Roadtrek House Battery Replacement

[Richman47]

I'm replacing the house batteries on our 2015 Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL. There are two 6 volt AGMs under the hood and two hanging in a tray behind the rear wheels.
I'm wondering if anyone knows any tricks to lowering and reinstalling the under chassis batteries.

[rowiebowie]

I see what looks like a removable hinge pin. Find something to support the intial weight of the battery and try removing the cotter pin and pulling it out using the "j" end. A good lube in advance and working the pin before removal should help when sliding it out.

A small sissor jack (they fold pretty flat - some to only 3-4" high)) would be a good tool for lowering and raising them back into place.

Good luck.

[Richman47]

Thanks. The scissor jack might do the trick.

[booster]

I think the best would be a transmission jack, but few people have them (you can rent them). The cheap hand crank up ones work OK, I have one and lift our 440ah bank into place under the van with it.


Next best, IMO, would be a floor jack. Little floor jacks are very inexpensive, but don't try to lift anything big with them.



Scissor jacks would not really be a choice I would like because if the box is hinged down, the jack will likely need to move as the box is lowered and scissor jacks don't have wheels like trans and floor jacks do, plus scissor jacks are very unstable side to side and with high risk of tipping over if stuff moves.

[mkguitar]

my suggestion would be to get the van up on ramps or stands


then get a lift under the tray, pull the pin ( 1 or 2 ?) and slowly lower the tray watching the cables.


I have a motorcycle lift I could lend you, I'm in North PHX


similar to this:


https://www.amazon.com/Torin-Big-Red...66802055&psc=1

[Richman47]

Thanks everyone for the help.
mkguitar, I might take you up on that motorcycle jack.
I have to consult my assistants (neighbors).
Our plan of attack now is to use two floor jacks and approaching from the port side.
Now I have to wait for the new batteries to arrive.

[eric1514]

Harbor Freight Floor Jack. Just use one. Two will complicate this job.

Drive up on some ramps to give yourself clearance for rolling them out.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Get it professionally done.

[Jim Agile]

As someone else has suggested, I used a floor jack from Harbor Freight which worked well. I did have my rig raised on ramps to get clearance and then lowered the batteries onto two short pieces of 4x4 to allow me to remove the jack. Also, when re-installing, I greased the horizontal pins that secure the battery holder to prevent them from rusting and becoming frozen in position.

[Richman47]

Thanks again to all who responded. Suggestions were great.

Replacement of the two batteries under the hood went smoothly.

Not so with the two hanging under the chassis. Stainless hinge pins were absolutely frozen to the tray (probably a galvanic reaction). Had to remove the entire bracket assembly by cutting the supporting straps and fabrication a patch with the tray off the vehicle. Took 3 hours to complete but finally done (whew!!) thanks to my neighbors, one of which has every mechanic tool ever made.

I'd suggest checking the pins on any tray you may have with similar pins. Might be able to avoid this mess by doing something before you have to replace the batteries (i.e. lube pins, start soaking with Liquid Wrench etc.).

[sdunn4]

Realizing this is an older thread but would sure appreciate input as I am also changing out our house batteries. Can you please let me know what replacement batteries you used and if you had any issues? Did you need to make any change to your inverter? We have 8AGC2 6 volt AGM batteries in our 2015 SS Agile and I would appreciate any input.

Thanks,

Steve

[Jim Agile]

Hello Steve,
I replaced my four house batteries with Crown GC2 (Model 6CRV220) deep draw AGM batteries purchased at BatteriesPlus Bulbs. The original batteries were 20 hour rated at 190 amps, the Crowns are rated 220 amps. Crown provides information for setting the fast charge and float charge voltages on the charger. The inverter/chargers make provision for adjusting these parameters.
My original inverter/charger, which was a Microgreen Model LW3000-12-C, was damaged when the batteries shorted out. I was able to replace it with an AIMS unit which was form, fit, and function complatible. I did have to set the charge voltages.
So far, all is working well.
The lesson I learned was to insure the batteries are fully charged during cold snaps.
I would be happy to provide any information I have if it can help you.
Jim

[sdunn4]

Thanks Jim,

Which model / year Class B do you have? Good to know you can easily make changes / adjustments to the inverter to fit parameters supplied with the batteries. We have purchased Discover “Dry Cell” (AGM) batteries, model # EVGC6A-A, also 6V but similar to yours, 220 Ah vs 190 Ah with our original batteries. Dimensions are identical and the distributor assure me these models are interchangeable.

Access to our inverter is limited to say the least and as I dig deeper and complete the battery swap I may take you up on your offer of further input.

Thanks,

Steve

[Jim Agile]

My unit is a 2016 Roadtrek SS Agile on a 2015 Sprinter chassis. What is the make and model of your inverter/charger? On my AIMS unit the voltages are set through DIP switch selection of a battery type. I had to select the AGM2 option which provides a float voltage a little above Crown's spec. I called their tech support and they told me that it may result in the batteries having to dissipate a little more heat - not serious.

[sdunn4]

Jim,

We have the same Microgreen 3000 W inverter as you had before your unit was damaged. I’ve checked and I do have a selection for several AGM battery types on a knob atop the inverter. So I will contact the Discover folks to get the proper settings; thanks for the heads up!

Another issue I see I’ll have similar to you is dropping and accessing the 2 rear 6 Volt batteries. The tray is held up with those 2 pins that appear to be frozen…

Do you have solar panels on your van? We have (3) 100 W panels and I see no way to cut the power to the solar charging unit. I want to insure there’s no juice flowing to the batteries when swapping them out. If you have solar, how did you separate that power during your swap-out?

Thanks,

Steve

[Jim Agile]

Steve,
Regarding the frozen pins, I would suggest soaking them in penetrating oil applied several times through the day. Then if you can get them to twist you should be able to remove them. I put a floor jack under mine (centered) and brought it up to the point where the battery case was just starting to lift. I did have to use a long, straight punch and hammer to remove the pins, though mine were not seriously rusted. I greased them thoroughly when I put them back in.

My rig doesn't have solar so I can't help you with specifics. However, I believe that if you are careful to insolate the positive cable ends as you disconnect them from the batteries (wrap them in plastic) to insure they don't come in contact with any frame component, you should not have any problems. The solar charger would simply see an open circuit and the voltages you are dealing with are all low.
Good luck,
Jim

[Jim Agile]

Steve,
It occurred to me that if you replace the batteries, one pair at a time, the solar system would essentially be driving into a normal load. You would simply want to insure that the positive leads never short against the chassis.
Jim

[sdunn4]

Thanks! I will hit the pins with penetrating oil and may even enlist the mechanic down the road to lift the van up for changing those two rear batteries. Even one of them is about 70 pounds and space under the van is tight!