New TT battery box full of water

[limbery]

Opened up my plastic battery box on my 2 month old TT, and found it was full of water...there are a couple of ventilation slots on the tp so I guess it got in there.... I was worried something could short out or something? I drilled a half doz. holes in the bottom of the box so water will drain out.... Is this unusual? Why wouldn't the box have some sort of drainage? It sits right behind my propane tanks.

[westend]

path1 wrote:
First RV, water in box, I drilled holes.

Second RV many years later, water in box, Yep, that will happen. What is it going to hurt?

Not trying to be argumentative but it would depend on how deep the box is in relation to the battery, wouldn't it? I wouldn't think that covering the posts and/or the top of the case with water is not a good thing.
I use a metal box with full cover so no worries, here.

[Cecilt]

Drilled 2 small holes in my box last summer as well. Solved the problem.

[bid_time]

No reason for my battery to leak unless the case is damaged. If the case is damaged I'm guessing the battery box has got to be damaged even worse. So there's no reason I shouldn't drill a drain hole in the bottom of the battery box to let the rain water out.

[greende]

Every TT I've had, I've drilled holes. The amount of acid leaking from these batteries is small. Agree with the person who posted that motor vehicles do not use sealed battery boxes and they do fine. The RV boxes were designed for marine use and do more to hold water in than protect from acid effects. This is just one person's opinion.

[path1]

First RV, water in box, I drilled holes.

Second RV many years later, water in box, Yep, that will happen. What is it going to hurt?

[DutchmenSport]

I replaced my battery a couple weeks ago. I went with a larger (longer) battery so had to get the new box for it to fit in. I didn't drill holes (actually never thought of it). But I did drill holes in my old (smaller) box ... 7 years ago! Old battery had caps that could be opened up. And in 7 I never had to add a drop of water. Even when I traded it in, it still had acid just below the top of the holes... never leaked. The new battery cannot be opened, so I'm assuming it should not ever spill out. So, probably will not drill holes in the new box.

But yes, they do get water inside. Those boxes are vented at the top and water splashes from your wheels and other vehicles in upwards directions and can get under those vents when it rains. Not to mention sweat from heat to cold and back again.

Holes? not sure I'll be dilling or not on the new box. I guess I need to wait and see how others continue to respond on this thread. Interesting... I let this slip. Thanks!

[tplife]

Having a sealed box provides containment for anything coming out of that old-school lead-acid battery, aka hazardous waste. Another reason to buy an AGM battery when you replace your old stuff and embrace new technology!

[limbery]

Well now I am concerned because the box sits on a metal tray, so maybe I should dril some drain holes in it too?

[prichardson]

Take some caulking and seal the holes on the top of the box. If you are in a rainy area and have a battery that does not have a raised lip on the fill holes you can get enough rain thru the box top vent holes to over fill the battery.

[jmtandem]

Opened up my plastic battery box on my 2 month old TT, and found it was full of water...there are a couple of ventilation slots on the tp so I guess it got in there.... I was worried something could short out or something? I drilled a half doz. holes in the bottom of the box so water will drain out.... Is this unusual? Why wouldn't the box have some sort of drainage? It sits right behind my propane tanks.

Same problem, same solution....... only I drilled one small weep hole in the bottom of each box. It has fixed the issue.

[WyoTraveler]

Is it the cheapo battery boxes they are building today? The vent on top vents explosive gases. Been RVing for over 50 year and never had one with water inside. Hole are probably ok. Autos don't have battery boxes. My MH has large holes in bottom of battery area. I think battery boxes were originally designed for boats where leaking would be a problem.

[lots2seeinmyrv]

We drilled a hole in each bottom corner of ours, was full of water too.

[Lynnmor]

At one time there were two kinds of battery boxes, one for marine use and one for all other. The RV dealers almost always chose the marine boxes instead of the correct one, so the correct one is no longer made. The closed bottom box kept bilge water away from the battery and vented thru the top, just the opposite of what we need.

Just drill the box bottom at places away from the frame, and seal the vent holes with silicone.

[byways]

Most vehicles do not have sealed battery boxes. I see them mostly for cosmetic reasons, as well as securing/covering cable connections. While acid dripping on steel is corrosive, any that contacts the earth is easily neutralized.

[Terryallan]

Well. It's apparant, that since it didn't burn your hands, It wasn't battery acid. I too driled holes in mine.