Sealed Battery Ccmpartment or Box?

[Vedette]

I spoke with a fellow a couple of weeks back that was trying to register his Teardrop in Washington State. e told me that one of the requirements for homebuilt Teardrop Trailers, was a "sealed Battery Box"??????
That got me to thinking, as I am at hat stage with Kermit right now.
And on our last trip out with Miss Piggy I had not checked the water level in the Deep cycle Battery I installed 3 years ago.... and during while we were plugged into AC power, I could hear the converter working to hard, the battery gurgling, and could smell acid. Ended up un plugging until morning when I filled the battery with water and recharged.
What would you guys suggest????
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[pchast]

What kind of charger? It should not hit high enough voltage long enough
to boil out electrolyte. Can you watch and verify the charge cycle operation?

[MtnDon]

All that seems normal. Battery fluid levels get neglected all the time. When charging a depleted battery bubbling noises are common. The battery is not boiling, it is producing hydrogen and oxygen because of the charge current. I have a bank of 12 batteries at our off grid cabin and they can make quite a racket when the sun shines brightly and they are partially depleted. It sounds like the converter / charger cooling fan was running

I could hear the converter working

That too is normal if the battery was in a partial or fully depleted state.

A good charger, in proper working order, and properly adjusted if it has adjustments, will taper off the charge as the battery(s) get full. If we assume the TD in question has a converter like a PD4045 everything should be fine as far as charging parameters.


As to the question of what is needed to satisfy the DMV, it seems to me that the ubiquitous battery box we see sitting on the tongues of a great many small travel trailers is all that is needed. If that is what was planned all along, I'd go that way. If you want the battery inside then there is the question of how to vent the fumes produced while charging. A genuinely sealed box is a no-no. No where for those gases to go. The idea behind the rules will be to prevent accidental catastrophic shorts across the terminals and to dissipate any hydrogen and oxygen before an explosion can occur.

Depending on the DMV office useful info might be obtained from asking Sometimes that can be an exercise in futility and exasperation.

FYI, if anyone ever discovers the fluid level in the battery low enough to expose the plate tops that is generally bad for the battery. Don't fill the cells completely before charging. The electrolyte is a depleted battery expands as the battery is recharged. Just cover the tops and put the battery on charge. When fully recharged, top the water and charge some more. Again a good charger will have three stages of charge and will "sort out" what level the battery requires.

[Vedette]

Thanks Don
And yes I do have and will use again a PD4045 Converter(already have the 2nd one).
My thought on a " Sealed Battery Box" would be that it would have a sealed top access panel (for cable connecting) with a vented bottom, that would drop down for battery removal.
The exercise here is to get the Battery off the tongue and behind to axle to reduce tongue weight. to do this my Battery will be between the cabin and the Galley on the cabin side of the bulkhead, in a storage area at the headboard end of our bed. Thus, there has to be zero tolerance on "Battery Fumes" of any kind.
My plan is to have the battery drop out from under the Teardrop (which is a big pain in the butt) but is the best option, as I would rather jack up the trailer than drag the Battery out of a tight space in the headboard and across the bed?????
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Vedette]

Thanks Don
And yes I do have and will use again a PD4045 Converter(already have the 2nd one).
My thought on a " Sealed Battery Box" would be that it would have a sealed top access panel (for cable connecting) with a vented bottom, that would drop down for battery removal.
The exercise here is to get the Battery off the tongue and behind to axle to reduce tongue weight. to do this my Battery will be between the cabin and the Galley on the cabin side of the bulkhead, in a storage area at the headboard end of our bed. Thus, there has to be zero tolerance on "Battery Fumes" of any kind.
My plan is to have the battery drop out from under the Teardrop (which is a big pain in the butt) but is the best option, as I would rather jack up the trailer than drag the Battery out of a tight space in the headboard and across the bed?????
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Gunguy05]

I wonder if having an AGM battery would negate this requirement?

[noseoil]

I checked the balance sheet & needed the extra weight in the back (galley) for reduced tongue weight as well. Decided that a battery box, while more expensive, was a good idea for the fumes. I don't like the idea of an acid marinade for our chicken or beef anyway, bad for flavor, good for tenderizing though. Here's what I did for mine. Takes up some space, but it's safer & keeps the wiring runs short. It's for a group 27 battery (64#).







All of that, and then I decided to go with an AGM battery! Well, if it takes a dump from overcharging or a short, at least all of that hydrogen will have a place to get out. Ideally, an AGM battery doesn't need to vent, but I'm always concerned with safety, paranoia & worry, so it's money well spent for my build. Used two eye-bolts with lock nuts below & some short battery J-bolts above to lock the box in place. Also did a rubber skin on the bottom of the box so it has a nice, soft place to sit (contact cement & 3/32" industrial gasket).

[Dale M.]

I wonder what the interpretation of "sealed battery box" is, whether its to keep gasses and fluids in or keep gases away from contact to people and "occupied areas".... IF its sealed to keep gasses in, it becomes a danger as then it becomes a bomb with something were to ignite the hydrogen gas (re: Hindenburg) ... Somebody need to ask the question "why a sealed compartment" or what comprises a "sealed compartment".... One needs to ask a manger or someone above the lever of typical counter drown....

Dale

[MtnDon]

My plan is to have the battery drop out from under the Teardrop (which is a big pain in the butt) but is the best option, as I would rather jack up the trailer than drag the Battery out of a tight space in the headboard and across the bed?????

First, everything I said in my first post is directed to those using a flooded lead-acid battery.... removable caps so you can check / add water. AGM's should never be heard to bubble.

If I had to jack up my trailer and get underneath to remove my battery so I could check the fluid level I would almost never do it. My experience has been that I need to add water twice a year to the battery bank at our cabin. There are lots of variables that determine water usage. The batteries in our CTC use less water than the same ones at the cabin... less use of the trailer batteries.

Perhaps an AGM would be better as they are sealed? As long as the charger is suitable for AGM that could be easiest all 'round.

[Vedette]

Jacking up the trailer would only be required for Battery, installation, removal, or replacement?????? A sealed access panel at the top side would allow for maintenance, disconnection, and inspection.
Fully vented bottom would guard against fume build up and the possibility of any explosions.
Using a huge venting tub c/w an ugly exit on the side of your trailer....and using valuable Galley space is totally unnecessary. And how do you seal off the wiring in one of those cheap plastic boxes? As they Flex!
Plastic, fiberglass or wood lined lid is all that is required to insulate against accidental grounding in a custom fitted box (allowing no battery movement)
there are a lot of ways to skin a cat!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[halfdome, Danny]

Brian, I've registered several teardrop trailers in Washington State and the subject of where my battery was never has come up.
I use battery trays that are affixed to the chassis behind the axle and under the rear of our bed with access hatches through the floor.
Never had any issues doing it this way.
Danny

[Vedette]

Hi Danny
Exactly!!!
This would solve any problem your DMV in Washington should have.
And makes total sense as a builder!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[MtnDon]

Fully vented bottom would guard against fume build up and the possibility of any explosions.

except that hydrogen is extremely light. It goes up. A tube out the top and to outside would solve that, with the bottom open.

[capnTelescope]

after googling "rv sealed battery box," I learned a couple of interesting things on the issue.

First, a sealed battery box is apparently an RVIA code. IDK under what circumstances it's required or not required, what it applies to or doesn't, or anything else about the code requirement.

Second, one NASCAR approved sealed battery box only has a small clear vinyl tube for venting. I know that very few of us approach 200mph while towing a tear, but a half inch I.D. tube could easily handle our volumes of generated hydrogen. A box like Noseoil is using wouldn't necessarily need that big tube competing for space in a TTT. Noseoil's box is popularly priced, BTW.

$0.02 worth.

[Loren]

Brian:
I was having an issue with water being sucked in the bottom vent of the battery compartment in the galley because of the side vent (Venturi effect) so I got a AGM battery and plugged the bottom vent- all seems to be ok now.
Loren