Battery Box for 200ah

Buckster

Are any of you using a 200ah lithium battery? If so, what battery box did you purchase?  I'm considering the 200ah CHINS and the dimensions are 20.55 x 9.45 x 8.58 inches.  The box that came with our 320 CS-S will obviously need to be replaced with something bigger.

pthomas745

That is...big.  It may be easier to find almost any other type of container, storage box, milk crate, etc.  I would take really close measurements, too.  Remember, a lithium battery can be mounted in any position except upside down.  You may find standing it on the side, etc.

This Noco box was mentioned in the Amazon comments, but it is even bigger.

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-HM484-Commercial-Automotive-Batteries/dp/B002WD1MY6

Edit:

Someone else in this group pointed me toward this company who makes larger, easier to deal with battery boxes.  I bought the 30H for my 100 AH battery.

https://allbatterysalesandservice.com/battery/battery-boxes

ReenieG

@pthomas745 I started a new comment thread before I saw your post on this. The previous link I referred to, you and a couple of others were discussing battery replacement. I see you have a 2017 and I'm wondering what type of battery box/setup you had and how and where you replaced it. I want to get at least a good AGM group 27 battery and I don't think it will fit in my plastic tub and battery box. I currently have my second Interstate battery in less than two years and it's a group 24 to boot.

pthomas745

I have the 2017 Outback.  I bought a 100 AH lithium battery, which means I went from a Group 24 to a Group 27.  Apparently, the lithium batteries are "not exactly" the same measurements as the "lead acid" group size measurements, but they are close.

In my trailer, the new battery sits along the back wall of the tub. I bought a Noco group 27 box for the new battery, but the "ordinary" battery boxes have odd shapes.  The lumps and bumps of that box made made the newer, bigger battery a bit hard to handle in the tub.  Somewhere, in one of the battery threads, someone pointed out the All Battery Sales web site.  Pricy box, but the larger battery has a few extra inches to move around in my tub. The pictures below show how the group 27 fits on the back wall of the tub, or can fit "front to back".  There really wasn't much room for the battery box in the "front to back" configuration.

ReenieG

@pthomas745 because you have the Outback, you have a different tub than mine. Mine doesn't have a bottom so it'll be a bit trickier to figure it out. Are you concerned about having such an expensive battery exposed in the tub? I see many put their gems under the bench inside. That may be another mod I'm not thinking I want to do, like a few other ones I tackled.

kottum

Buckster, we put two 100ah Battle Born lithiums (200ah total) in our 2022 T@b 320s BD and they fit snugly in the space next to the propane tank.

Doug K

Denny16

Battery boxes go back to lead acid batteries that could and have developed leaks, and to,protect the battery from damage and shorts.  A good lithium battery already has its own rugged battery box, the case it is assembled in.  Even the new AGMs are not normally put in a box, except when they could be exposed to weather or potential damage.  

The original nüCamp install of the large AGM in the TaB400 in 2018, was not in a box as such, but was framed in under The rear bunk.  Later a black shroud was added around the battery to vent off any possible outgassing to an external vent.  This and the current plywood battery box used in the 400 is for sealing any outgas venting from the battery, since it is under the bunk.

Original nüCamp install of the TaB400 battery, no box.


The AGM Battery was enclosed in this shroud after Jan 2018, and used in the 2019 model year TaB400s to provide additional protection to the battery.  Whilst this enclosure appears to add some vapor protection, it is not entirely sealed, nor vapor proof.  See the cut corner on lower right side of the enclosure.

If mounting the Lithium battery in the front tub, you might want an additional case to protect the top of the battery from any possible shorts.  Lithium batteries do not off gas or vent any fumes like lead acid batteries do, so no need for a vapor proof enclosure.
 Cheers 

kottum

Yes, the two BB 100ah lithiums each have their own battery box and fit nicely in the tub of our 320s BD.

Doug K

CrabTab

@Buckster, A lithium (or AGM) battery doesn't require a battery box, as @Denny16 noted. You can consider battery post terminal covers to reduce the possibility of accidental shorts. Here is an example...

Marceline

As @Denny16 points out, a lithium battery doesn't really need a box, except to protect it from the elements. I have a mouse problem where I keep my trailer, so I didn't want to use a traditional vented battery box. I searched high and low, and found a cheap plastic file folder box was a good solution. I hit on this solution by typing the approximate dimensions of the enclosure + plastic box into Google, then looking through the hits under "Shopping" and "Images." 

Denny16

Nice solution @Marceline, but you may want to add a grommet to the wires where they exit the box to prevent any chafing of the wire insulation.
 Cheers 

Buckster

CrabTab said:

@Buckster, A lithium (or AGM) battery doesn't require a battery box, as @Denny16 noted. You can consider battery post terminal covers to reduce the possibility of accidental shorts. Here is an example...

Everyone's input has been helpful - thank you! CrabTab: is the cover you are using basically the plastic top off of a battery box?

CrabTab

The gray rectangle you see is a Renogy AGM battery (100AH size) @Buckster. The terminal covers I mentioned are red and black, sitting on top of the battery. They look something like this.

You can find them at most auto parts stores. Those shown are from NAPA.