Below the floor battery box...

[galladanb]

I recently watched a u tube by "vtwinkicker" showing how he made a below the floor battery box. I like that idea! And great video channel, by the way! You should all go like, subscribe, and share his work!!! Just saying, he rocks!!!

My questions...
Have any of you made such a sub floor box?
Any thoughts about such a plan, as far as weight, whatever???

Thanks in advance!

 

[GotSmart]

I recently watched a u tube by "vtwinkicker" showing how he made a below the floor battery box. I like that idea! And great video channel, by the way! You should all go like, subscribe, and share his work!!! Just saying, he rocks!!!

My questions...
Have any of you made such a sub floor box?
Any thoughts about such a plan, as far as weight, whatever???

Thanks in advance!

It works best with a 1 ton.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I recently watched a u tube by "vtwinkicker" showing how he made a below the floor battery box. I like that idea! And great video channel, by the way! You should all go like, subscribe, and share his work!!! Just saying, he rocks!!!

My questions...
Have any of you made such a sub floor box?
Any thoughts about such a plan, as far as weight, whatever???

Thanks in advance!

What he didn't show in his video was what, if anything, he built over that area.  Remember, he was talking about using a couple of 6 volt golf cart batteries, which are almost always FLOODED Lead Acid, not AGM, which means you need regular access to them to check the water level and state of charge with a hydrometer.

 

[galladanb]

I have a Chevy Express 3500, and I am planning on using GC2's to start out with.
And of course, I would plan on possible different future size increases...

Are those your batteries in your box, Gotsmart?

And I'm still not completely locked in on design as far as left or right side, or what would go over them yet... Plans can be altered, and good advice is priceless!

 

[GotSmart]

Fullriver 6v AGM 224 AH

Be sure to have the sunken box vented. Drill holes top and bottom.

I had a box custom made out of 1/8 steel. It cost me about $100.

 

[SternWake]

I have a flush fitting hatch in my floor Inside my cabinet, behind driver's seat into which I can lower 2 group 27 12v batteries.  The box  ~26"long x 7.5" wide x 10" inches deep, hangs below my body lines about 1.5 inches, and that is all I was willing to lose in ground clearance there.

If I wanted 6v's i would have had to drop the bottom of the box 2+ more inches, and back when I Welded up the box, back in '04 or so, I was still unaware just how superior 6v GC-2s are in deep cycle service compared to even the best flooded/wet group 27 or 31.

I now just have a single group 27  Northstar AGM battery in there and it is my only battery and closing in on 500 deep cycles and still performing very well despite often being depleted well below 50% State of charge,
but it gets recharged properly to true 100%, often.

I have an Empty spot in my engine compartment where a battery used to reside.  perhaps someday i will modify things to be able to drop a single Trojan T-1275 or a Lifeline GPL-30HT in there, but right now I do not need more capacity, as I know how much AH I consume, and I can plug in when required and/or I want to be an electricity hog

 

[vtwinkicker]

I recently watched a u tube by "vtwinkicker" showing how he made a below the floor battery box. I like that idea! And great video channel, by the way! You should all go like, subscribe, and share his work!!! Just saying, he rocks!!!

My questions...
Have any of you made such a sub floor box?
Any thoughts about such a plan, as far as weight, whatever???

Thanks in advance!

If I remember correctly mine is 1/8" steel. 2 pieces bent to overlap and hang from the 3/4" plywood floor. Being 2 piece all 4 corners of the box are vented top to bottom by design as there is a ~1/4" gap at the overlap. For 2 6v batteries 1//8" is overkill. I stole the design from my previous 90's Roadtrek. In that vehicle it was made from sheet metal. Don't know what gauge but no more than 1/16" thick I would say from memory.

 

[John61CT]

LFP cells being more flexible, looking at using ammo boxen clamped under there with threaded rods into rivnuts.

No access from inside, but shouldn't need it too often.

 

[galladanb]

THx for all the responses!

SO, now after I decide that GC2's are the way to go... You all have me looking at AGM Again!
CRAP!

I'm still liking the idea of a sub floor mount, but with AGM's I would not need to cut out my floor at all...
Nice! Not sure how I will get them up in there, but onward for more planning...

On a side thought, would a battery box like this fit two GC2's?????
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002WCUR0M?psc=1

Or would you even bother with a plastic tub like box???

I know I can look up the dimensions, but in general....?

 

[John61CT]

Can mount undercarriage without cutting the floor, in fact with unibody chassis cutting that large a hole's probably not a good idea.

Yes a good reason to go AGM is when you want/need to mount sideways.

But if you have room, GC2 is a lot cheaper, no problem inside **long as you vent**

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you're going for AGM, perhaps you could use Torklift's Hidden Power battery mount.  Assuming your vehicle has a real frame to attach it to . . .

http://www.torklift.com/index.php/products/auxiliary-battery-storage/hiddenpower

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Jegs and Summit Racing have a number of different battery boxes/hangers for mounting a battery under the chassis:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all76100/overview/

Also remember that all the road grime that gets kicked up under your vehicle will eventually coat your batteries.  If you drive in areas that use salt in the winter, you will need to check terminal connections often.

 -- Spiff

 

[MikeRuth]

On my Ford 2007 E-150 I choose to build my own battery tray for two GC-2 batteries and mount it to the frame rail between the body and rail behind the drivers seat.
They hang down almost two inches below the body but not really detrimental to ground clearance. Frankly I'm not going to be going onto any serious off roading LOL, I have street tires and an standard diff.
I don't have to drop them to check water as I use hydro caps. 

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I do take them down once a year just for cleaning the grime off that builds up. Check SG. 
It's not to bad, but I do have to jack up the body to make clearance as I use a floor jack to raise and lower them. 

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[galladanb]

I looked under my baby today and I am quite sure there is a huge amount of space down there...

Mike Ruth can you share some images of your diy tray for me? And info on your hydro caps?
How does all that work? ease of use convenience, etc? Would you do anything differently if you needed a do-over?

Thx!!!

 

[MrNoodly]

I looked under my baby today and I am quite sure there is a huge amount of space down there...

I considered it for my Express van, but with the drive shaft, axle, leaf springs, exhaust, gas tank and spare tire, there didn't seem to be room.

I have two 12V AGMs in a steel cabinet inside the van instead. No need for venting or maintenance.

 

[galladanb]

HI there MrNoodly!!!! I luv reading your blog and your awesumm sense of humor!
OMG, yur soo much fun!!!

So, I was looking on the drivers side,, behind the door and before the gas fill area...
Now, I have a 3500 extended, and while I did not use a tape measure it looks like there is a LOTTTTT of room down there.
At least 3 to 4 feet in length... I really wanted to put the battery weight on her side (Passenger) to balance things, LOL!
I'm a big ol boy and she is much smaller!

I guess I should go measure... But I think I'm just gonna put the batts inside for a while and make the sub floor box/holder a future project.
I'm getting itchie to get on the road....

 

[MrNoodly]

So, I was looking on the drivers side,, behind the door and before the gas fill area...
Now, I have a 3500 extended, and while I did not use a tape measure it looks like there is a LOTTTTT of room down there.

My Express is standard length.

 

[MikeRuth]

I'll have to do some digging on the pictures, I built the battery tray my self from 1/2" flat bar stock and 3/4" angle iron stock.
Then I put in four mounting holes on the sides of the tray, I installed 3/8" class 8 bolts into the frame rails and nuts to hold them, then the tray slides on to the bolt ends and then final nuts are used to secure it. It was a lot of work but I'm happy with it.

I'm not so sure there is much of anything I'd change with that, it's a bummer they can not be removed with out jacking up the vehicle and using a second floor jack to get them out. I'm no he man so approximately 140lbs is hanging there, hence the floor jack to raise and lower the tray. I did change from using a fuse as my disaster fuse to a circuit breaker, so I can easily reach under and either turn off everything and or reset the breaker if it should trip. I brought my primary load wires up through the flange for the Gas filler and then to Buss Bars.

As for the hydro caps I choose the flow right kit. Makes watering a breeze, I drop the line connect my hand pump, drop the supply into a bottle of distilled water and squeeze. 

I'll try to get some decent pics for everyone. I'm really happy with the setup, although it did take some time to build it all.

 

[Vagabound]

I'll throw a question in here just to confuse things ...

Assuming batteries hanging under a vehicle, otherwise secure enough to prevent cliff diving, what's the standard thinking about whether the batteries need to be fully enclosed in some kind of a box more protected from the weather or whether they can just be sitting on a rack otherwise exposed to the weather?

An additional concern might be protection from thieves as well as weather in an enclosed box.

Tom

 

[galladanb]

Vagabond, I know, Right?

I'm just wanting to avoid the gassing, sealed tight, battery box scenario... I will most likely put my GC2's inside for the first few trips anyway, then make this a "Not now, For later" project. The under belly box idea does intrigue me for sure!!!!!

In my case, the underside under there is prolly cleaner than the white painted surfaces above it, well not really, but still quite nice and well protected!

And if a thief wants to manhandle 140 pounds, they can have 'em, for sure. That means they are bigger and man-le-er than I am.
My thought, if you can get them out of there, go for it... By the time I get around to using them, they most likely will be near dead anyway.
So... That punk as&&& will be doing me a favor, and I will only have to re-install fresh ones... LOL!!!
I know I will be crying, but what the heck, right?