JUrban wrote: Putting in a slide is a final solution but it can be a pain to fabricate and make sure it continues to work. Have you considered a Flow-Rite system? I've had 2 and wouldn't be without it.
John
Yup. No sliding tray for me. Just a Flow Rite. In fact I have two as I just added two more golf cart batteries and it would have taken too much hose to connect the one Flow-Rite system together to the new batteries. So, I have two separate systems about four feet apart. Fill one, then move over and fill the other, then done.
OK! So Flowrite is nice, BUT! how do you check your batteries with a hydrometer IF need to? That is why a slide out is so much better to have, then not.
My batteries are accessible by removing a bolt and a cover, but with the Flow Rite I don't even have to access them. Also, my hydrometer has a nice long nose that fits easily into a battery cell, even if checking and filling it are a lot more difficult. Keeping the batteries filled and keeping track of voltage on a continuing basis meant I didn't have to use a hydrometer in over 3 years.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
2006 Chevrolet Colorado Toad
BlueOx Aventa LX Tow Bar
SMI Air Force One toad brake
Copilot Live Laptop 10 GPS
brobox wrote: My batteries are on a sliding tray from the factory. It is nothing but two heavy duty drawer slides mounted with heavy sheet metal. If I were building my own I would use stainless steel instead of sheet metal for the batteries to sit on.
JUrban wrote: Putting in a slide is a final solution but it can be a pain to fabricate and make sure it continues to work. Have you considered a Flow-Rite system? I've had 2 and wouldn't be without it.
John
Yup. No sliding tray for me. Just a Flow Rite. In fact I have two as I just added two more golf cart batteries and it would have taken too much hose to connect the one Flow-Rite system together to the new batteries. So, I have two separate systems about four feet apart. Fill one, then move over and fill the other, then done.
OK! So Flowrite is nice, BUT! how do you check your batteries with a hydrometer IF need to? That is why a slide out is so much better to have, then not.
Im with ya Ray...same question I had...
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
JUrban wrote: My batteries are accessible by removing a bolt and a cover, but with the Flow Rite I don't even have to access them. Also, my hydrometer has a nice long nose that fits easily into a battery cell, even if checking and filling it are a lot more difficult. Keeping the batteries filled and keeping track of voltage on a continuing basis meant I didn't have to use a hydrometer in over 3 years.
John
You just keep believeing that! Voltage aint the whole game partner...Been there...got stuck that way
JUrban wrote: Putting in a slide is a final solution but it can be a pain to fabricate and make sure it continues to work. Have you considered a Flow-Rite system? I've had 2 and wouldn't be without it.
John
Yup. No sliding tray for me. Just a Flow Rite. In fact I have two as I just added two more golf cart batteries and it would have taken too much hose to connect the one Flow-Rite system together to the new batteries. So, I have two separate systems about four feet apart. Fill one, then move over and fill the other, then done.
OK! So Flowrite is nice, BUT! how do you check your batteries with a hydrometer IF need to? That is why a slide out is so much better to have, then not.
Im with ya Ray...same question I had...
Two batteries are under the entrance step. Two batteries are in a tray bolted to the frame rail (the same way Freightliner mounts the engine batteries on a FRED chassis). I can get to all four batteries for service or to replace them.
But, the original poster was asking for ideas to build a custom battery slide out tray. He was tired of using mirrors to monitor water level. My argument is that a slide tray, while very nice to have, is unnecessary. Get a flow rite system and you don't need to be sliding out the batteries.
Jim and Deanna
Tiffin Allegro 35QBA 2007 Carson Trailer 22' Titan TH Trailer Toad
Me, Wife, Boy/10, Boy/7, Girl/5
Faith/Springer
1985 Toyota 4Runner
five quads, three kids, two motorcycles, one wife, one dog, one cat!
Both our DSDP's have had slide out trays for the batteries.
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
435/1200 ISC Cummins/Banks PowerPak
'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
NRA Benefactor Life Member
FMCA f47302s, Life Member: Good Sam, Newmar DP Owners Group
51st yr of RV'ing
McMaster Carr sells some nice sturdy slides. I like a slide out tray in case I feel like maintaining my battery connections or checking things with a hydrometer.
Bill and Susan
84 Barth 30 tag powered by ht502/Thorley, Gear Vendors OD
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes
4WD Toyota toad
JUrban wrote: Putting in a slide is a final solution but it can be a pain to fabricate and make sure it continues to work. Have you considered a Flow-Rite system? I've had 2 and wouldn't be without it.
John
Yup. No sliding tray for me. Just a Flow Rite. In fact I have two as I just added two more golf cart batteries and it would have taken too much hose to connect the one Flow-Rite system together to the new batteries. So, I have two separate systems about four feet apart. Fill one, then move over and fill the other, then done.
OK! So Flowrite is nice, BUT! how do you check your batteries with a hydrometer IF need to? That is why a slide out is so much better to have, then not.
Im with ya Ray...same question I had...
Two batteries are under the entrance step. Two batteries are in a tray bolted to the frame rail (the same way Freightliner mounts the engine batteries on a FRED chassis). I can get to all four batteries for service or to replace them.
But, the original poster was asking for ideas to build a custom battery slide out tray. He was tired of using mirrors to monitor water level. My argument is that a slide tray, while very nice to have, is unnecessary. Get a flow rite system and you don't need to be sliding out the batteries.
And both Ray's and my questions are....If clearance is so close that you HAVE TO HAVE a "Flow Rite" system...how does one use a hydrometer on the batterys!???? VOLTAGE isnt 100% of the "game" so a voltmeter isnt a 100% "cure all".
If my batterys were in so tightly that I had to use a mirror to check water levels...Id have a battery slide out tray as quickly as it took to mount one.
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