A Couple of More Mods

[Yianni]

I did two last mods on my list.
I moved the vacuum port that was in the center of the basement over to the door edge where I can actually get to it. I saw this on Porthole's mod thread and was inspired to do it also.
I also added 2 more 6 volt batteries for a total of 4 with a 3 way isolator switch. I removed the factory cutoff switch. It was too hard to reach behind the batteries. I wired in the 3 way switch so I can switch between banks or have them all wide open.
I'm going to foam in the holes for the wires and vent to finish it.
I think I'm done now!

 

[porthole]

I think I'm done now!

Tinkerers are never done !

You have all 4 in this box? If not where are the other 2, and did you keep the original 12 volt?

//heartlandowners.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6067&d=1263846543

 

[Yianni]

Tinkerers are never done !

You have all 4 in this box? If not where are the other 2, and did you keep the original 12 volt?



//heartlandowners.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6067&d=1263846543

No, there are only 2 in this box. This is a Noco marine box designed to hold and seal 2 6 volt batteries. The other 2 are in the front next to the generator. I still have the 12 volt that came with the trailer but haven't done anything with it.
We have the gen but I don't like to bug the neighbors when camping if I don't have to.

 

[caissiel]

I hope you do have the hose going up on the other side of the wall, because the downward direction might block off the flow of gasses, and not vent out.
A vent should have a gradual upward direction so as not to trap the gasses.

 

[Yianni]

I hope you do have the hose going up on the other side of the wall, because the downward direction might block off the flow of gasses, and not vent out.
A vent should have a gradual upward direction so as not to trap the gasses.

Caissiel,
good eye. I was a little premature posting my pictures. I plan on making a new nipple tomorrow so the angle is upward. I tied it to the vent for the front batteries and it vents upward on the other side.

 

[caissiel]

That's what I was good for at work the guys would not like it that I noticed a lot little things.

I am now at my sister's and trying to keep the house warm with their wood furnace, I just could not fire enough wood in the furnace to keep the house warm. Come to find out that the return air duct for the furnace is 3 times to small. And all the heat goes out the chimney. So the little things does matter. Lucky they did not burn up the house with this setup.

 

[porthole]

I doubt the battery vents well anyway with the vent facing the front of the trailer.

Batteries are added a the dealer, and my dealer never bothered to seal the box, so the vent was useless anyway.

 

[caissiel]

You might have a point, when we travel we just ram air in the front.

 

[porthole]

All of our utility trailers have the battery boxes venting out the bottom, where I'm sure a daft is induced while moving.

 

[rtataryn]

I thought about adding the extra GC batteries in the basement storage, but I didn't want to give up the room. I finally found a 4 GC battery container at marinenutz.com called a Dyno battery box that fits inside the front battery compartment, which I vented to the existing outside vent. http://www.dynobattery.com/BoxGC2.pdf

I also added a 1500 watt inverter that fit nicely between the aluminum floor joists in the basement storage ceiling. It's important to keep the inverter out of the battery compartment as any leaking hydrogen off-gas could ignite if near the inverter.

 

[smday]

I thought about adding the extra GC batteries in the basement storage, but I didn't want to give up the room. I finally found a 4 GC battery container at marinenutz.com called a Dyno battery box that fits inside the front battery compartment, which I vented to the existing outside vent. http://www.dynobattery.com/BoxGC2.pdf

I also added a 1500 watt inverter that fit nicely between the aluminum floor joists in the basement storage ceiling. It's important to keep the inverter out of the battery compartment as any leaking hydrogen off-gas could ignite if near the inverter.

Nice set up. good and clean. I'm going with Discovery batteries EVL16 Dry Cells. Was told i don't have to vent These out because they give off no gases.(Enviromentaly freindly) But i am trying to find cases for these but they are almost 16" in height and weigh in at 122 lbs each.

 

[caissiel]

I might be wrong but my Inverter instructions were to keep it away from the ceiling for cooling purpose. So I have it installed on the wall 8" from the ceiling.

 

[wyleyrabbit]

I installed our Xantrex 1500W inverter in the basement, door side, near the ceiling. That way it was close to the batteries. I also installed a cutoff switch so power only goes to the inverter when I need it to.

What gauge wire did you use? And over what distance?

Chris

 

[Yianni]

I thought about adding the extra GC batteries in the basement storage, but I didn't want to give up the room. I finally found a 4 GC battery container at marinenutz.com called a Dyno battery box that fits inside the front battery compartment, which I vented to the existing outside vent. http://www.dynobattery.com/BoxGC2.pdf

I also added a 1500 watt inverter that fit nicely between the aluminum floor joists in the basement storage ceiling. It's important to keep the inverter out of the battery compartment as any leaking hydrogen off-gas could ignite if near the inverter.

Looks good Rod,
Wish I had found that box before I did mine.
I just bought some of those remote water fill things at CW so I don't have to crawl around in the basement or the front compartment to top off the batteries.

 

[rtataryn]

I installed our Xantrex 1500W inverter in the basement, door side, near the ceiling. That way it was close to the batteries. I also installed a cutoff switch so power only goes to the inverter when I need it to.

What gauge wire did you use? And over what distance?

Chris

2 gauge wire at five feet. I've also got a separate battery off switch for the inverter, as well as a 150A marine circuit breaker - both on the positive line to the inverter. Those are on the back wall of the battery compartment and are visible in the first photograph. The large 2 gauge wires can also be seen in the photo going up to the ceiling, through the wall to the inverter on the other side.

 

[rtataryn]

I might be wrong but my Inverter instructions were to keep it away from the ceiling for cooling purpose. So I have it installed on the wall 8" from the ceiling.

Laurent:

Not according to my unit's instructions. It's OK to mount underneath a horizontal surface, but not under the hood of a vehicle or in a zero-clearance area. My unit does have a built in fan though, so that may be the difference.

Here is my user manual: http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/956/docserve.aspx

Pages 3-5, 3-11.

Rod