Another inverter project, maybe a custom battery rack for under the coach.

[supermanotorious]

i didnt explain enough, this would not be attached to the battery rack but to the 2 main frame rails, on a custom bar, strong enough to sustain the weight, it would only reduce clearance by an inch at most

 

[supermanotorious]

while I haven't given up on this cradle, a  new thought would be to fabricate an aluminum box similar to the last one I did and mount it to the roof, I can make as many contact points as necessary to support the weight, what are your thoughts on roof mounted batteries?

 

[supermanotorious]

so roof mounted batteries, and has any put a watering system on their battery bank??

 

[supermanotorious]

despite your strong urging against all this, I bought 2 double battery manual watering kits and Amazon same-day free delivery is nothing to joke about, what a time to be alive

I also got my 2/0 gauge pure copper wire and a batter monitor for the install which should be completed this or next weekend, with another far-off national park on the short horizon, I got to get to crackin

 

[supermanotorious]

test fitting, wishing I made it a little tighter, pushing the batteries higher, giving us more clearance

showing the wire and water line runs

 

[denmarc]

While I love the idea of what you are doing, I just can't wrap my head around ease of battery maintenance with what you are trying to do. Are you comfortable with idea that the watering kits will never fail? What if one of them does?

I dunno. I'm envisioning an electrical problem associated with the battery bank, being exposed somewhat, on a trip somewhere and being a royal PITA and time consuming to repair. You're either going to be laying on your back or standing on the roof. Probably will be raining.

No offense, but is this really all worth it? I"m just curious.   

 

[Desert_Rat]

despite your strong urging against all this, I bought 2 double battery manual watering kits and Amazon same-day free delivery is nothing to joke about, what a time to be alive

I also got my 2/0 gauge pure copper wire and a batter monitor for the install which should be completed this or next weekend, with another far-off national park on the short horizon, I got to get to crackin

Is there anything special about those caps? are they one-way valves or have other distinguishing features besides having hose connections?

I'd like to add a watering system but won't for $500, but have thoughts about buying tubing and elbows to do the task myself. Would that work?

 

[Desert_Rat]

While I love the idea of what you are doing, I just can't wrap my head around ease of battery maintenance with what you are trying to do. Are you comfortable with idea that the watering kits will never fail? What if one of them does?

I dunno. I'm envisioning an electrical problem associated with the battery bank, being exposed somewhat, on a trip somewhere and being a royal PITA and time consuming to repair. You're either going to be laying on your back or standing on the roof. Probably will be raining.

No offense, but is this really all worth it? I"m just curious. 

I can relate to what he's doing and give him big kudos for doing so. Some folk have ample space on their rigs to accomplish what they want, some folks have zilch. I have zilch, and my idea to add 700lbs to my tongue weight is arguably worse than what this dude is doing. Where there's a will, there's a way.... can't add 4 more behemoth batteries to my rig? oh yeah? watch me!

 

[Desert_Rat]

Wow, I am now seriously considering this. Supermanotorious, is there a reason why you couldn't put all the batteries on a plate that could slide out?

 

[supermanotorious]

While I love the idea of what you are doing, I just can't wrap my head around ease of battery maintenance with what you are trying to do. Are you comfortable with idea that the watering kits will never fail? What if one of them does?

I dunno. I'm envisioning an electrical problem associated with the battery bank, being exposed somewhat, on a trip somewhere and being a royal PITA and time consuming to repair. You're either going to be laying on your back or standing on the roof. Probably will be raining.

No offense, but is this really all worth it? I"m just curious. 

again, to each their own, as a fabricator and dreamer I'll take on any challenge, I'm hoping the water system will outlast my ownership of the trailer, be it one year or many, the entire system will be out of the sun which is the major killer here in Phoenix

if I really wanted to, and maybe over time I would, I can orient the batteries end to end, it would only require slight modification of the rack, (a couple small cuts, a few new welds), end to end, there is enough width and height to put each battery in a plastic battery box

Is there anything special about those caps? are they one-way valves or have other distinguishing features besides having hose connections?

I'd like to add a watering system but won't for $500, but have thoughts about buying tubing and elbows to do the task myself. Would that work?

the caps are one way, they have floating valves that seal the battery once the water level is full, don't spend $500, here ya go https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FCAXT0

Wow, I am now seriously considering this. Supermanotorious, is there a reason why you couldn't put all the batteries on a plate that could slide out?

I could've done that but I was wanting to maximize clearance, so a "straight" rack would have to place the top of the batteries below the main frame rails, seriously hurting clearance

with the right design and fabrication, you could have a sliding rack on a strut assisted double hinge type of lever, maybe similar to how some RV stairs are, or think of a wall mount for televisions, but rotate it 90 degrees, rough sketch below

 

[Desert_Rat]

I was thinking more along the lines of the attached image. Just a 1/2" steel plate that one could muscle out.

I found that kit after your post, but it would still cost $300~. I'm gonna try to find the caps alone. Maybe I can find them cheap enough to justify project.

 

[supermanotorious]

you'll still have the clearance issue I described, why $300? how many batteries you got?

 

[Desert_Rat]

12

With 'clearance' are you talking ground clearance or clearance to slide out? Not ground clearance, I assume, because that wouldn't be different. Sliding it out, yeah, I see an issue there. I'm going to see if any gap exists to make it possible though.

 

[supermanotorious]

that is a lot of batteries  8)


I drilled and tapped some mounting holes for the fuse, came out really clean

started making the wire terminations, these Interstate posts aren't as long as the ones I did last year, I'm going to have to get creative with the 2 double connection posts, and then of course there needs to be connections for the generator starter and the converter, maybe I make a shunt from copper pipe, maybe I find a distribution block, what a PITA

 

[Desert_Rat]

Pretty connects!

Why put fuse in box? inaccessible and subject to moisture.

 

[supermanotorious]

may have to put the project on hold for a few days as I order 1/4" copper flat bar to make a solid, heavy duty shunt

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361771272792

 

[supermanotorious]

I could actually get to the fuse pretty easily, of course on the ground and on my back but if you met me, you'd understand why that doesn't bother me, I aint no dainty millenial

 

[Alfa38User]

.... 1/4" copper flat bar to make a sold, heavy duty shunt

That is far from a 'shunt'. A shunt is usually resistive , mounted in parallel to the wire and serves to route partial current around a more sensitive component like an ammeter winding for example. That copper bar would be a dead short in comparison. It is closer akin to buss bar!! ???

 

[supermanotorious]

this rose by any another name is still going to carry 12V at high amperage 

 

[Desert_Rat]

I saw that 

You could cut that thing up into a dozen 'shunts' too. I should have done that instead of getting ripped off on my solution. Only thing I could find were these aluminum ground bars at ACE for $18 a pop.