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Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5) 8D

Yahoo Message Number: 65462
I was wondering what years that CC started putting (3) or (4) 8D house batteries in their coaches. Probably around the time that they started make residential refrigerators available. Started me thinking if I could do an upgrade within the battery bay without having to move the inverter half way up the coach to the first open bay in my 2004 Intrigue Ovation 42'.
I seem to never end up where there is hookups (football tailgating and ski resorts. Going solar is not much of an alternative in the Northwest in the winter. Was beginning to think I should have got a motor home with more battery space.
Well today my curiosity got the better of me and I disconnected the chassis battery (8D flooded) and the (2) AMG 8D house batteries, removed all the electrical cables and inverter and cut out the box that held the inverter
Totally gutted the upper portion of the battery bay and started over with new steel (lightweight gauge square tube, same as the bottom structure). I measured out the room for one more 8D house battery and found there was enough room for 2 more house Batteries. Hello (4) 8D AMG house batteries with a total of 1000 amp hours....and unfortunately another 365 lbs. for the tag axel

The inverter will still be in a very accessible box above the chassis battery the full length of the rear upper part of the battery bay. It will be accessible from the front and from the side if I remove one of the new house batteries on the upper rack. All the hookups for the inverter are on the front so the side access if for removing it if I need to replace it.
I started this morning and finished all the cutting and welding. Looks really good and professional. Not bad for a financial planner with a welder.
Will start running all the cables and finish up tomorrow. Picking up two more 8D AMG's next week like the ones I got last month. Ordered up some more precrimped marine 2/0 cable to make the additional battery connections. Installing Residential 19.7 Cu/in. French door Samsung Refrigerator next week. Goodbye soft ice cream and recall notices on 1200LRIM NORCOLDS.... priceless.
Eventually I will get rid of the flooded starter battery and not have to deal with keeping the Inverter ventilated to the outside. Drilled a few more vent holes for the inverter until then.

I thought owning a boat was the ultimate money pit.....

Dallas 2004 intrigue ovation 42' C12 11688

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65466
Dallas,

When you get the Samsung, could you post the AC Amp draw from the unit's label for those who might also be interested? It seems manufacturers do not want us to know this, as none include it in there printed specs.

Thanks,
Dave

2000 Allure
#30444

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65470
Our '06 Allur has space for 4x8D's plus 2xgrp 31's.
We upgraded to use all 4 8D's as part of our installation of a Samsung 21 cu ft and couldn't be happier with the result.
At the same time we replaced the Xantrex 2000MSW with a Magnum 2800PSW which we feel is a better unit especially when it comes to specifying max shore power draw.
I know you'll love the res frdige -- not just for the frozen ice cream but for the storage, ability to easily use real 1/2 gallon jugs of milk, OJ, etc. and being able to grocery shop just once per week.
Oh, and the ice maker is great too...on ours the fridge, freezer and ice maker status/settings are all located on the outside of the unit.

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65473
Wow, Dallas, I am impressed. Very clean install.
I have been playing with the same idea, and have a temporary third 8D installed, but nothing I want to make permanent. I thought about buying/fabricating a plastic box to hold the batteries, and putting all of them in the pass through bay just ahead of the rear wheels. They could be placed evenly across the bay, balancing the weight, and massive cables run to existing wiring. I do not have a tag, and the additional weight was something to think about. I doubt it would make a difference in the real world.
I am not clear where the inverter was placed.
You planning to hire out to do this for other folks? ;*) Jack Nichols, 2003 40' Intrigue, no tag, 11527

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65509
Here is the completed battery bay rack. Room for (4) 8D AGM batteries and a starter battery. I finished putting the two orignal haouse batteries and the chassis battery back in to their original spot. Need to size up and crimp some 2/0 cables to add the upper 2 8D AGM batteries this week. Photos are in the photo section under 2004 Intrigue
photos/album/42921201/pic/list
I got all the batteries hooked up without incident. Sort of felt like on pins and needles making sure nothing shorted. Postive cables first then negatives.
Switched on the house switch, Chassis cutoff and reset the Hydrohot, fired up the furnace and engine and worked like it should.
I still have to make the sheet metal walls and access panel (some piece of metal)to enclose the inverter.

Dallas 2004 intrigue ovation 42' c12 11688

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65510
Wife says no. I was MIA for the past two days and she was not a happy camper. She will be when the new fridge is installed. I posted more pictures
photos/album/42921201/pic/list
Dallas

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65715
Dallas,

Just took a look at your new photos with four 8D's installed. Nice work! Looks like I'm going to have to get out the MIG welder and go to work! I was able to squeeze in six T-105, 6 volt golf cart batteries nearly five years ago, and it's getting about time to change them. I might as well add two more this time around!

One caution, I see you have mounted the battery solenoids on their side. Generally the manufacturers' recommend against this, as over time the plungers will start to stick and eventually stop functioning altogether. I had this problem early on with my coach, as the factory had done the same thing. By just re-orienting the solenoid, I was able to fix the problem of my battery bridging switch not working. The Stancor/White -Rodgers solenoid in my coach has to be oriented on a vertical wall with the mounting holes in a horizontal plane, so that the plunger moves in a vertical motion.

Here's a link to the Stancor data sheet, if you are interested: http://www.stancor.com/pdfs/Catalog_2006/Pg_048_51.pdf
I'm sure your efforts will inspire many others suffering from Amp-Hour deficiency!
Dave

2000 Allure
#30444

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65723
Dave,

Thanks for the information. I had no idea. I just mounted the solenoids the same way that the factory mounted them on a horizontal surface. I ahve seen them in my truck mounted the same way. I have to take them out anyway to replace the stock inverter with a 2800 magnum pure sine wave inverter so I will look into why they should be mounted on a vertical wall and make appropriate changes.
I am quite pleased with the additional batteries. The samsung refrigerators according to the manufacturer will run on Modified sine wave but the fisher-paykel dishwasher has some electronic lock on it that will not work with MSW.

Dallas 04 intigue 11688
 

Re: Converting 2004 intrige battery bay from (3) 8D batteries to (5)

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65725
Dave,

If you have access to a plasma cutter, sawsall, grinder and 3/4 by 2 inch steel tube, you can do the project really quick. I took 10 hours since I had no idea what I was doing. I could repeat the same project in less than 4 hours now that I have done it (much of that time removing and reinstalling the cable).
The plasma cutter did most of the fabrication work. You can cut out 3/4 of the existing inverter shelf, cut off some protruding sheet metal from the sides of the upper middle part of the cabinet and cut out all the donut holes with a template for the battery cable grommets to go into with the plasma cutter.
I used a chop saw to cut all the steel tube and I was able to reuse most of the old invert shelf to make 100 % of the new shelf.

Definitely was a good use of the plasma cutter.

BEFORE

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AFTER

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Dallas 04 intrigue