Securing Batteries

[txloser]

When I purchased my trailer I had the dealer install a couple lithium batteries. They just dropped them into a couple group 27 boxes secured to the floor. I’d like to do something a little cleaner and waste less space. Plan to shorten my cables between the battts as well. They’re way longer than necessary, and get in the way.

What’s the best practice for securing the batteries?

 

[traveldawg]

I don't know if it's a best practice, but a simple strap should be enough.

It looks like those batteries are bigger than the battery boxes. Maybe just get right size boxes or maybe just one box?

 

[Steven@147]

We only have one Lithium battery and kept it simple. I just put the new batt in the old box and used a couple straps to hold it in place. The new batt is a little bigger than the box but it fits ok. I did close off the vent tube in the bottom of the batt box and plugged the opening in the forward storage compartment wall to keep cold air out. I do set the old box lid over the batt just to protect the terminals. I think we bought the straps at either Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply

Yes I would think you would want to keep the interconnecting cables as short as possible for multiple batteries

I have seen some elaborate boxes built out of wood. I have looked at new plastic battery boxes, single and dual, but they seem pricey to me just for what they are and just fit like a group 27 battery size. I guess that's why a lot of owners build their own out of plywood especially if its like a 200amh size.

 

[Butcher]

Whatever you do, the 1000lb straps are worthless if the anchor points will only hold 10lbs. If you are attaching the straps to a wood floor, many of these floors are just thin sheets of wood with a foam core.

Something to think about because God forbid that if the trailer rolls, you do not the batteries to short out.

 

[ajg617]

Here are my before (dealer install) and after (my re-install) pictures. They did a terrible job and essentially dropped them into the boxes, cut holes in the top with a rough cut saw hole saw and ran positive and negative cables through the same holes. I drilled through the steel floor and bolted strap anchors and aluminum angle iron down. I will probably add a second strap to each and maybe a third battery next spring though the two batteries worked well for us last couple of years. I also added a solar panel CB, BMV-712, a Blue Sea shut-off which cuts everything off except the battery heaters which I have isolated with another CB (don't need heaters most of the year), and bus bars for all connections that were attached to the batteries from the factory. If I add a third battery, I'll add two more bus bars so that the batteries connect directly to the first set of bus bars then a single +/- cable to the shunt and existing set of bus bars (really they were just for convenience in connecting all of the cables at a single source). On the fence about a third battery though.

 

[txloser]

I thought my dealer install wasn’t the best, but I think you win. The new setup sounds much better.

I like the angle iron/straps idea. I’ve been down the YouTube Victron rabbit hole lately, so a shunt is next. Then maybe new solar controller that’s more user friendly, a shutoff between the panels and controller, and a bus bar to clean it all up. I have a shutoff from the controller to the batts, but not panels to controller. My batteries have a push button shutoff which is nice.

 

[ajg617]

I thought my dealer install wasn’t the best, but I think you win. The new setup sounds much better.

I like the angle iron/straps idea. I’ve been down the YouTube Victron rabbit hole lately, so a shunt is next. Then maybe new solar controller that’s more user friendly, a shutoff between the panels and controller, and a bus bar to clean it all up. I have a shutoff from the controller to the batts, but not panels to controller. My batteries have a push button shutoff which is nice.

Yes, the shut off in the batts is nice. If I had to do it again, I'd look for lower priced options but there weren't many available when I ordered them in late 2021 (I didn't want the LAs at all from the get go). I should have ordered the heaters inside the batteries but in talking with Battleborn, they said I shouldn't need them which in NH I don't know how I could let that go by. We hit -13F which is about the point where permanent cell damage can occur. It's rare but it happens.
I put the stick-on pipe insulation on the angle irons to make the fit a bit more snug and reduce chance of movement from road vibration. I also put a piece of vinyl flooring underneath - again to create a little more friction with the batteries.
I was really stunned when I saw the dealer installation - they had never seen a LiFePO4 before?? The BMV-712 (which BB replaced once) has been nice and I ordered that along with my Progressive Dynamics lithium only charger from Battleborn as a package so I received great support with both of those products.