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Aux batteries in clamshell?
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rowan
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:51 am    Post subject: Aux batteries in clamshell? Reply with quote

since my tire/wheel combo is too large for the front clamshell area i've been thinking of other uses for the space. has anyone tried to put a couple of aux batteries up there? what do you think of the idea?

thanks,
r
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Lanval
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seems pretty exposed ~ water from the road, etc. I'm thinking you'd need a box of some sort...

Then there's the accessibility issue ~ I guess you could do it so you just plopped down the clamshell and there they all are, pretty as a picture, all in a row.

Seems like a lot of work, given that the westy/vanagon is set up for two batteries already.

Best,

Lanval
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rowan
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lanval wrote:
Seems pretty exposed ~ water from the road, etc. I'm thinking you'd need a box of some sort...

Then there's the accessibility issue ~ I guess you could do it so you just plopped down the clamshell and there they all are, pretty as a picture, all in a row.

Seems like a lot of work, given that the westy/vanagon is set up for two batteries already.

Best,

Lanval


most car batteries are just under the hood exposed to water, etc. years ago i drove a hotrod with no hood and the battery exposed for thousands of miles with no problems. that said, i'd put the batteries in a battery box and the clamshell itself would provide some protection.

the problem is that my lovely wife and i both use cpaps... and we have all the other electric needs - fridge, music, microwave, heater, etc. so we need a LOT of battery. i've got a couple of 85 amp/hour monsters under the back seat which takes up most of the storage room. and i've got all the wasted space in the clamshell.

i can't be the first guy to think of this. does anyone know of any attempts to put batteries in the clamshell?

thanks,
r
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tencentlife
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't know, but what's a cpap?
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rowan
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tencentlife wrote:
Don't know, but what's a cpap?


Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - a machine that helps a person who has obstructive sleep apnea breathe more easily during sleep. in other words as i've gotten old and fat i've also become so stupid that i forget to breathe!!!

anyway two of them use a good bit of battery. the two cpaps will drain one 85 amp/hour battery in two nights - if said battery isn't used for anything else.

r
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tencentlife
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thanks. I can see the need for the reserve power!

Can't see why you couldn't put the batts in the clamshell. Your plan of an enclosure offers additional protection, but the things would be fairly safe there except in the event of a frontal collision. Use AGM's and it won't matter that they tip when you lower the clamshell nor that is doesn't sit level, and releases of electrolyte would be minimal if there were damage.
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Lanval
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Odyssey battery I use as my secondary power is pretty sweet ~ kind of expensive, but it was available with a metal jacket.

It's a 44 amp hour battery, which is not enough, sounds like. Here's the one I use:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc1200series.htm

They don't say what the Ah life of the larger batteries are, but you could certainly plug a few of 'em in, and, given a reasonably secure set-up it should be OK.

I'd be tempted to suggest doing some additional bracing of the clamshell if you're going to load it up... dropping a $1000 on the road would have me swearing in multiple languages!

FYI ~ I used Odyssey (as opposed to any other brand) because they had a distributor about 5 miles from where I live. I would imagine a search her might turn up some cheaper versions with the same metal jacket available.

Best,

Lanval
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