Community Forums

kmghmg · 12-22-2014, 07:32 PM

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks to all of you who make this forum so amazing. I've learned a tremendous amount thanks to all of you! We purchased our first RV (a 2005 Allegro Bus 40TSP) a few weeks ago, so we had (and still have) lots to learn.

I wanted to share some details of a project we did today that was easy and made a big difference. When we purchased the Bus, the battery compartment looked awful. Rust everywhere. The batteries are three years old, so we decided to replace them and clean up the battery compartment. After a lot of research, we decided that the best course of action was to paint the compartment with Randolph acid-proof battery box paint. Our neighbor is a retired aircraft mechanic, and he said that's the best stuff they found for aircraft battery boxes. As you can see by the photos, the battery compartment looked awful.

We removed the batteries and began cleaning with baking soda and water. I was delighted to find that the compartment itself is all fiberglass, and the rust was only from the battery dividers/brackets and screws. So, it was clear to us that painting the compartment wasn't necessary. It just needed a good scrubbing.

To protect the fiberglass from further scratching and to give the batteries a cushion, we bought a rubber mat from Tractor Supply that's meant for horse stalls. It's 1/2 inch thick, and once cut to the right size, it was a great addition to the floor of the compartment.

We installed two new chassis batteries and four new house batteries. Then we installed a battery watering system from Pro-Fill for the house batteries.

As you can see, the battery compartment is much cleaner and much more functional!

TRP · 12-22-2014, 07:48 PM

I own several dump trucks. The battery box (drivers step) can get real nasty over time. I do the same as you did, but I put down a simple truck mud flap cut to fit the box. Cost is about $7 for the flap, and it lasts forever.

Good tip....thanx for the info

JFNM · 12-23-2014, 05:38 AM

Very nice - well done!

vsheetz · 12-23-2014, 05:44 AM

Great!

gripper · 12-23-2014, 05:51 AM

An additional upgrade (if you haven't already), is to add mineral oil, to your batteries. The oil will eliminate or greatly reduce any corrosion, from the battery gasses. I did that over a year ago and I have no terminal corrosion or corrosion of any metals, in my battery box. No problems or issues with the batteries, from the mineral oil, either. I also installed the "Pro-Fill" watering system. It's great!