Splitting batteries?

[saabman]

LenS,

Yes I have the 2wd too and was wondering about ground clearance ... but if you look at that pic I posted it seems to be flush with the bottom of the chassis rail... Not quite sure where it is located though under the van, seems it might be a late Express van model...

I would like to avoid drilling out too many holes in the van this is why an external mount might be better... or more expensive fit Optima sealed batteries...

Do the Fords have a good spot for mounting batteries on the chassis? I think somebody on the forum had some pics...

[Ford_6L_E350]

I'm not convinced about the dangers of having a battery inside the passenger compartment. Many Mercedes and VW models have the batteries mounted under seats. Certainly our VW Vanagon battery has never been vented to the outside. There are thousands of Vanagons around, and if it were dangerous it would have been and issue long ago.

On our Ford SMB, the house batteries are mounted outboard of the frame in both rear corners. Holes were cut into the floor for top access to the fiberglass battery boxes. Other floor plans may have the batteries mounted in other locations.

Mike

[saabman]

Me again, LenS my guess is the battery tray on the chassis is around this area:

[LenS]

My house batteries are mounted inside the van. I do have vent tubes on them. Not sure if they are really needed but it was easy to do.

If a OEM battery that is mounted inside goes "pop" and scares the heck out out of a person....a deep pocket law suit might be coming. If my batteries go "pop" I probably would change my pants but would not sue myself.

[spurious]

On the vanagons if you look closely they are vented as well.
I recently had a battery go bad and started "off gassing" anytime it was charging. It heated up and the smell was atrocious. I will be placing the battery outside as soon I build the holder..

[Sam]

LenS:

Thanks for the picture of your house battery compartment. I have a 2005 Chevy Express 3500 van. I'm not sure what year Chevy started it, but if you look under your van on the drivers side frame, you might see several small triangles there as well as 4 holes. Chevy did this to mount the 2nd battery for their diesel vans. So, you might have them & if you so desired, place another battery there using the factory mounting bracket. My Express van is a Quigley IFS 4x4 & has these holes. I have the same ground clearance as you with 2WD. By the time you hit the battery, you've also wiped out your frame.

Saabman:

It looks as if your frame has the holes & triangles or slots for the factory mount. The nuts are welded on a metal strap & you slide them in the holes & them bolt the battery frame to them. Some trailer hitches are like that so you can use the holes in the frame & mount the hitch.

Can you get a few more pictures of the frame mounted battery that you took the picture of & send to me? That would be great. Thanks!

Sam

[LenS]

I searched the Internet for lead acid batteries....

22,000 battery explosions occur in the U.S. per year.


Overcharging a battery generates both oxygen and hydrogen gases. The battery is designed to vent excess gases or contain them so they can recombine to form water. However, if excess gas accumulates, it can be dangerous. This combination of gas is highly explosive. If the gas is ignited, the resulting explosion is sufficient to burst the outer casing of the battery, injuring any person nearby with the spray of fluid and pieces of shrapnel (or acid coated shrapnel).

When sulfuric acid comes in contact with skin, it causes severe, even third-degree, burns. Even a mist of the acid is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat. If sprayed directly in the eyes, blindness can occur. When sulfuric acid mist is breathed in, it irritates the lungs and can even cause pulmonary edema, which is the buildup of excess fluid in the lungs.

[saabman]

@Sam:

Hi yes I was trying to figure out how the tray was bolted... I haven't really looked closer under the van yet but I will try and get some more photos soon. As far as the other picture is concerned it is from a website http://www.industrialvan.com seems they do the installation of dual batteries for industrial vans...

@LenS:

I have never seen a battery explode, only cold weather seems to get at them, in that cas inside the van seems a good place to protect them from the elements... that is the only problem with the frame mount I can see is get road dirt and stone/water/mud projections on the batteries... as you can see in my van's underside the rear leaf spring mount is shot blasted and is a bit rusty...

[LenS]

I have seen one occurrence. It was a car with a starting problem and the man attached the jumper cable improperly and there was a boom. No one was injured, but he did jump about 4 inches off the ground. It seem to me the big risk is in engine compartments when a person is leaning over the battery hooking up jumper cables (spark source). So...battery stored out of line of sight, no spark sources near the battery, battery gases vented away from battery location, a battery design and charging system that does not generate hydrogen/oxygen gas by design (AGM, low charge rate, etc). Ad to that that 22,000 failures per year in the U.S. with 250,000,000 registered is less than 1:10,000 chances of it happening per year. I at least am satisfied that the risks will be low and acceptable with an inside the vehicle battery mount.

I would of liked to have the batteries under the vehicle so that I had more interior space for other stuff. Maybe I will look again at the under body when I do another major upgrade in 5-10 years. As of now my ship has sailed as far as battery location.

[jage]

I am just itching for the day when I can construct a bracket extension and move my 2nd 4D under the van with the first one- and reclaim a good portion of internal space and access to the longest storage section of my van. It has to wait on a house and a workshop though.

Incidentially SMB Texas just filled all the inside battery box holes with black silicone gobs. There is no venting that I can determine.