Travel trailer battery box

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u4eah

u4eah

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Posts
21
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Make sure the plastic housing for your battery has drain holes in the bottom!

We've had lots of heavy rain in our area since we bought our Gulfstream Visa TT a few weeks ago.  So last night I went to check on it to see if there were any leaks.  Opened the door, flipped the light switch.. nothing.  Checked the battery panel inside and nothing.  I started to panic-wonder if we had left lights or something on after our last outting.  Nope everything was off.  Then I'm thinking "geez, did someone steal my battery?"  So I went outside and opened the battery housing.  The battery was swimming in water.  Water was to the top of the black plastic housing.  Both terminals were under water

There were no drain holes in the housing!  Nada, zip, none.  After carefully draining the box I drilled four holes in the lowest point of each corner, put it back together and still no power.

I'm hoping nothing got fried when the battery shorted out.  Won't know until I get a new battery.  I'm thinking one of those marine type or dry cell (Any ideas?)

Anyway, check the housing, and if needed add drain holes.
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More than likely, your battery bought the farm before anything else did due to the water. 
What I am wondering is most battery boxes are designed that the top overlaps the bottom so water doesn't collect in the bottom half.  Am I missing something in your situation?  Otherwise, I am wondering if all of the cables/wires going into the battery box have drip loops to prevent water from running into the box?
 
BTW u4eah...

When buying a new battery for the RV, don't go marine type.  Many threads available on this site pertaining to that very subject.
Check them out or inquire if you can't find what your looking for.  Lots of friends here to help you out.

Happy trails.
 
The plastic battery boxes are marine ones.  The top overlaps the sides but the top has vent openings in them to prevent the buildup of hydrogen gas from charging.  The bottom has no drain holes so if something happens the electrolyte will not spill into the boat.  My boss had already blocked the vent holes on mine so I didn't have to worry about it.
I would advise anyone who is putting drain holes in the botttom to put them where a leak will not drip on any of the steel of the frame.
 
denmarc said:
BTW u4eah...

When buying a new battery for the RV, don't go marine type.  Many threads available on this site pertaining to that very subject.
Check them out or inquire if you can't find what your looking for.  Lots of friends here to help you out.
Click to expand...

Do you mean to  NOT use a deep-cylce battery? I guess I don't understand why, but I will try a search and see what comes up!


EDIT:  fixed quote.
 
tdst51 said:
Do you mean to  NOT use a deep-cylce battery? I guess I don't understand why, but I will try a search and see what comes up!
Click to expand...

What he was referring to are Marine use batteries.  They have some deep cycle characteristic, but also have starting capability for handling motor starting.

The RV batteries that you should get should be single-purpose deep cycle batteries with no starting capacity.
 
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