New Battery boxes

[magnawake]

I am replacing my house bank with 6 golf cart batteries. Too bad they dont fit in the old 8D boxes. Anyway, my wood under the boxes are totally rotted out. The original boxes were glassed in and stuck to the wood anyway. The old boxes were screwed up too. Time for new boxes and platforms. I was looking for a cheap way to make it work. Has anyone built a wooden box, or do they need to be plastic or fiberglass? I'm in the middle of installing an inverter and this caught me by surprise. I was looking to go cruising next week, not ordering and waiting on the ups truck. Any suggestions?

 

[GJH]

That's weird, an 8D box should hold three GC2 golf carts. Measure up again and get two new off the shelf 8d boxes. There are even double 8D boxes if that fits.

http://www.dynobattery.com/BoxGC2.pdf

 

[gbharrington]

Hatt 8D boxes are about 1 1/2" too short. I'm facing the same dilemma and intend to construct from 3/4 plywood. Factory Sea Ray in the 80s.

 

[magnawake]

The 6V golf cart (Duracell) batteries are 7" wide. The old Hatt boxes were 20.5 long. 1/2" too short. Looks like I'll try to buy a bigger box or construct a couple. But, I do have reservations about wood and not fiber/plastic. I will need to construct a wood platform to mount them on.

 

[dsharp]

Has anyone used coosa or aerex foam board to build the box then glass over? I would think 1/2" thick foam with a couple of layers of mat inside and out might work. Many years ago I made a mold from the fiberglass hatteras boxes but I never got the glass laid up without it warping all to hell. I never thought about the heat buildup.

 

[Angela]

My wood shelves on which the batteries sat in my genny room were totally rotted to the point one of my battery boxes was caving in. I tore everything out of the genny room and rebuilt new shelving in there, and then painted everything bright white what an improvement.

I used these Todd double 8D battery boxes and I can get 4 golf cart batteries in each box. http://www.boatdepot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=91-2339. I use 4 8v batteries for each bank. Four batteries fit nicely in these boxes.

 

[Vincentc]

The price for Angela's boxes in probably less than the materials cost,much less your time, for good pw boxes. However, you may need a size that is not available. In that case I would use pw sealed in epoxy and painted with 2part polyurethane. Epoxy will probably not withstand extended acid exposure unless protected by a hd paint.

A nail gun with ss brads makes pw construction simple and fast and cost less than $200. I bought a senco compressor and 18ga gun on amazon which has paid for for itself several times.

 

[GJH]

If you can't wait to have the Dyno 3 GC box shipped (Fisheries Supply sells them), then check a local golf cart shop they should have something like the NOCO dual GC2 box. I agree with above posters
that buying something off the shelf is going to be cheaper and faster and safety compliant. This is a 12 volt system, right? I'm curious how a 20 3/4" long 8D battery fit into a 20 1/2" box.

 

[gbharrington]

Looking at the dimensions the Todd 902170 will hold 3 golf cart batteries. Best price I could find $86
http://www.marinenutz.com/products/Todd-8D-High-Battery-Box-902170.html

 

[jim rosenthal]

See if you can find the kind of boxes Blue Seas Systems used to build. I think they are out of production but if you can get them they are incredibly durable and not expensive. The Hatteras boxes were great, but the wood under them does rot, and then you have a real mess on your hands.

 

[magnawake]

If you can't wait to have the Dyno 3 GC box shipped (Fisheries Supply sells them), then check a local golf cart shop they should have something like the NOCO dual GC2 box. I agree with above posters
that buying something off the shelf is going to be cheaper and faster and safety compliant. This is a 12 volt system, right? I'm curious how a 20 3/4" long 8D battery fit into a 20 1/2" box.

I think I have a solution. I got some marine plywood and coated with west system epoxy, then will paint it . The boxes I will make from a PVC material sort of like star board. A graphic company cut them out of a big sheet. I screwed them together and will 5200 them to the PW base (foundation). I dont really know the measurement of the 8D, but I do know the box was 20 1/2", the golf cart battery is 7", totaling 21". We stuck all 3 together to make sure. Yeah, 1/2" short. Thats why I ripped the old boxes out and found the PW foundation totally rotted away. Guess it needed to be done, but heck my family is here wanting to go to Cape Lookout. Maybe Tuesday we'll get underway. Would like to meet some of you there.

 

[GJH]

Pate, good luck with the project. Make sure those boxes have good ventilation built into them. We plan to be out at the Cape starting Tuesday afternoon and plan to stay for as long as the weather is good.