Dual Battery Setup?

[shicks007]

Hey Guys,

I was wondering what you guys with the older boats had for battery boxes, tie downs etc.... Iv'e got dual batteries but I don't have them secured or in boxes yet. They are located back aft on the ledges above the bilge box. Looking for some good ideas. Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Scott

[Skools Out]

mine has a hole cut out in the motor well and has a lid but took off to restore the boat but had a Starboard lid see pic. There is a board in the bottom of the hole to hold 2 large marine battery's.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/Skools_Out/WellCraft/MVC-039S.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Here's how I did mine...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/reelapeelin/Image002.jpg
they're fairly snug in there to begin with, so all I had to do was put a hook-eyeinto the transom behind the batterys and a short bungee from that to the front of the box...easy in/out...easy's good...

Oh and the 2x4 spacers under one side of the bottom of each box...screwed to the box, not to the boat...slides right out...

And the most important thing is security...notice the Norton Snaggers over each battery...keeps out unwanted intruders when the dog's not around to lick 'em to death!! :o...

[Havis]

I put mine up front in the cuddy...seems to work OK. Mine's a '73; I don't know what a newer one looks like up front.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/havis/RelocatedBatteriesB.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/havis/relocatedbatteriesA.jpg

[Blue_Runner]

Note: RAP would not have been able to do that had he not pulled out those 20 gallon saddle tanks. I was really wondering where I was even gonna fit 1 battery in my '72??

[reelapeelin]

A keen observation to be sure, there BR...since the tanks came out first thing, it never dawned on me... ::)...kid's got eyes like hawk...I can't get away w/anything... ;)...

[Franco]

Hey Rap, he must not have hit the ol four ooooo yet, either my eyes are goin' or my arms got shorter

[reelapeelin]

Yeah, well his time's comin'...won't be long he'll be spinnin' that "readin' glass" rack at CVS... ;) :-/...

[shicks007]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[CT_V-20]

Mine continue to sit unsecured and uncovered on the shelves with water draining out of the cockpit directly onto them before it drains to the bilge. Hasn't caused any problems and I'm into the second season with both batteries without any charges. My battery switch is shut off RELIGIOUSLY when I'm not running the boat.

[reelapeelin]

CT, what kinda batteries are those?...sounds like some I'd like to look at when mine finally die...I've had a pair of group 31 A/C Delco Voyagers for 6 years to power my trollin' motor, hooked to a Guest 2620 on-board charger and those things just WON'T die!...strong as new...most likely go back w/Delcos, but would like to know who makes yours... :D...

[Franco]

Hey Oz, I work at a GM dealer, for close to the cost of those new delcos you can get a pair of those gel batteries. The Delcos are good no doubt, but those gel cells are remarkable.

[reelapeelin]

Thanks, Franco...like to go w/gel...gotta check out gel-bat HEIGHT (limited) and be sure my on-board charger will fire up them gellies... ;D...

[CT_V-20]

I'm pretty sure they're West Marine, I'll check this weekend.

[shicks007]

Do you guys find that the battery boxes hold water? What is the real intended purpose of a battery box, leakage?

[Franco]

The battery boxes are intended to keep anything from shorting the positive and negative terminals, instant trouble. Mine collect water too, but they also contain acid spills

[reelapeelin]

Franco, as always, is on the mark...the main reason I went w/boxes was to avoid shorting the posts...when that happens, POOP-CREEK is just ahead :o...also, knowing these batteries would be visually exposed, they needed to have a halfway decent appearance, so white boxes filled the bill (they really were white)... ;) :)...

In pic above, that's the onboard battery charger between the two rod-holders...so when they do get to go out the driveway, both batts are HOT-TO-GO...plug in and FORGET...plus, I'm conviced these computerized marvels greatly prolong the service life of a battery as they keep the batt at MAX charge... ;)...