Cool Mods - Thread restored 10/18/2012

Beachums wrote:

53chevy wrote:
Beachums, I know this is an old post, but is there a chance you could please provide a few details on your battery box? Such as how you secure the batteries and how and where your wiring exits the box? Thanks.

Beachums wrote:

chr$ wrote:
Folks, I am looking at having a custom battery box made for my TT.

Is there interest in having a tongue box that can hold 4 GC2 batteries with vents and divided compartments for tools, inverter, etc. that is narrower than the current available tongue boxes?

Typical tongue boxes only are wide enough for a couple of batteries. No reason they cannot extend out each side of the tongue as our trailers are up to 8 feet wide.

These would be aluminum diamond plate, with weatherproof hinged lids, and two hasps to secure the goods inside.

I am thinking of having 5 made to reduce the overall unit cost.

What would such a box be worth to you?

Do you mean something like this?

My apologies for the late reply. I hope it doesn't come too late.

So really all I did was I went to my local Lowes and found a narrow aluminum truck box. I then ordered two standard sized battery boxes. I am using 2 12v 112 AH batteries.
I went to a Bass Pro Shops and paid way too much for a battery isolation switch. I installed that and wired it into my charge circuit. This allows me to use my 4 stage converter/controller to isolate individual batteries when connected to shore power.

A good friend of mine owns his own fabrication shop. He built up an over-stout base using box tube and 1/4" plate. My height was set using my personal judgement of the feasibility of still having enough leverage to throw the snap up brackets for the WDH.
To combat the ensuing electrolysis between the aluminum box and steel plate, I used rubber garage floor mats found on Amazon. I simply cut them to size and sandwiched them between the two metals. I used 1/4" zinc steel carriage bolts to secure the box to the base.



A shot of the tools box part number.



I drilled a 1" hole towards the bottom of the box. I tripled shrink wrapped the wiring bundle as it exits the hole. It is snug enough to not allow any long term rubbing. I put a 1000w inverter in the box as well. It is directly wired to one battery. As I do not dry camp very often, I rarely use it.



A couple of notes to consider that I did not until it was too late.

Even at the shorter width of the trailer this box mounted where it is reduces my maximum angle of turn significantly. I have regularly "kissed" my tail lights on my truck with the corners of the box. I am sure it is only a matter of time before I destroy my lens all together.

The selected height as stated before was largely arbitrary. As a tall person it is at the upper limits of comfortable usage. However, it is were set any lower, it would definitely further reduce the turning radius of hitched trailer as most TVs have a taper from top to bottom.

All in all, I got lucky. It has proven useful without too many problems.

I hope that helps.