Battery tray 29 me

[Bobman]

I have the single coach battery with a slide out tray. Would like to switch over to two 6volts. The single 12v is just not enough. By the time we level, extend the three slide outs and the awning it seems like I have lost 30% of my house battery.
There is plenty of room to change the slide out tray to a double as long as they are end to end. The access door width is about eight to ten inches wide so I would not be able to go wider without a major mod to the side of the coach. Has anyone ever seen a long narrow slide out battery tray that would hold two batteries? Any help would be appreciated.

[pconroy]

I asked about this too - and, if I recall, the solutions posted abandoned the slide and made room for 2 6V's in the compartment next door.

[LI-Camper]

Bobman, I agree that at least two batteries are needed. To solve this issue, my neighbor looked at the compartment to the right of the battery tray. He (a very talented contractor and fellow camper) found a hatch cover for the living room slide on the top left side of this compartment. He removed the cover and besides seeing the slide motor, we could see the frame that the floor sits on. To strengthen the compartment so it could hold at least one or more 6v batteries, he drill a hole into the frame so a 5/8 threaded rod could be bolted to the frame (nuts and flat washers on top of the frame and just below to "sandwich" the frame and top of the compartment). Next, he put 3/4 plywood on the floor of the compartment (two pieces so it could get thru the compartment door). Then he drilled straight down from the hole in the frame into the plywood and compartment floor. Again using two sets of nuts and washers, he sandwiched the plywood and compartment floor. An slotted angle iron was bolted with the nut and washer underneath the compartment. The angle iron went across the bottom of the compartment from left to right. Next, the process was repeated for a second threaded rod. It was run vertically about one foot to the right of the first rod. So the two rods support the compartment floor by hanging down from the frame. I have placed one 6v battery in this strengthened compartment and the other one fits (Trojan 105) in the battery tray. I have space for two more batteries if I need them. I got vents from Home ard and the other facing towards the back of the MH. I will try to post some pics here. this is not as complicated as it sounds. The slide motor hatch cover was replaced with a small notch for the first threaded rod. The top of the threaded rod has enough clearance so that it doesn't interfere with the operation of the slide.

[LI-Camper]

I could only get one photo to post so here is a second one. When we cut the plywood to get it to fit into the compartment, the cut was exactly where the second rod came down. It is "sandwiched" by using two sets of nuts and flat washers. The rod goes thru the plywood, then the compartment floor, and then thru a piece of angle iron before it is bolted from below.

[Griswald One]

One thing to consider if doing this is the weight allotment on the 29ME. I am discovering that due to the equipment on this rig (3 slides, auto levellers, etc...) there is next to no weight capacity left. My last time to the scales I was 600lbs overweight and I have not really done any heavy mods.

Adding a second battery and all of the reinforcement needed in the storage compartment may mean 100+ lbs that you don't want to give up.

[Bobman]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am not sure what to do yet, I am leaning toward changing out the door to a wider door and a larger battery tray that would hold two 6 volts. We tend to boondock about half the time. I just ordered an ecoworthy solar charger that I will try next time we go out and see how we survive on one battery.