Rebuilt battery shelf

[drb9]

The original rotted away after 35 years of holding up 70 lbs of battery.

[Frenchy]

Nice work, drb9, - almost too nice for a battery shelf. - Jean

[John Stone]

Very nice work. Looks professional.

Do you have a way to keep stuff from getting tossed onto the batteries? Looks like great storage around them but keeping the batteries isolated from equipment, foulies, tools, etc is important. You probably already have a plan for it.

[drb9]

Very nice work. Looks professional.

Do you have a way to keep stuff from getting tossed onto the batteries? Looks like great storage around them but keeping the batteries isolated from equipment, foulies, tools, etc is important. You probably already have a plan for it.

Hmmmm. My system is--nothing else goes in this locker except a sail I never use, and a container of back-up life jackets.

[JD-MDR]

I always worry about stuff like that being a fire hazard too close to the batteries.?????

[drb9]

I always worry about stuff like that being a fire hazard too close to the batteries.?????

I appreciate the concern. Any suggestions on how far away they should be? The sail is a good 4' away, and the life jackets are probably 2'-3' away.

[jbenagh]

Nice work, drb9, - almost too nice for a battery shelf.

Yeah! You are giving me ideas.

I find that stuff moves around in lockers and you can't rely on stuff staying put. You might think about another, nearly identical box, just slightly smaller, that fits around this one. When I bought my CD30, she had those battery trays like you have. I changed to boxes with covers after a year. This past winter I had a cell crack -- there was way more acid than those trays would hold.

Jeff

[Keith]

Hi,

The shelf looks fantastic. I think that I will be redoing mine next winter as 40 yrs has done the same to mine. Going to see if I can make enough room for a third battery as well ( 1 start and 2 house).

Your cables look a bit on the small side (might just be the pics). Did you calculate the length and amperage draw to select the correct gage. Not trying to spend more of your money but just want you to be safe. Also do you have inline fuses?

Again looks great.

Keith

[Steve Laume]

I re-worked the battery shelf on Raven a few years back. The batteries live in plastic boxes, which keep them clean and protect the terminals. I fastened cleats to the battery shelf and ran a heavy strap around them to hold them in place. Toss out the cheap strap, and plastic buckles, that comes with the boxes. I use the Blue Seas terminal fuses that fit right on the positive terminal inside the boxes.

No worries about what I put in that locker pr the batteries getting lose, Steve.