Group 31 GEL Battery - Inside Installation

Mercator

It was time for a new battery and I wanted more amp/hour capacity than the wet lead acid Group 24 battery and also a true Deep Cycle battery, so I upgraded to a Trojan 32-GEL deep cycle 12v battery with 102 AH (@20 hr rate) capacity (70 lbs).  The typical group 24 allegedly "deep cycle" wet cell has 70 AH (44 lbs).  The Gel has less than 3% per month discharge, depending on storage temperature conditions so a solar maintainer is not necessary (although it would be nice) for the winter storage season. Although GELs are more expensive initially, they pay for themselves with the number of deep cycles that can be achieved compared with a wet battery.

I wanted to move the battery inside for four main reasons:
1. Prevent theft from the unlocked tongue box (and provide more storage space outside for things like the shore power cord, etc.) 
2. Reduce tongue weight by 70 lbs (32 kg) 
3. Balance the fore/aft weight of the T@B (keeping about 60% forward of the axle.)
4. No maintenance (e.g. watering) required.

On my 2013 T@B I found the perfect location, in otherwise wasted space - the Atwood LP furnace compartment. The battery is installed against the rear and centre bulkheads of that compartment and held in securely with 2"x2" wooden cleats on the four exposed sides. The GEL battery is a sealed battery and safe to use in an inclosed space.

I also included a BlueSeas 50 amp circuit breaker combined with a master battery switch beside the WFCO converter panel.  This will allow me to easily shut off all parasitic electrical draw when the trailer is stored.