Battery Explosions

If you where going to mount them inside couldn't you have a air vent from the tool box to the out side to rid of any unwanted fumes ?

Nick, VW cars mounted their batteries under the back seat for years. they had a metal lid cover which would short out the terminals causing many a VW to catch fire. I have raced yachts for many year and we always carry batteries under bunks in confined areas and never have problems.

Regards John

Kev: That has been mentioned, it is easy for me to do and I probably will do it for peace of mind.

Big John: Yes, I used to have a Type 2, the fuel lines used to chafe on the firewall!

It sounds as if the gas build up will not be a problem, something which my common sense tells me.

The guy at the exide centre told me a sealed battery was required, maybe he was being a little over cautious.

Thanks for your views.
Regards
Nick.

Old Volkswagens, Mercedes trucks & some Landrovers had batteries mounted inside.
Most went for years without a problem.
Fumes can be an occasional nuisance especially if the battery is low and being charged heavily.
Also consider where the battery acid will go if the vehicle rolls over !

Nick What sort of fridge(engle 40lt?) How long b4 recharging?
What sort of recharging?
Have a look at Batery charging
down the botom of page and down load pdf version
Around Oz 06/2004

My understanding, is legally you must vent the battery.

If it is in an externally mounted toolbox you only need to cut a fole about 70mm round, and rivit a vented screen over the hole to keep the rain out.

These can be purchased from a caravan supply store.

Regards

Col Tigwell

I previously had a 24v SIII Land Rover with two 560 CCA batteries mounted in the rear toolbox. No Problems, although they get a bumpy ride back there.

I currently run a starting battery and marine battery under the seat of my 110 and have added a caravan type vent to the cover to let any fumes out. No problems here either.

Nick,

Get an enclosed battery case from likes of Whitworths, this would contain any acid spills. In advent of roll-over, unless the acid was dripping onto a person, think it would be least of your worries!

Have noticed some odour with internal batteries, but this may have been from overcharging. Hooroo...

My vintage cars have the battery under the front seat and it doesn't seem to prevent any problems, although it is 6 volt and there's always plenty of ventilation. BUT I would suggest a sealed battery due to the inherent safety factory. Just my two bobs worth.

WombatLive today as if there may be no tomorrow

If the battery is not overcharged the amount of hydrogen gas produced is low low low
Hydrogen gas would go straight to the roof and would be mixed by the time it got there. Definitely not sufficient quantity of gas could be produced by a battery to produce an explosion in normal charging.
You should make sure the battery is fastened down with normal cross the battery clamp
Heaps of people run batteries inside vehicles and boats
My cruising yacht has 4 batteries
2 wet cranking mounted next to the engine
2 wet deep cycle mounted in the bottom of a galley cupboard
The cupboard gets opened once a day as the vegies are in the upper shelves so any hydrogen that may be there would escape
Most yachts up to 12 meters have batteries in the cabin or internal space somewhere
Pajero has wet deep cycle battery mounted in the back built into some plywood shelves
Used the same system in my previous Pajeros
Found the sealed cells unreliable with not sufficient capactiy for the size and very expensive

By law internal batteries must be ventilated to the exterior of the car, just use an off the shelf plastic battery box with clamps and run a vent hose out through the floor. something like 5/16 fuel hose will work well. Also ensure that your positive leads are well protected from chafing inside the vehicle.. Cheers

Batteries do explode..... very very rarely.
Bear in mind you need hydrogen gas AND an ignition source. I would say most explosions are where heavy, often OVERcharging, is involved, and then when the charger lead is removed without turning it off, a spark is created and bang.
In a properly installed (appropriate venting) and maintained system with proper maintennance and due common sense- your chances of an explosion are close enough to zero for it not to be a problem.
If you use your head and remember the above reqs for an explosion to occur (gas buildup + spark) then you're far more likely to be hit by a falling tree then injured because your battery explodes.
I have had batteries in boats, cars and caravans since I was a primary school student (I wired up my father's trailer sailer when I was about 12) and have never had a problem. Like I said- just use your head and if ever you are connecting or disconnecting a lead make sure that
1 The battery has been off charge for some time
2 It's well ventilated.
3 The charger or circuit is turned off ie: no reason for a spark
I would not waste the money on a sealed battery- even these can give off gas if overcharged. (they all have some sort of valve to relieve overpressure- otherwise they could explode!!)
Cheers

have spoken to old truck drivers driving the old mercedes benz trucks, the battery was fitted under the drivers seat, when they traveled over rough roads the gas from the batteries filled the cab, so they ennded up fitting the batteries outside the cab. if you nwant to fit batteries inside the cabin seriously look at sealed batterys which will solve your pob. Batterys are a real explosive and fire danger and i say this from working in a desert enviroment with trucks and have seen vehicles and truck mounted caravans catch fire from poorly mounted batterierys, my opinion no batteries in a cabin of a 4x4 or caravan or any where that is inclosed , I SAY THIS FROM EXPERIENCE, same as smoke alarms in the home,. Col