Hi

[aaron_c]

Howdy Yall

I'm just about to purchase a trailer to live in.  I'm doing this to avoid environmental toxins a la Lisa Petrison and Eric Johnson.  I've found Bob's videos to just be really great!

But I do have one question--and asking it is the reason I joined today:  How do people protect their batteries from getting too hot in the summer? 
The twist is that because I'm trying to avoid toxic molds and I want to be extra careful with my investment, I don't plan on using air conditioning.  However I've seen some of the battery compartments on RV's, and they don't usually look like they get much air conditioned air passing through them.  So maybe this isn't an issue?

Anyhow, it's great to find this community.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Aaron! Many of us move to cooler areas, either the mountains or the northern coasts, so we don't have problems with the heat. I don't know how hot is too hot for house batteries but it seems like they would be okay even in warmer climates with adequate ventilation.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[DannyB1954]

Most vehicle batteries are placed in the engine compartment where it can get quite warm especially with the engine recently shut off. The engine thermostat is set to keep the engine temperature a minimum of 180f. When the engine is shut down, the cooling stops so the temperature actually goes up before it starts to cool. Batteries seem to do just fine in that environment.

Batteries can give off fumes if they are over charged. They can also expel acid. Even sealed batteries have a valve or port that opens if the pressures inside get excessive. Some vehicles like the old VW Bug had the battery under the back seat. There was little risk of overcharging as the charging system was pretty lame. It is best to have the batteries in a ventilated area, but many are not and one does not hear of problems.

 

[aaron_c]

My concern is that, as many websites including this one note, "for every 15 degrees F over 77, battery life is cut in half."  So it seems like even a bit of improvement over whatever the normal situation is could be very helpful.  I know that it gets hot in the engine compartment, but losing half or three quarters of your starter battery life is different than losing half or three quarters of your battery bank's life.  Just because there's a huge cost difference. 

Maybe, though, people don't really have a solution for this other than traveling to cooler climes in the summer.

 

[nature lover]

HOWDY TO YA'LL TOO. You must be a south easterner with that greeting??? Welcome to the forum. I am by no means an expert and can only give you my opinion. Which is that someone who is sensitive to toxins etc should be careful about buying an rv or trailer. Most of them are cheaply made with tons of synthetic materials. After Catrenia the FEMA trailers provided as emergency housing caused many folks severe health problems - goggle FEMA trailers for more info. Because they endure the bumps and ruts of the highway; RVs and mobile homes are notorious for leaks and most of them will have leaks within a few years - some of these leaks are small, inside the wall and therefore not visible until they get worse. It is not uncommon for these leaks to have unseen mold issues inside the walls. It may take a year or more for the leak to be noticable. Smart rv folks are aware of this and regular reseal their roof but it is not uncommon for some water to get in before the sealing is done and mold will start even though the roof is now leak free. If you are tolerant of fiberglass, there are trailers made of two pieces of fiberglass bolted together which are very good at preventing leaks but you will find the interior parts made of plywood and press board which contain chemicals that many people are sensitive to. I don't say all of this to scare you but just so you consider it in light of your sensitivity. This is only my opinion. Bob did a video of a women who had a campervan build with less toxic materials you may want to watch. Here is a link to her web site. http://www.thegalavan.com/. and you can search Bob's youtube page for the tour Bob did of her rig. Any way - welcome to the forum and I hope you can find what you need to get on the road. ps - good ventilation is a way to mitigate these toxic materials for most.

 

[DannyB1954]

"for every 15 degrees F over 77, battery life is cut in half."

I live in Southern Nevada. Average summer temperatures are 91f and quite often 105f. The battery in my truck is over 8 years old. Don't believe experts or statistics. Even with the best intentions people can be wrong, (even me, yes hard to believe, Lol). What really harms a battery is letting them sit in a discharged state. Recharge every day. and get a good charger that will not over charge and cook the battery.

Some will tell you that you need high dollar batteries. Any battery can be ruined, (over charged or under charged), so do you want to ruin a cheap battery or an expensive one? I use Walmart Maxx 29DC batteries . They have a two year warranty and cost about a hundred bucks. Any sizable town will have a Walmart. Finding a dealer for some of the high dollar brands is a lot tougher. There is a big difference between best and most cost efficient.