Relocating battery

[Greywolf26dbh]

I am looking to upgrade my battery to two golf cart's. However, I can't handle the additional tongue weight, so I was considering relocating the batteries to either under my rear bunks or on the floor of the pantry. I understand that the batteries need to be vented so I was going to have the batteries located inside a sealed battery box vented to the outside. I know the vent needs to vent up due to the gases rising. My questions are do I need a lower intake vent to bring fresh air into the box and is it difficult to relocate the batteries. I have little experience with trailer modifications. Does any see any issues with relocating the batteries that I may be missing?

[JWRoberts]

Ditto

icanon wrote:
If it's in a sealed box with out going vent then you need a in coming vent. That said, rewiring to converter is required but not that difficult, also, power coming from TV for recharge can be affected due to longer distance. And make sure you have 12v supply to break away switch for TT brakes.

[4X4Dodger]

I added two 20 liter gas cans (with gas) to my tongue and had no issues whatsoever. But I knew my tongue weight and how much I can add to it.

The addition of these batteries will in all likelihood not affect a thing unless you are pretty grossly over your tongue weight already.

The closer the batteries are to the vehicle will mean better charging from that source. But that is the only significant problem I can see with moving them.

Access is important. You dont want them where you cant get at them easily.

[SoundGuy]

Greywolf26dbh wrote:
I am looking to upgrade my battery to two golf cart's. However, I can't handle the additional tongue weight ...

SoundGuy wrote:
Really?

If increasing your trailer's gross tongue weight by a mere 50 lbs puts you well over whatever rating it is you're concerned about that suggests you have bigger issues that just gross tongue weight.

JaxDad wrote:
Sounds like a project to make a very simple thing into a huge hassle to me too.

Exactly. It does sound though like the OP is nevertheless intent on going ahead with this even though it's questionable why adding a second battery to the trailer tongue would make enough of a difference to justify going to all this trouble moving both batteries to another entirely different location inside the trailer, with all the attendent issues that would have to be addressed. :h

[JaxDad]

SoundGuy wrote:

Greywolf26dbh wrote:
I am looking to upgrade my battery to two golf cart's. However, I can't handle the additional tongue weight ...

Really?

If increasing your trailer's gross tongue weight by a mere 50 lbs puts you well over whatever rating it is you're concerned about that suggests you have bigger issues that just gross tongue weight.

Sounds like a project to make a very simple thing into a huge hassle to me too.

[icanon]

wanderingbob wrote:
KEEP IT SIMPLE . Fifty pounds will make very little difference . Put a couple cases of beer behind the axles and it will be OK!

As long he doesn't drink them.

[wanderingbob]

KEEP IT SIMPLE . Fifty pounds will make very little difference . Put a couple cases of beer behind the axles and it will be OK!

[westend]

Greywolf26dbh wrote:
So are you saying the lower air intake vent is to the inside of the trailer or to the outside as the exhaust vent?

I have my intake on the inside of the trailer. You can draw air from anywhere as long as you aren't introducing any bad gases back in like exhaust gas from appliances. I located the intake on the opposite side of the battery box from the outflow.

[AllegroD]

Place batts on tongue and move something else to the rear.

[Happy_Prospecto]

Brian, if you stay with the lead/acid batteries, do a google search for battery box fans-- lots of good info out there to ventilate battery boxes.

The information is out there all you have to do is let in.

[Greywolf26dbh]

So are you saying the lower air intake vent is to the inside of the trailer or to the outside as the exhaust vent?

[westend]

I'm probably one of a handful of guys that have done this, relocating LA batteries inside an RV. It's usually more than the average RV owner wants or needs to do. I did it for weight considerations.

I built my own box but most guys would find it easier to buy an off-the-shelf dual battery box and install a vent. The vents to and from the box do not have to be that large. The amount of hydrogen gas displaced during charging is not a large amount. Yes, it's a good idea to have a lower mounted fresh air supply hole in the battery enclosure to provide gas flow to the outside. Hydrogen is much lighter than atmospheric air. If you're concerned about hydrogen flow back out of the air inlet (really shouldn't be a concern), install a flap on the inside of the battery box or put a small fan onto the air inlet.

[dahkota]

AGMs don't need to be vented. One of the benefits of paying a little more...

[scrubjaysnest]

The MTS style of vented, hose, battery box have a bottom drain hole that provides for inlet air. Ours came that way from the factory in an enclosed compartment.

[icanon]

If it's in a sealed box with out going vent then you need a in coming vent. That said, rewiring to converter is required but not that difficult, also, power coming from TV for recharge can be affected due to longer distance. And make sure you have 12v supply to break away switch for TT brakes.