6V / 12V Battery Storage

[longshanks]

Hi all - seeking ideas for battery storage in our '03 Grandby shell. It came from the previous owners with a single 12V marine battery. This battery was a few years old and just didn't have enough juice to keep up with my Engel fridge for more than a day or two. So, I recently made the decision to replace it with a pair of 6V batteries. They are a fairly tight fit but they are wired now and they work great.

My concern is that these (and the previous 12V) batteries release flammable hydrogen gas when charging. They are presently sitting in a wooden cabinet at the front floor of the camper, with my water pump, 12V panel, and storage space. I was thinking I could seal this space off and run a vent line to the exterior.

Has anybody done this? All it would take is some gap sealer and a rubber gasket around the lid.

For the first couple of seasons I wasn't concerned about this, but it's something I'd like to attempt now.

Happy camping

Shane

 

[ntsqd]

Our 6V batteries sit in a plastic box with a vented lid. The box ix a good idea to contain any liquid acid. The venting was done with what appears to be marine flanges and hose. Something like this for the box: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=1247358&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50523&subdeptNum=50543&classNum=50546#.UdmEJ1KauSo and this for the louvered vent: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=1164242&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50692&subdeptNum=50701&classNum=50705#.UdmG7lKauSo