Battery Box Attachment?

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   HI -- I recently found that the dealer-installed battery box on my 2018 Rpod 180 was essentially floating.  That is, it was resting on the brackets with the plastic strap that holds the lid on routed around the brackets...  The strap was the only thing keeping the box from bouncing out and onto the road!
Of course, I immediately added four SS bolts to hold the box to the bracket, but just wondering what is the customary practice for dealers attaching the battery box?  

Thanks and I look forward to your responses!

Ely 

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Pushing70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Apr 2018 Location: North Carolina Online Status: Offline Posts: 5	Topic: Battery Box Attachment? Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 9:02am
	HI -- I recently found that the dealer-installed battery box on my 2018 Rpod 180 was essentially floating. That is, it was resting on the brackets with the plastic strap that holds the lid on routed around the brackets... The strap was the only thing keeping the box from bouncing out and onto the road! Of course, I immediately added four SS bolts to hold the box to the bracket, but just wondering what is the customary practice for dealers attaching the battery box? Thanks and I look forward to your responses! Ely
	73 Ely

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 10:03am
	That's the way my battery boxes are. It's not a problem, a battery is not going to experience negative g forces to speak of. If the trailer bounces upward it and the battery will come down together due to gravity, the battery box and trailer aren't going to be pushing the battery downward. How could they, gravitational force is the same on everything? Any significant forces are going to be upward, forward, backward, or side to side which the brackets combined with the strap can handle.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 10:24am
	Our original battery box had a couple bolts holding it onto the bracket along with a nylon strap. When replaced the battery with two 6V's I bolted the box down with bolts and large washers and drilled a drain hole in the bottom of the boxes to avoid water accumulating. There are also nylon straps holding the boxes and for theft deterrence I put a 1/4 inch chain with padlocks.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Lear111 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 20 Oct 2016 Location: Montgomery, tx Online Status: Offline Posts: 66	Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 11:42am
	Battery boxes were bolted down by one bolt each. I replaced the battery straps with ratchet type straps to facilitate removal. Similar to tie down straps much easier.

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 7:41pm
	I made a custom battery lock-down device which also serves as a battery hold-down device (see my mods, look for version 2). It works very well for both purposes.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Awchief Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 04 May 2018 Location: Biloxi, MS Online Status: Offline Posts: 83	Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 7:48pm
	That is the normal method of battery box install. When I went to twin 6 volts and new larger box I used self taping screws and also run the around the straps around the box base pieces.
	Michael

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 6:10am
	For fun, (I know, I have a strange sense of what's fun ) I looked up the safety requirements in NEC Article 551 for securing RV batteries. All it says is batteries must be secured to avoid displacement from vibration and road shock. So, putting the battery in its box and strapping the box is fine. The battery weighs 50-60 lbs and the box weighs about a pound. So, attaching the plastic box with screws or bolts isn't going to hold the battery in place, the strap does that. Meantime, propane cylinders are supposed to stay secure for 8x their full weight. Makes sense to restrain a bomb better than a chunk of lead I guess.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 6:45am
	I added an inline 6v battery box and batteries. The box is taller and the bracket so close to the pod wall that I have to tilt the box forward to get the batteries in or out, so the only way to secure mine is with a short stout ratchet strap.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

TheBum Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407	Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 11:36am
	Ours came with just a nylon strap. We changed over to these for a firmer and more theft-proof attachment: http://b-drvbatterylock.com/ I'm now using dual 6V GC2 batteries with boxes I bought from Batteries + Bulbs.
	Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 3:23pm
	I like my homebrew version 2 design better. The ones that go fore and aft on the batteries are harder to deal with Those are like my version 1 design.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS