water in battery compartment

jkochmit1 · 05-13-2015, 04:36 AM

just took delivery of a 2015 26bh. The plastic battery box the tt came with has no holes on the bottom and we just received several days of heavy rain and I noticed water build up in the battery box. the box has no drainage holes in the bottom, if I drill several small holes in the box to promote drainage would that have any negative effect????

SouthCo · 05-13-2015, 05:03 AM

it would be fine to make a few small holes.

jkochmit1 · 05-13-2015, 06:13 AM

thanks for the advice after work im going to drill a few holes in the bottom.

Bookemdanno · 05-13-2015, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkochmit1

just took delivery of a 2015 26bh. The plastic battery box the tt came with has no holes on the bottom and we just received several days of heavy rain and I noticed water build up in the battery box. the box has no drainage holes in the bottom, if I drill several small holes in the box to promote drainage would that have any negative effect????

I drilled 3 small holes and haven't had any problems.

RoyBraddy · 05-13-2015, 07:41 AM

Just to make sure all is OK I would also check the VENT TOPS of the battery and make sure it has water just above the cores.

Most likely what you are seeing is rain water but batteries will boil out there fluids if if left with 13.6VDC on the batteries for a long period of time. Single mode converter/charger units cause this to happen. Most trailers built after 2012 should come out with smart mode chargers that prevents this from happening.

Just to be safe I would check the fluid levels in the battery.

Roy Ken

Camper_bob · 05-13-2015, 07:47 AM

Drilled 4 holes in the bottom of mine the second day I had it.

Jagiven · 05-13-2015, 09:06 AM

Our dealer drilled a few holes (1/4” maybe a little bigger) in ours, so we never had a problem. They also bolted the battery box to the mounting rails, so if the cheap strap breaks (and it will) the box and battery will stay.

Camper_bob · 05-13-2015, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Our dealer drilled a few holes (1/4” maybe a little bigger) in ours, so we never had a problem. They also bolted the battery box to the mounting rails, so if the cheap strap breaks (and it will) the box and battery will stay.

I replaced my strap with a higher quality nylon strap with an easier to use adjustable buckle (was like $3 for a pair of them on Amazon). I remove my battery during storage, so I wanted it to be easy to remove the box and all and toss it in the truck.

sask934 · 05-13-2015, 09:47 AM

I will be checking my battery box this weekend to ensure any water that can get in has a way out.

Fill The Coolers · 05-16-2015, 06:27 AM

We have a '15 28 BHBE and that was one of the first things I noticed besides that god awful strap. I drilled 4 small weep holes in the corners and haven't had an issue since.

fielro · 05-17-2015, 08:24 PM

Just drilled 4 holes in the box

tjpolsin · 05-17-2015, 11:06 PM

I have done the same. but check where you drill the holes to ensure they are not too close to the corners. you don't want the holes right were the box sits on the angle iron the supports the battery box.

tim

Camper_bob · 05-18-2015, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fill The Coolers

We have a '15 28 BHBE and that was one of the first things I noticed besides that god awful strap. I drilled 4 small weep holes in the corners and haven't had an issue since.

Yeah, that strap is really something special isn't it?

Fatfenders · 05-18-2015, 05:30 PM

Here's how I fixed the water in my battery compartment. I purchased a diamond-plate pickup truck, box edge mount tool box. Its the only one I could find that would fit between the front of the TT and LP tanks. Most tool boxes are 20" deep...too big. Since it locks, I know my battery will not walk away:

The battery, in the box fits neatly and tightly inside. I installed a West Marine fuse block to separate circuits that previously all ran to a common connection at the battery. I plan to attach the fuse panel to the battery box yet:

At the battery, I eliminated the totally garbage factory connections that used wired nuts and fabricated a terminal block for the positive terminal. I did this mod when the TT was brand new and the connections were already corroded and rusty from the wire nuts. Wire nuts are NOT designed for outdoor use unless these are used:
Waterproof Wire Nuts 8-22 Ga (20-Pk) Obviously they cost more so Jayco doesn't use them.

The orange 12V+ cables are something I purchased at a local car stereo install shop. I believe its 10ga and used for high power car amplifiers. The terminals are designed for home electrical breaker boxes. You'll notice I have two spares. All fasteners are stainless steel. Everything is soldered and has heat shrink tuning to protect the connectors. Just below the orange cables, you can see where the hot wires exit the box, through a grommeted hole. A bonus is all connections come off the (+) terminal with one nut.

When the TT is in the driveway or campground, the WD hitch bars and anti sway store in it. During travel, the longer leveling boards stow there, keeping dirt, sand and insects out of the TT. It has worked out very nicely.

Hopefully this helps give someone ideas on how to spend more money. At the very least, unscrew the wire nuts on your trailer and check the integrity of your connection(s). My guess in may cases is, they're not good.

Fatfenders · 05-19-2015, 09:35 AM

Hmm, I had 3 images in the above post that were there when I "Previewed Post". Wonder where they went?

Jagiven · 05-19-2015, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I replaced my strap with a higher quality nylon strap with an easier to use adjustable buckle (was like $3 for a pair of them on Amazon). I remove my battery during storage, so I wanted it to be easy to remove the box and all and toss it in the truck.

My strap broke last year, as we were getting ready for the first trip of the year. I grabbed a length of solid stranded 12 gage wire with black insulation. Wrapped it around, give it a twist or two, and it has been on ever since.

Camper_bob · 05-20-2015, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagiven

My strap broke last year, as we were getting ready for the first trip of the year. I grabbed a length of solid stranded 12 gage wire with black insulation. Wrapped it around, give it a twist or two, and it has been on ever since.

What is it they say? "Necessity is the mother of invention". Sometimes, field repairs end up being better than the "accepted" repair!

Since mine came in a two pack, I'll just grab the other one out of my "miscellaneous" box in the trailer. UV is hard on plastics, so it's just a matter of time before it degrades and breaks.

Flapper · 05-20-2015, 08:19 AM

As far as the water issue - make sure it is water! Sprinkle a bit of baking soda into it. If it foams, it is not water, but battery acid! Probably splashed out going over rough roads. In which case, you may not want to drill drains in the box, as it will then drip all over whatever is underneath in the future.

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