#DUAL 6V BATTERY BOX INSTALL#

We layered the inside of the battery box with plastic – just in case something goes catastrophically wrong and we have an acid leak (again, very unlikely with AGM batteries). Step 9: Layer Plastic Sheeting Inside Box (optional for AGM or LiFePO4 batteries)

#DUAL 6V BATTERY BOX INSTALL#

To install them, we used a piece of ¼” plywood as a spacer, Titebond II wood glue, and ¾” self-tapping screws. Two D-ring anchor points inside the battery box (one on the front and one on the back) let us strap our batteries down.

Step 8: Install Anchor Points for Ratchet Straps We also drilled holes about halfway down on the left side (the side closest to the rest of the electrical components) to run our wiring through. We drilled holes right at the top of the angled side pieces and three more holes along the top of the back piece to let any released hydrogen rise up and escape (this is very unlikely with AGM batteries). The front of the battery box got four holes a few inches down to allow for fresh air to flow in. Step 6: Make Sure the Batteries Fitĭry-fitting the batteries proves that we didn’t screw up any of our measurements! Step 7: Drill Holes for Vents and Wiringįor ventilation, we drilled several holes in the front, sides, and back of the battery box using a 1-½” spade drill bit (a hole saw would work too). Once the spacer was set in place inside the battery box, we permanently attached it using 1” GRK cabinet screws driven in from the outside. The spacer fits perfectly in the bottom of our battery box. So, we made a spacer out of 1×3 furring strips arranged into a square and attached together using pocket holes and 1-¼” pocket hole screws. Since we designed our battery box with some wiggle room to allow for airflow, we needed a way to keep the batteries in place inside the box. And because our batteries are a weird size, we couldn’t find any commercially available battery boxes that would fit them. Some may argue that a battery box is unnecessary for AGM batteries, but we just felt safer having one. Provide some insurance in case something did go catastrophically wrong with the batteries or charging system.Prevent dust, dirt, grime, and dog hair from getting near the batteries.Protect the battery terminals from shorting or coming into contact with anything they shouldn’t.Create an enclosure to keep the batteries separated from everything else in our rear storage area.But we still thought it was a good idea to have a battery box for our batteries because it would: If charged and discharged properly, sealed batteries should not leak or vent corrosive gasses – two reason why battery boxes are a must with older wet cell lead acid batteries. With a sealed battery like AGM or LiFePO4, a battery box isn’t required. Where do we house all of the electrical components in our van build? We have two big AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries in our van, and we decided to build our own battery box out of plywood.

Dual 6v battery box