Did I kill my battery?

PNWtabber

Thanks @VictoriaP, unfortunately Camco is not forthcoming about the external dimensions.  I will do some more measuring in my tub.

PNWtabber

@Mickerly, @pthomas745, ANYBODY . . .
I've previously mentioned my aversion to dealing with electrical stuff.  What safety tips do I need to observe when removing and replacing my battery???  I really don't want to hurt myself doing something stupid!

pthomas745

The only time I've really scared myself with a battery is when I dropped a wrench in precisely the correct way and it bounced off the battery terminals.  No bueno.

What I do now:  carry a small towel or rag and drape it over the terminal I'm not working on, which will prevent those types of mishaps.  You can also lift the battery connector off the post with a small rag over your hand, too.  Your hands will get dirty by the end of the job, and the towels will come in handy.

And, well ventilated area, etc. 

PNWtabber

@pthomas745 -- thanks, good tips!  

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber Before doing anything else, make sure the terminals on the Renogy are the same size as those on your current battery. You should be able to get this info from the website. If they aren’t the same, report back. (I ran into problems with that while installing my shunt.)

When dealing with vehicle type batteries, you have to do things in a specific order. 

Remove wires from the negative terminal first, then positive. 

To replace, you install on the positive terminal first, then negative. 

My process, as a fellow battery-timid person:
- I wear safety glasses and gloves, because, paranoid.
- Secure the tub lid in the open position if you don’t have a gas strut installed (my 2019 doesn’t)
- Turn battery disconnect to off before proceeding; this protects the trailer components
- Remove battery box lid & set aside
- TAKE A PICTURE OF TERMINALS BEFORE NEXT STEP. You may forget what goes where.
- Follow pthomas’ trick and cover the positive terminal
- ALWAYS remove the negative nut on your current battery first. I found using a socket wrench was easiest for mine. I prefer to put electrical tape or a baggie temporarily over the wires’ end connectors once I’ve pulled them off; probably not needed, but again, I’m paranoid. Push those wires out of your way. If you have several on one post, you may want to tape them together for now to avoid confusion. (I had way too many, which is why I ended up installing a set of bus bars when I did the shunt.)
- Move your rag to the negative post and repeat process on positive post.
- Remove battery. Replace your box with the new bigger one. (Play around with the position with the lid on to find the best fit, then screw the box down to the tub floor)
- Insert new battery into box. Verify your positive and negative terminals so you know which is which. Cover the negative with your rag.
- Install your positive wires onto the positive terminal, verify against the picture you took earlier, then tighten. Move the rag over to the positive, repeat process for negative wires.
- Close up box, turn battery disconnect back on so it can charge, pat yourself on the back!

PNWtabber

@VictoriaP -- the Renogy terminal bolts are:  M8 x 1.25mm x 20mm.  I can't find the terminal bolt size on the Interstate Battery page for my existing battery.  

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber I *think* you’ll be OK. The bolts on the SmartShunt were M10 (3/8”), while my battery terminals were M8 (5/16”), and the trailer cables were ringed for the smaller size. Looking at your pic, I suspect yours are also ringed for M8, those studs your wires are connected to look pretty narrow in width, while the bolts to either side look more like what was on my SmartShunt.

PNWtabber

VictoriaP said:

@PNWtabber I *think* you’ll be OK. The bolts on the SmartShunt were M10 (3/8”), while my battery terminals were M8 (5/16”), and the trailer cables were ringed for the smaller size. Looking at your pic, I suspect yours are also ringed for M8, those studs your wires are connected to look pretty narrow in width, while the bolts to either side look more like what was on my SmartShunt.

Took my handy, dandy ruler out and estimate the diameter of the bolts is about 3/8", so yes, I think I am good with respect to that.

PNWtabber

I bit the bullet and ordered the Renogy battery.  I also ordered their box and an Atwood box, will see if I can make all of this fit.  Unfortunately, the battery is non-returnable.  

Will see how it all comes together next weekend!  Thanks all for your help and patience.

PNWtabber

@VictoriaP and others,
The new battery and box arrived today.  With trepidation, I removed the old battery and box and held my breath while I tried the new box for size.  It WILL fit!!!!  It has to be angled and, like Victoria's, the corner of the lid will stick through the opening of the tub, but it definitely will fit!!!!  Whew!!  The lid extends more than the box itself, but I don't think it is a problem.

Next question:  the old box was attached to the tub with sheet metal screws that extended through the front platform.  The new box does not have any indications on it that it should be attached with screws -- although the strap for the lid does have anchors for screwing in.  Do you see any problem with me screwing through the bottom of the new box to attach it to the tub and platform?  Unfortunately, the holes will not likely line up with the old ones.

Marceline

PNWtabber said:

Next question:  the old box was attached to the tub with sheet metal screws that extended through the front platform.  The new box does not have any indications on it that it should be attached with screws -- although the strap for the lid does have anchors for screwing in.  Do you see any problem with me screwing through the bottom of the new box to attach it to the tub and platform?  Unfortunately, the holes will not likely line up with the old ones.

I'm not a fan of using sheet metal screws. I bolted mine with stainless steel bolts and I used really big fender washers on the inside of the box as reinforcement for the plastic and a nylon washer against the aluminum and nylock nuts underneath. Maybe overkill but... If you crawl under the trailer you might be able to drill up from underneath the bottom to reuse at least a couple of the existing holes. 

PNWtabber

@Marceline -- I may have been mistaken in calling them sheet metal screws.  They are a type of self-tapping screw.  I asked my son to assist me when he got home from work and he felt we could re-use the previous screws, so that's what we did.  Seems pretty secure.

Denny16

It should be fine.  They held the original box, and there is not much stress or movement here.  Just need to anchor the box down.  You could add the straps for extra security and to keep the lid on.
 Cheers 

PNWtabber

@Denny16, thanks!  The new box came with a strap, but the old strap seemed more substantial, so I reused that too!

Denny16

Sounds like a good plan.
 Cheers 

AnOldUR

Although I'm sure for this purpose those screws are fine, like @Marceline, I'm not a fan of sheet metal or self tapping screws. I went with stainless button head bolts and nylon locking nuts. Overkill, I know. I wasn't fond of the strap going under the box either, so just used a flat bungee to hold the lids down. Your new box looks good and you'll be happy with the new battery.

PNWtabber

Many, many thanks to all who responded in this thread and "virtually" held my hand through this process.  I've never changed a vehicle battery by myself before.  I also admittedly suffer from analysis paralysis and buyer's remorse.  The new battery and box are in and seem to be functioning well without any need to adjust anything in the Victron.  The battery came in a charged condition, but I will "top it off" as my son suggested on shore power before I take it anywhere.

GregChris

When I got my new to me 2021 320s bd home the battery was dead. I thought I was doing research, went to Autozone, Advance Auto, and RV center in my locality. They all convinced me I couldn't go lithium without major expense. They all convinced me the additional cost of an agm  would gain me nothing in battery life or reserve power. I ended up getting a marine flooded cell the same size(60amp/hr?) from AZ. Best price, and salesman seemed most honest. At least  liked him best. After months reading this forum, I probably would have gone up to a 100amp/hr flooded cell.  Lead acid batteries only last 3 to 4 years, so I won't have wait long to correct my mistake.

PNWtabber

GregChris said:

When I got my new to me 2021 320s bd home the battery was dead. I thought I was doing research, went to Autozone, Advance Auto, and RV center in my locality. They all convinced me I couldn't go lithium without major expense. They all convinced me the additional cost of an agm  would gain me nothing in battery life or reserve power. I ended up getting a marine flooded cell the same size(60amp/hr?) from AZ. Best price, and salesman seemed most honest. At least  liked him best. After months reading this forum, I probably would have gone up to a 100amp/hr flooded cell.  Lead acid batteries only last 3 to 4 years, so I won't have wait long to correct my mistake.

That is a shame.  At least it was the least expensive option.  This forum is a great place to get information, so many have "been there, done that!"

pthomas745

It is gift giving time...and if you want to gift yourself a new battery, there is no reason to wait.  The "marine hybrid" battery can easily be used as a spare.  It would be simple to hook up in several different ways.  With a 100ah AGM, and the "extra" spare battery, you could have about 80 amp hours to use.  Look over this thread, there are plenty of ways to do this.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/7008/anyone-carry-a-spare-battery/p1