Moving Batteries

T

terry skinner

New member
Dec 30, 1998
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I would like to move my household batteries forward to the engine
compartment. Seems like the best place would be on the starboard side and
move the engine battery to port under the steering column. The reason for
the use of boat terms is so there will be no question as to which side I an
talking about. Has anyone done this? (what a dumb question) How did it work?
Do I need to run a new cable front to back? Should I consider a small 12v
battery dedicated to the generator? In my mind it just seems to be better to
get some of the weight moved forward to counter balance all the "extras" my
wife keeps adding. 80 lbs and
holding.....................................Terry
PS I did read all the tire pressure e-mails and I didn't always agree, BUT I
wanted to hear everyone's opinion and use them to form mine. PLEASE don't
stop writing in. Especially Arch. I value your opinion.

Terry & Diane Skinner
Webfooted in Washington
'76 Glenbrook
 
Terry and Diane, my 78 Royale came with the three batteries in
the front. The engine battery and one of the house batteries are
positioned below the passenger seat (standard GMC layout) and the
third battery is mounted under the driver seat between the
steering column and the outside edge of the body. The negative
terminal is connected to the frame, and the positive terminal
connects to a 50 amp circuit breaker and then to the ONAN
generator. The two house batteries are connected with a small
(about 12 gauge) wire, and the engine battery is connected to
these through the battery "Boost Switch" on the dash. Both
systems are charged from the engine alternator. The ONAN
alternator and the house converter charge only the house
batteries, unless the "Boost Switch" is engaged.

I have a schematic that I can send you if you want more detail.

I hope this helps.

Scott Shean
Baton Rouge, LA
78 Royale

>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-gmcmotorhome
>[mailto:owner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf
>Of Diane Skinner
>Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 9:24 AM
>To: GMC Motorhome mailing list
>Subject: GMC: Moving Batteries
>
>
>I would like to move my household batteries forward to
>the engine
>compartment. Seems like the best place would be on the
>starboard side and
>move the engine battery to port under the steering
>column. The reason for
>the use of boat terms is so there will be no question
>as to which side I an
>talking about. Has anyone done this? (what a dumb
>question) How did it work?
>Do I need to run a new cable front to back? Should I
>consider a small 12v
>battery dedicated to the generator? In my mind it just
>seems to be better to
>get some of the weight moved forward to counter balance
>all the "extras" my
>wife keeps adding. 80 lbs and
>holding.....................................Terry
>PS I did read all the tire pressure e-mails and I
>didn't always agree, BUT I
>wanted to hear everyone's opinion and use them to form
>mine. PLEASE don't
>stop writing in. Especially Arch. I value your opinion.
>
>Terry & Diane Skinner
>Webfooted in Washington
>'76 Glenbrook
>
>
 
If some one wants to give me measurements for that engine compartment
battery tray I can get you guys a price. Talking to a Man in the know, I
have been informed that aluminum is not the best choice for a battery
tray. It dissolves rather quickly, I am told. So it looks like stainless
is the way to go. I would think that just a simple tray should be pretty
cheap. Just give me a size to work with. Darren

>
> In a message dated 9/23/99 9:25:03 AM Central Daylight Time,

>
> > PS I did read all the tire pressure e-mails and I didn't always agree, BUT I
> > wanted to hear everyone's opinion and use them to form mine. PLEASE don't
> > stop writing in. Especially Arch. I value your opinion.
> >
> Terry
>
> Thanks for the kind words. They have been few and far between lately.
> I dont want anybody to quit writing. I too like to hear of all the
> possibilities. I dont want just the right answers-----I will decide that as
> each of you should. Now for batteries Ragusa sells a nice double
> battery tray for the passenger side, bet it would work other places.
> I cant put a battery on the drivers side because I have a big round
> air tank there.
>
> Take Care
> Arch 76 GB IL

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
paget
http://www.TZEplus.com
 
> starboard is to the RIGHT when facing the bow. Easy to remember when you
> think of where the two "r"s are.

That's good; I taught myself to remember by noting that both "port" and
"left" have four letters. I've spent my whole life having to "trick" my
memory. For example, when I was a cop, I actually reported for work at
briefing one morning without my pistol in my holster; sounds crazy, but
understand that the duty belt is pretty heavy and clumsy with the pistol in
it, so I always took the pistol out before I undressed. The solution that I
came up with was to make it a point to put the car keys with the pistol;
that way, when I got dressed for work, I couldn't leave without going for
the keys, and thus the pistol. Never happened again. Similarly, I used to
work for a company in Dallas that required about a 45 minute commute. In the
fall and spring, it was dark when I left the house and light by the time I
got there. A couple of times, since it was daylight, I left my lights on
(before the days of headlight warning buzzers) and came out to a dead
battery. So I formed the habit of always locking the door when I turned on
the lights; this made me have to stop and think before I could get out of
the car.

As I've gotten older, the problem has gotten exponentially (you engineering
types know what that means!) worse. I need some more tricks. By the way, I
took a heckuva lot of ribbing from the other guys showing up without my
pistol. The funny part was...I always carried a "backup", a little 5 shot
stainless steel .38 revolver, in my left boot; I had it with me, just not my
duty weapon!

Travis
 
A little trick I used back in my boating days (a hole in the water which
cannot be filled with money -- a lot like a GMC, sans the H20!) was that
starboard is to the RIGHT when facing the bow. Easy to remember when you
think of where the two "r"s are. They're in staRboaRd (as in "RIGHT" side).
You'd be amazed how quickly you'll be sounding like an old salt -- even when
those around you haven't a clue. For that reason, be VERY CAREFUL about
using this cryptic lexicon on the uninitiated. Example: "Hurry, the FIRE
EXTINGUISHER is in the PORT side cabinet."
Dick 75 LANDLOCKED PB in Atlanta.

>In a message dated 9/23/99 10:24:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

>
>> The reason for
>> the use of boat terms is so there will be no question as to which side I am
>> talking about.
>
>Dearest Terry!!
>That is the worst definition of a reason I have ever heard.:) If it weren't
>for your use of steering wheel, I would have not known what you were talking
>about. Does starboard mean passenger side?
>By moving the battery up front how much more weight will be put on the front
>wheel?
>Seems like we are between a rock and a hard place? Therefore alot of status
>quo going on, just leaving as it is.
>
>Scott NEHODA'S
>BACK YARD
>
>
>
 
Maybe a bad choice of words. Dissolve may be a bit harsh. Told by one
person does not make it so. Info is better if shared. No one is always
right but different opinions are always welcome. Maybe stainless is not
the only answer but the aluminum does get pitted and scored from the
battery acid if it is not rinsed off on a regular basis. I don't know of
any definitive testing on this but a 10 or 15 year old aluminum battery
tray would be a good testimonial. As always, Still Experimenting.
Darren

>

>
> have been informed that aluminum is not the best choice for a battery
> tray. It dissolves rather quickly, I am told. >>
>
> I guess that I have to disagree with the Man In The Know. It all depends on
> the alloy of the aluminum that is used. If you have the battery in the back
> of your GMC, check the aluminum frame that is below the battery and the case
> and door of the battery compartment. Acid and fumes have been dripping on
> that aluminum for over 20 years. Has it dissolved?
>
> Suggest someone call Ragusa, who makes battery trays out of aluminum, and see
> what he has to say on this subject.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
paget
http://www.TZEplus.com
 
>In a message dated 9/23/99 8:49:26 PM Central Daylight Time,

>
>I dont know anything about alloys. I can tell you this. When I tried to
>pull out my Ragusa slide out tray to get some measurments for Darren
>it was frozen. Big pry bar got it out. There was a big white spot on one
>side of the slide section.

SAme here and I didn't have any corrosion. Problem was that grit got
between the slide and the base. Chewed up the tape that the tray slid on.

I wouldn't give mine away to my worst enemy.

Henry

Henry Davis Consulting, Inc / new product consulting
PO Box 1270 / product readiness reviews
Soquel, Ca 95073 / IP reviews
ph: (831) 462-5199 / full service marketing
fax: (831) 462-5198
http://www.henry-davis.com/ http://www.henry-davis.com
 
Progress report.
I want to especially thank Scott Shean and Bob Burkett. Scott e-mailed
me a copy of his wiring diagram. What a piece of art. We should post it some
where so that everyone can see it. He said that he originally created it in
CorelDraw and transferred it to Word. Drawings like that are so easy to
follow.
And Bob sent me three pictures of his batteries and their mounting tray.
Plain to see that there is plenty of room to mount the tray and what kind of
support brackets were needed. I fabricated a copy of Bob's tray out of
cardboard. That way I could check dimensions and clearances and submitted
them to the vocational school for fabrication. I will try to get some
pictures and dimensions on the tray and brackets before they are
installed........................Terry
P.S. Must be time to head south. Here in Tacoma the fog has rolled in and
the temperature is about 40 degrees. Burrrrrrr!
 
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