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DKO · 06-23-2012, 05:26 PM

I asked about house batteries HERE and you all and other forums were a great help. I wish I could understand completely even half of what was said but I am working on it. I hope to know and understand quite a bit more after these batteries are installed. They were delivered this morning so the time has come.

I am planning to tackle the job one morning this week. I am near Miami, Oklahoma and the temps are supposed to be very high most of the week but it would be very difficult to carry the extra batteries around so I will probably wade in about Wednesday morning.

Any tips or things I need to know or do during this change?

I will take lots of pictures and draw a good diagram before hand. Everything is labeled from the last battery change (before I owned it) but I will double check each label.

It is a Vantare conversion and it has an inverter bypass switch for each inverter.

I know that when it is switched to Utility it does Not charge the batteries at all. If I do that, is that all I need to do? Should I disconnect from shore power too? I do not think it is necessary but I certainly am not an expert. I would like to leave the shore power on with the air running in the 100 degree heat but if I need to shut it all down I will.

Access to the batteries is behind this wall in my first bay. They are surrounded in the second bay by my mid-door steps, aquahot and inverters. They can not be accessed any other way but here.

Here are six of them...

According to the records from the last battery change this X brace removes. It has a bolt at all four positions so I assume that is a straight forward task.

These six look like removing and replacing them will require some muscle but it is doable. It is the final two that have me puzzled. They are located down low a few inches to the right of the bottom right battery. There are wires and hoses between the battery rack that holds the six and the two other batterties. I do not have a clue how I will lift those out.

The wall in front of them comes off but it has bracing the does not remove and it has a wall on the other side with something mounted up high on it. That wall can not be removed. You can see the carpeted edge of that interior wall.

Here is a picture from Bay 2 on the other side of those two batteries. They are right on the other side of the inverter and that gray wall. The aquahot is just to the right in this picture.

Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you and God bless,

DKO

Full.Monte · 06-24-2012, 08:09 AM

I don't have a similar rig, but if it were my rig, I would remove all the batteries in view. You will be able to remove the hard-to-see batteries after removing the others. Start replacing the batteries by doing the hard-to-see ones first. Pay attention to your photos that you take as you disassemble and especially to the polarity orientation of each battery as you remove it. I would invest in those felt corrosion inhibitors for each battery. They look like felt washers. Also, clean each terminal with a battery brush (available at auto parts place) and put some silicone grease on each cleaned terminal before attaching the cleaned battery cable. I would also consider putting on an automatic battery filler kit because it looks like your batteries would be very difficult to check and fill without one.

Full.Monte · 06-24-2012, 08:16 AM

Just re-read your post. Yes, I would disconnect from shore power to do this job. Otherwise, you will get 12 volts from your converter and you might short out something. Also, don't run the generator. You should be disconnected from ALL power sources. Also, if you are in a hot climate, get all your batteries, tools and supplies (grease, anti-corrosion discs and auto-refill kits) organized and on site before you start. Start early in the morning while it's cooler but light enough to see. Take your time. It shouldn't be more than a two or three hour job.

DKO · 06-24-2012, 09:24 AM

I appreciate the help. I have decided because of the advice of many others on the Prevost Forum to disconnect everything when I make this change. I wish I was as optimistic as you are, 3-4 hours would be nice. I will be prepared and we will see what happens.

Thank you,

DKO

Oh, these are sealed AGM batteries so no watering required...

wa8yxm · 06-24-2012, 01:11 PM

The one tip I have is to pick up a couple of small cans of spray paint, One red, One black (Black is optional but hey, I like to be complete) Nail polish works too.

Now, wires in your hook up run either battery to battery or battery to "Elsewhere"

I'm interested in the latter, Battery to "Elsewhere" (not to another batery)

Paint all the wires on the POSITIVE terminal that do not run to another battery RED

Likewise black on the negative side.

Then wait at least six hours before changing the batteries out (For it to dry) less time if using fast drying paint or nail polish.

And no more "Where does this wire go" questions after painting .

Turning off shore power, and operatin the battery DISCONNECT before disconnecting are good suggestions too.

DKO · 06-30-2012, 12:12 AM

I was outside at 5:30 Wednesday morning preparing to change the eight 4D batteries in the BoggsMobile. I turned all the power off at 6:05 and climbed in and set to work. At 11:20 I turned all the power back on and nothing has exploded yet...

Another Vantare owner on the Prevost forum really went out of his way to help me understand and program the inverters. That was a huge help. The tip from Sean on BCM about using a floor jack was priceless. Thank you, Sean.

I had about 2 hours in prep work the other day removing panels, brackets, hold downs and gathering and taping tools. I worked 5 hours and 15 minutes today and I had two young men that worked a total of 30 minutes each helping me man handle the batteries. That is a total of about 8 hours and 15 minutes and I worked about one hour Thursday to button everything back up. It was 96 degrees at noon on Wednesday so I decided I would finish in the cool of the next morning.

When these were replaced by professionals in 2002 the previous owners were billed for nine hours. I will be right there at nine and I am certainly NOT a professional. Before I started looking at this job closely I thought they might have padded their hours just a tad but I understand all the effort and time a lot better now.

Vantare certainly did not do me any favors in the way these are installed but this coach has a mid door so that made it pretty difficult to do any better. I can not see any other place for eight batteries.

DKO

Here are some pictures....

Before

Six of the batteries go in this rack...

The old batteries out

Using the jack to install the top row..

Finished