
I would purchase a Battery Tender (I already have two of them), put it in a protected place to keep water off of it, and then run the leads to the battery and forget about it other than to check the fluid level once in a while.
No need to remove the batteries unless they are too far away from an electrical outlet to run an extension cord.
Barney
austinjenna
Explorer
Nov 20, 2017
When my fiver is in the storage lot, I flip the cutoff switch from the batteries to the rv and the 120 watt panel on the roof keeps them charged up all the time.
westend
Explorer
Nov 20, 2017
By the time you buy all the parts and assemble everything, the garden wagon linked to above, will be about the same price and is built to carry heavy loads.

I'm with others on eliminating the need to remove batteries and schlep them around. There are more than a few ways to get by doing this. If theft is your main consideration, then using a well built cart like the garden wagon is probably your best solution.