Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello all,
I pulled the trigger and ordered my new Car Mate Custom Cargo 7x16 so you will be seeing a build thread with pics once it arrives in a few weeks. The trailer will be for MX racing but it will have base and overhead cabinets, a shower, some sort of fold away or portable bedding and all kinds of other stuff.

For now, my question is this, can I put the deep cycle battery in the trailer in one of the base cabinets or does it have to go on the tongue? I have heard that there is a possibility of dangerous fumes and I have also heard that is not true. Does anyone have a definitive answer? My only concern would be while sleeping as during the day the doors are all open and the vents are all open as well.

Thanks

If you are not charging the battery, there is no hydrogen given off.

Better is to get an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery that vents only to prevent catastrophic explosion.

You can put a battery anywhere you want, but if it's a conventional wet-cell battery, you should vent it to the outdoors.

<Chas>

So, a battery like this would be ok to mount in a cabinet in the living space?

I'd try to mount them as low and as center to the axle as possible if at all possible you could disguise the battery box with a counter of sorts for ether your tools or kitchen

Mine are in a hatch in the floor back by the axles.. You can mount them inside you just need to vent he cabinet.. It would also be nice if the cabinet was some what sealed off from the living area.. Thats how I did my hatch.. I put a gasket around the door and put two vents to the outside.. One low and one high.

More like one of these http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rvdeep ... teries.php

They are true Deep Cycle, the marine maybe not.

21 million Volkwagen Beetles (type 1) were produced with the battery inside the passenger compartment and I've never heard of explosions or fires. I did have the voltage regulator fail on my 67 though and the sulfuric acid fumes made me cough.

My Chevy Traverse has a sealed battery under the floor behind the front passenger's seat.

Cheers,

Gus

eamarquardt wrote:21 million Volkwagen Beetles (type 1) were produced with the battery inside the passenger compartment and I've never heard of explosions or fires. I did have the voltage regulator fail on my 67 though and the sulfuric acid fumes made me cough.

My Chevy Traverse has a sealed battery under the floor behind the front passenger's seat.

Cheers,

Gus

Talk about a trip down memory lane!! You are absolutely right!! We had more than one growing up and never had any problems. Never did smell any fumes or have any problems except had to replace the floor pan on a 58 bug once due to old age and a couple of accidental overfills.

Thanks,
Earnest

One of the reasons there may not have been much danger with a VW Type 1 is that the generator put out 30A, on a good day and that minus what ever you were powering, like the engine and lights...
I had a Baja Bug and no the battery never out-gassed that I know of.

Shadow Catcher wrote: that the generator put out 30A, on a good day and that minus what ever you were powering

I've never seen a battery charge at a rate of 30 amps. Usually 6 or so.

Cheers,

Gus

I thought I needed an AGM battery but the guy at my local batteries plus said that this one is sealed and would be fine for putting in my living space. Is he on point or clueless? I'm definitely clueless
http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/33 ... p-27M.aspx

Mazda Miatas have the battery in the trunk, and it is spec'ed as a sealed AGM. My mom's old Audi had it under the passenger seat, not sure what type or whether it was ventilated. Some of those cars literally had a "hot seat" where a person of sufficient heft could touch the seat spring to the terminals...ZAP!

I'm probably going to end up placing mine inside, I thought about a tongue box but I feel like it's a little vulnerable where it is parked overnight (folks round here like to steal batteries and collect the $8 core deposit). If you're worried about it creating too much hydrogen you could always crack a window any time it might be charging (i.e. while towing). My trailer will never be that well sealed anyway.

MXD wrote:I thought I needed an AGM battery but the guy at my local batteries plus said that this one is sealed and would be fine for putting in my living space. Is he on point or clueless? I'm definitely clueless
http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/33 ... p-27M.aspx

I don't see anything in the description about that being sealed!

My buddy owns 3 Batteries Plus, I'll ask him.

dustboy wrote:

MXD wrote:I thought I needed an AGM battery but the guy at my local batteries plus said that this one is sealed and would be fine for putting in my living space. Is he on point or clueless? I'm definitely clueless
http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/33 ... p-27M.aspx

I don't see anything in the description about that being sealed!

My buddy owns 3 Batteries Plus, I'll ask him.

That would be great, thanks.

I am running an AGM battery that is designed for server backup and solar systems. It is sealed and designed to be stored inside of offices. Love it!!

Earnest