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Battery box bottom vents/holddown?

March 15, 2017, 10:28:05 am

I have removed all the batteries and battery box from my '91 U280 to facilitate access for solar installation and to clean up the battery area. Before I reinstall the box I note that there are two holes in the bottom half of the Bosporus that match two through-the-floor holes which probably provide ventilation. My question is should there be some fitting through the vent holes that secures the battery box to the coach floor to prevent shifting of the box and batteries?  It looks like the PO had caulked around the holes but there was no mechanical hold down and no vent cover to keep road spray out of the area. Was there anything else originally?

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Re: Battery box bottom vents/holddown?

Reply #1 – March 15, 2017, 10:29:33 am

Box. Don't know where spell content got "Bosporus ".

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Re: Battery box bottom vents/holddown?

Reply #2 – March 15, 2017, 11:09:18 am

In our 1999, the original box was screwed in with self-tapping metal screws into the frame.

When we replaced the battery box, we re-used the screws which tapped nicely into new holes with an undersized pilot hole and high quality impact driver.  We filled the old holes with sealant to protect the metal within from moisture.

My uneducated personal opinion would be that sealant is a satisfactory way to keep the battery box from shifting. You'd need to practically go airborne to get those things to break free of the friction created by all that weight.

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Reply #3 – March 15, 2017, 12:05:29 pm

I agree with Blinded04. My box is just chalked in without screws. I've hit some pretty big bumps in my travels and the box hasn't moved yet.

My box has a pvc pipe that comes out the top and redirects the airflow out the bay and dumps it in front of the rear tires. With this setup I never see any corrosion on my battery terminals.

see ya
ken

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Reply #4 – March 15, 2017, 01:36:20 pm

Have the same set up as Ken with same results, simple and effective

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Reply #5 – March 15, 2017, 07:33:30 pm

On my '91 there were no screws holding the bottom of the battery box to the floor; just silicone.  It was very difficult to remove mine - no worries about it being strong enough.  I used a putty knife to cut the silicone but to reach in beyond 3 inches was hard because the putty knife handle would stop on the box.  If reinstalling I would suggest not using screws and just use silicone.  A screw is just one more way for water intrusion into the floor structure IMO.  I would apply it around the vent holes and within about 3 inches of the edge in locations where you can fit a putty knife in - for possible removal if it was ever necessary.  I would also make sure the hole surface in floor is sealed off good too.

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