Batteries inside or outside the camper

[brett13]

brett13,

As Dstrat pointed out it looks like you got steered wrong on your selection. Did you just recently buy it? If so what did you ask the salesman for? Considering how expensive that battery lists for (don't know if that is what you paid) I'd be definitely wanting an actual AGM battery since you're in that price ballpark. Maybe you can hurry back in and explain the a manager you didn't get what you wanted and see about an exchange?

I called them back and the battery I got, the SLA1185, is identical to the DCM0100. Turns out Interstate has two brands and two distribution centers, each geared to a different customer base. The batteries are the same, according to the guy at my store. He confirmed they were both "valve-regulated, deep cycle" too. And I always thought batteries were a simple thing, guess not

 

[randygirl]

And I always thought batteries were a simple thing, guess not



I'm coming to the conclusion nothing is simple anymore!!!!

 

[MarkBC]

And I always thought batteries were a simple thing, guess not
I'm coming to the conclusion nothing is simple anymore!!!!

In my Hawk I have a pair of simple Trojan SCS225 -- wet/flooded deep-cycle batteries -- they work great.
They're inside the camper, at the front end of the storage space under the couch. They're right next to one of the turnbuckle slider-ports, so in order to be safe (whether it's really necessary or not) I can keep the slider open a bit to allow venting of H2 when charging (like when driving or running the solar system). I close the turnbuckle slider at night when it's very cold 'cause batteries do better when warmer.

 

[brett13]

In my Hawk I have a pair of simple Trojan SCS225 -- wet/flooded deep-cycle batteries -- they work great.
They're inside the camper, at the front end of the storage space under the couch. They're right next to one of the turnbuckle slider-ports, so in order to be safe (whether it's really necessary or not) I can keep the slider open a bit to allow venting of H2 when charging (like when driving or running the solar system). I close the turnbuckle slider at night when it's very cold 'cause batteries do better when warmer.

That's sort of what I was thinking: the most likely time a battery would vent, is either when charging or when extra depleted right? When charging, either by solar or driving, it is easy enough to keep a window or two open. When in the camper, say at night, the battery is hardly doing anything that might cause it to vent.

 

[pods8]

I called them back and the battery I got, the SLA1185, is identical to the DCM0100. Turns out Interstate has two brands and two distribution centers, each geared to a different customer base. The batteries are the same, according to the guy at my store. He confirmed they were both "valve-regulated, deep cycle" too. And I always thought batteries were a simple thing, guess not


Sounds good. "Valve regulated" in this case just means there is a pressure relief if something does go wrong and the AGM doesn't do its thing it allows the pressure to vent so the battery doesn't explode. Its a pressure relief device, not a normal operation thing.

Batteries have a lot of complexity to but most folks just brush them off since product designers take that ball out of the consumers court normally. They all aren't the same thing and they all behave differently with pros/cons.

 

[MarkBC]

That's sort of what I was thinking: the most likely time a battery would vent, is either when charging or when extra depleted right? When charging, either by solar or driving, it is easy enough to keep a window or two open. When in the camper, say at night, the battery is hardly doing anything that might cause it to vent.


I'm not an expert on batteries...but I do know something about chemistry in general. Hydrogen is the potentially-flamable gas that evolves during charging...but hydrogen doesn't hang around. It's a very small molecule, very light, and it diffuses into the air very rapidly.
So, it does seem like it would be a good idea to have some ventillation when actively charging...but I doubt that a lot is needed. I've opened the caps of my wet/flooded battery while charging (charging from my Black & Decker "smart" charger at home) and looked inside -- there are few bubbles rising, so that shows the amount of gas that evolves is relatively small. Nothing that would require a full open window to ventilate or anything like that. The only time that there is really much bubbling (off-gassing) going on is when I'm "equalizing" the battery, and that's a procedure I only do with my charger at home.
And hydrogen isn't actually toxic, either, so trace amounts don't matter.

But as I said, I'm not an expert, so don't follow my advice and don't sue me if you follow my advice and die as a result.