Battery relocate mod

[Pillbox]

Good day all,
I am moving my house batteries from the steps to under the dinner table seat.
Going to use 4 group 31 agm’s.
Q:
Do I put anything under the batteries first, rubber mat, a tray or not worry?
I will also be adding a bird into the system so I can charge my chassis batteries while on shore/gen power.
Would like to add a meter to monitor stat of charge with shunt.
Adding a on/off marine switch.

Have I missed anything?
Asking all you smart peeps to help, and looking for Bobs, great remarks.
Terry

[Grumpy Grampa]

Yes. Place a tray with sides 1/4-to 1/2 inch. Metal. There is a also corrosion black paint. I would paint the tray first before install.

Good luck.

[Mousemate]

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-55375-B...a-824619387970
i would put them in a battery box....

[Edensob]

This is what I use for my boat batteries and love that I can tell the charge at a glance.


https://www.amazon.com/SeaSense-5009...a-574196795652

[16ACE27]

They're AGMs, no worry about out-gassing or corrosion so the only thing I would do besides installing hold-down straps is maybe put a piece of horse stall mat under them to minimize vibration.

[Pillbox]

Thanks,
Keep the idea’s coming.
Ted, I was thinking of horse mat also.
Grumpy, yep thinking of a tray also.
Battery straps, oops, yep, good idea. Duh…stupid me.
This is why I come here, thanks.
Terry

[16ACE27]

As far as battery monitor goes, this is what I upgraded to last year to monitor the actual capacity status of my house batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RP5B5P7

I had been using a cheap shunt based volt/ammeter for years but this new Renogy actually keeps track of AH in and out.

[Pillbox]

Ted,
Do I need a shunt still?
Terry

[Pillbox]

Thx Ted,
Found it comes with it.
Ordered it.
Perfect

Terry

[Largo]

Have a 2022 Four Winds also and very interested in this modification. With my batteries under a step and the way cables are routed I have a hard time checking water level in the FLA batteries.
Is your dinette in the slide like mine?

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Largo

Have a 2022 Four Winds also and very interested in this modification. With my batteries under a step and the way cables are routed I have a hard time checking water level in the FLA batteries.
Is your dinette in the slide like mine?

You don't want to put FLA batteries inside unless they are in a sealed, outside ventilated box.

[Pillbox]

As Ted said, They must be sealed AGM’S.
Ok so here is where I am:
First pic, dinning area with the dead empty space. The only way to access was to un screw the top. Inside, I have the wiring for a speaker and the co/propane detector.
Next pic is of the battery boxes that fit my GC-12 150 ahr agm batteries.
They will be parell so, yea 600 amp hrs.
Notice where the wires come out of the floor in pic 1.
2 inches to the right is my inverter bolted to the ceiling.

[Pillbox]

Part of this project is:
My chassis batteries DO NOT charge on shore or genny power. My trombetta only charges the house batteries with engine running, converter will charge house batteries on shore or genny. Not the greatest idea thor did.
Solution:
Build a bird and add it to the system.
Pic 1. The bird with her wiring harness.
Pic2 The bird with the wire color painted on.

[Pillbox]

Hope this helps.
I will try to answer any question you all may have.
Till next time,
Terry

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

They're AGMs, no worry about out-gassing or corrosion so the only thing I would do besides installing hold-down straps is maybe put a piece of horse stall mat under them to minimize vibration.

Are you certain? Everything I'm finding still classes AGMs as valve-regulated. Supposedly they don't vent hydrogen gas... under NORMAL circumstances. But, can one guarantee there will never be a situation (overcharging, etc.) that could potentially cause them to vent?

To me, AGMs are at the top of the heap for RV batteries... beating lithium in price, and also not crippled by low temperatures like lithium. But I'm hesitant to put AGMs inside without venting - which adds a layer of complexity.

https://rvnerds.com/2017/11/01/elect...-need-venting/

[edkjr]

Originally Posted by Pillbox

Good day all,
I am moving my house batteries from the steps to under the dinner table seat.
Going to use 4 group 31 agm’s.
Q:
Do I put anything under the batteries first, rubber mat, a tray or not worry?
I will also be adding a bird into the system so I can charge my chassis batteries while on shore/gen power.
Would like to add a meter to monitor stat of charge with shunt.
Adding a on/off marine switch.

Have I missed anything?
Asking all you smart peeps to help, and looking for Bobs, great remarks.
Terry

I would use caution mounting AGM batteries in a non ventilated area.
Although in normal operating conditions they do not vent.
But in some instances such as over charge they could vent.

[Pillbox]

According to writing on the batteries, the are safe for air, land and sea. They meet coast guard approval. Blah blah blah.
If I suspect any problem, or get worried, I can install a small vent fan that would discharge the air to the outside.
Terry

[Lt Keefer]

A quote from a battery website, "The answer is yes, they still need to be vented. This is because of the fact that AGM batteries are a form of valve-regulated lead acid battery."

[Pillbox]

“Do AGM batteries need to be vented? The question of whether AGM batteries need to be vented is a big one. The answer, as it turns out, is both yes and no. It really depends on the type of AGM battery you're using. For instance, some AGMs require venting because they contain gases that can build up pressure if not released from time to time. These types of batteries are known as "wet cells" or "flooded." In contrast, other AGMs do not contain these gases, so there's never an issue with gas buildup at all. In these cases, there's no need for a vent.”
My answer, depends on the battery.
The quotes are from https://batterytools.net/do-agm-batt...-to-be-vented/


Terry

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

Are you certain? Everything I'm finding still classes AGMs as valve-regulated. Supposedly they don't vent hydrogen gas... under NORMAL circumstances. But, can one guarantee there will never be a situation (overcharging, etc.) that could potentially cause them to vent?

To me, AGMs are at the top of the heap for RV batteries... beating lithium in price, and also not crippled by low temperatures like lithium. But I'm hesitant to put AGMs inside without venting - which adds a layer of complexity.

https://rvnerds.com/2017/11/01/elect...-need-venting/

If it's on the Internet, it MUST be true!

For every article that says AGM batteries must be vented there is another article that says they don't. Your article says they must but then provides references for all LA batteries, none of which specify AGM batteries.

AGM batteries are not FLA, SLA (Sealed Lead Acid), or GEL batteries. Some AGM batteries are VRLA (valve-regulated lead acid) similar to SLA batteries. These do have an overpressure vent and some even provide a nipple for a vent tube to connect to. These are generally older technology AGM batteries and can not be installed in any position.

Most modern AGM batteries can be installed in any position and do not require venting. Check the manufacturer's instructions and requirements for specifics (not some third party Internet Magazine article). No AGM battery should ever vent in normal charge/discharge operations. Unlike a FLA battery which always vents on heavy discharge and all charging operations.

Speaking of FLA batteries: Did you know our Nuclear submarines have batteries comprised of about 130 individual FLA cells (just like your car battery) that are as tall as a man and take up the horizontal space of a 400 lb man? These cells are located low in the sub about center line fore and aft, a lot of times below the torpedo room in the "battery compartment". These cells are vented to the compartment and the compartment is vented to the sub's interior like all other compartments. The atmosphere is continuously monitored and additional precautions are put in place during charging operations (like extinguishing the smoking light for those subs that still allow smoking).