rear battery

[chris izzig]

did anyone make a slideout tray for the battery in the rear so you could water the batterys without using a mirror?

thanx chris 75 gb

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[john wright]

Ragusa make a great 2 battery slide out tray. PH 949-261-5898 I think
that it is about $65. I have 2 golf cart batteries and it works great.

J.R. Wright

>
> did anyone make a slideout tray for the battery in the rear so you could water the batterys without using a mirror?
>
> thanx chris 75 gb
>
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[richard waters]

Dave before you go could you tell me where you bought your
"stainless glides with a 100# capacity"? I think I will try to build
a battery slide out try like you made.

And to think you said "I doubt that I will be missed since this is mainly
a technical forum and I have made no secret of my lack of competence
in this area." I think building a slide out battery tray is a technical
issue!

Can't you get to the internet occasionally during your five month sabbatical?

Richard Waters
'76 PB, Troy, MI

>
> You can buy one from Ragusa o you can make your own as I did using h.D.
> stainless glides with a 100# capacity and a piece of 3/4" marine plywood.
>
> Works great, especially with golf carts that are so high.
>
> David Lee Greenberg
> GMC Motorhome Registry
> 200 MacFarlane Drive
> Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829

 

[david l greenberg]

On Mon, 03 May 1999 18:17:04 -0700 "chris izzig"
writes:
>did anyone make a slideout tray for the battery in the rear so you
>could water the batterys without using a mirror?
>
You can buy one from Ragusa o you can make your own as I did using h.D.
stainless glides with a 100# capacity and a piece of 3/4" marine plywood.

Works great, especially with golf carts that are so high.

David Lee Greenberg
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 MacFarlane Drive
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829

 

[david l greenberg]

>Dave...
>
>> stainless glides with a 100# capacity and a piece of 3/4" marine
>> plywood. Works great, especially with golf carts that are so high.
>
>How much headroom do you have... what I wondering about is, do you
>have
>enough height for those vapor containment caps that prevent the golf
>cart
>batteries from loosing vapor while charging.

I think there is a couple of inches clearance to allow the slide out to
work. Maybe 3"

David Lee Greenberg
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 Macfarlane Drive PH 4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829
800-827-9989

 

[john dolan]

Dave...

> stainless glides with a 100# capacity and a piece of 3/4" marine
> plywood. Works great, especially with golf carts that are so high.

How much headroom do you have... what I wondering about is, do you have
enough height for those vapor containment caps that prevent the golf cart
batteries from loosing vapor while charging.

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..." John said from inside a
1974 Glacier

 

[bartz paul]

If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding, etc.,
problems??

Paul Bartz

From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery

enough height for those vapor containment caps that prevent the golf cart
batteries from loosing vapor while charging.

Dave said...
I think there is a couple of inches clearance to allow the slide out to
work. Maybe 3"

I think you need more like 5" for those special caps. Do you still have to
add water on a periodic basis Dave? I keep waiting for those guys to design
in that vapor retention system into the battery.

The adding water is not so bad, it is the forgetting to add water before
charging that gets you, right?

 

[bartz paul]

John:

Looking at JEG'S catalog, a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is
~$180.00, regular kind is ~$140.00. So yes they are more expensive.
However, as I see it, they eliminate problems you are trying to deal with,
so there is a slight price to pay. Perhaps some of that cost can be
recouped if they have a longer life span??

Paul Bartz

From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery

If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding,

I think you are right Paul, but then, would I not, have the problem of no
money left to buy gas, or do anything? They are still very expensive, no?
Money is still an object with me.... But maybe the cost is coming down and
that will be the best solution.

 

[gary miller]

Don't forget to consider the more stringent charging controls required on gel
batteries. Before you buy check out the latest issue of HIGHWAYS (the Good Sam
magazine) for a very thorough comparison of battery types, life, care, and
cost. I'll stick with 2 golf cart batteries.
Gary
'77 Kingsley
North Bend, Oregon Coast

> John:
>
> Looking at JEG'S catalog, a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is
> ~$180.00, regular kind is ~$140.00. So yes they are more expensive.
> However, as I see it, they eliminate problems you are trying to deal with,
> so there is a slight price to pay. Perhaps some of that cost can be
> recouped if they have a longer life span??
>
> Paul Bartz
>
> From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:16 PM
> Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery
>
> If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding,
>
> I think you are right Paul, but then, would I not, have the problem of no
> money left to buy gas, or do anything? They are still very expensive, no?
> Money is still an object with me.... But maybe the cost is coming down and
> that will be the best solution.

 

[bartz paul]

Correct.

Paul

From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 6:43 PM
To: gmcmotorhome
Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery

a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is ~$180.00, regular kind
is ~$140.00.

When you say the regular kind, you mean the non-deep cycle Optima, right?
I was comparing golf-cart-deep-cycles with vapor containment (which is
reuseable) to deep cycle gel cells. The dollars per Amp X Hours X Life are
quite different.

 

[david l greenberg]

>Dave said...
>>>I think there is a couple of inches clearance to allow the slide out
>to
>>>work. Maybe 3"
>
>I think you need more like 5" for those special caps. Do you still
>have
>to add water on a periodic basis Dave? I keep waiting for those guys
>to
>design in that vapor retention system into the battery.
>
>The adding water is not so bad, it is the forgetting to add water
>before
>charging that gets you, right?
>
I add water once every couple of months but I don't keep the coach hooked
up to a power source so there is little opportunity to boil out. I
probably added less than a pint of water to the batteries. Just normal
evaporation which is low in Florida.

When I had my boat with 2 8D's and 1 4D for the Westerbeke Genset, I
usually added 2-3 gallons of water every month. Batteries lasted 23
months (24 month warranty) cause they were on charge all the time.


David Lee Greenberg
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 Macfarlane Drive PH 4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829
800-827-9989

 

[john dolan]

>enough height for those vapor containment caps that prevent the golf
>cart batteries from loosing vapor while charging.

Dave said...
>>I think there is a couple of inches clearance to allow the slide out to
>>work. Maybe 3"

I think you need more like 5" for those special caps. Do you still have
to add water on a periodic basis Dave? I keep waiting for those guys to
design in that vapor retention system into the battery.

The adding water is not so bad, it is the forgetting to add water before
charging that gets you, right?

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..." John said.

 

[john dolan]

> If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding,

I think you are right Paul, but then, would I not, have the problem of no
money left to buy gas, or do anything? They are still very expensive,
no? Money is still an object with me.... But maybe the cost is coming
down and that will be the best solution.

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..." John said.

 

[john dolan]

> a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is
> ~$180.00, regular kind is ~$140.00.

When you say the regular kind, you mean the non-deep cycle Optima, right?

I was comparing golf-cart-deep-cycles with vapor containment (which is
reuseable) to deep cycle gel cells. The dollars per Amp X Hours X Life
are quite different.
- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..." John said.

 

[john dolan]

Thanks Dave...
> I add water once every couple of months but I don't keep the coach >
> hooked up to a power source so there is little opportunity to boil out.
> I probably added less than a pint of water to the batteries. Just
> normal evaporation which is low in Florida.

I guess we could say they did dramatically reduce the need for vapor
containment caps on lead acid batteries based on your data. (pint to
gallons) I know we are talking more cells on the old batteries but I'd
say forget the special caps now, based on your data. How many miles a
year are you putting on now, approx?

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..." John said.

 

[clark searle]

I can't attest to the accuracy of this, but when I was shopping around for
batteries, one "expert" said he wouldn't sell me a gel cell battery for a
motorhome because he's had too many explode due to overcharging. His point was
there's no room for expansion by venting liquid as in a wet cell battery and if
the charger overdoes it, the case gives out. I eventually went with Interstate
golf car batteries.
Clark Searle
Mt. Pleasant, MI

> John:
>
> Looking at JEG'S catalog, a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is
> ~$180.00, regular kind is ~$140.00. So yes they are more expensive.
> However, as I see it, they eliminate problems you are trying to deal with,
> so there is a slight price to pay. Perhaps some of that cost can be
> recouped if they have a longer life span??
>
> Paul Bartz
>
> From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:16 PM
> Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery
>
> If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding,
>
> I think you are right Paul, but then, would I not, have the problem of no
> money left to buy gas, or do anything? They are still very expensive, no?
> Money is still an object with me.... But maybe the cost is coming down and
> that will be the best solution.

 

[william myers]

The Optima Gel Cell type golf cart battery was mentioned. A little
pricy but, what are other folks using for golf cart batteries. Several
Netters have mentioned using them. I checked at Sams and they had a
golf-c 235 AH 6v battery for $42, except it's warranty was only 6 mos.
(In 2 yrs I could get the Optima with that deal).

Thanks,
Bill
'74 GL

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[david l greenberg]

On Tue, 04 May 1999 21:33:47 -0400 Clark Searle

>I can't attest to the accuracy of this, but when I was shopping around
>for
>batteries, one "expert" said he wouldn't sell me a gel cell battery
>for a
>motorhome because he's had too many explode due to overcharging. His
>point was
>there's no room for expansion by venting liquid as in a wet cell
>battery and if
>the charger overdoes it, the case gives out. I eventually went with
>Interstate
>golf car batteries.

>Fact or Myth?

I know that Gel Cells are popular in boats.....I guess that is 'cause
they will still work under water? [g]

I seem to recall one Net xpert suggesting that Golf Cart batteries had
the edge over Gel Cells but don't recall why. At $45 each the golf carts
seem like a good cost/life calculation...to me anyway.

David Lee Greenberg
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 Macfarlane Drive PH 4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829
800-827-9989

 

[bartz paul]

Gary:

According to Managing 12 Volts, by Harold Barre, he says that charging
voltage above 14.1 v at 68 deg F, damages gel type batteries due to gassing.

Another interesting claim in his book for gel cell batteries is that they
are not as sensitive to the effects of repeated deep discharge and will
recover 100 percent if left deeply discharged for up to a month.

All this is contained on p 46 of his book.

On p 47, he says "for someone who wants batteries that do not give off
hazardous fumes, require no maintenance and charge more quickly than wet
cell batteries, gel cells may be a good buy."

Paul Bartz

From: Gary Miller [mailto:grizzly]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 3:09 PM
Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery

Don't forget to consider the more stringent charging controls required on
gel batteries. Before you buy check out the latest issue of HIGHWAYS (the
Good Sam magazine) for a very thorough comparison of battery types, life,
care, and cost. I'll stick with 2 golf cart batteries.

John:
Looking at JEG'S catalog, a deep cycle Optima brand gel type battery is
~$180.00, regular kind is ~$140.00. So yes they are more expensive.
However, as I see it, they eliminate problems you are trying to deal with,
so there is a slight price to pay. Perhaps some of that cost can be
recouped if they have a longer life span??
From: John Dolan [mailto:jdolan]

Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: GMC: Rear battery
If you use a gel type battery, doesn't that negate the water adding,
I think you are right Paul, but then, would I not, have the problem of no
money left to buy gas, or do anything? They are still very expensive, no?
Money is still an object with me.... But maybe the cost is coming down and
that will be the best solution.