Installing Aux Battery (Lifeline AGM) Inside Cab of Vehicle???

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Hey Guys

Working on a dual battery setup for my 2014 Tundra Ex Cab.

I will be removing the rear seats to install my Fridge, inverter, and additional 12v charging outlets.

I will be building a custom box and mounting setup for all of this.

Anyone see an issue with installing the Aux battery inside the vehicle if its an AGM unit?

This would really make for a clean install and think i can do it very easily.

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Herbie]

You will hear mixed stuff. AGMs are much safer, but technically can still out-gas under extreme conditions. That said, I put an AGM inside my van, and my family sleeps nearby. I felt it was an acceptable risk.

 

[Haf-E]

I've had a large AGM pack in my van for 10+ years - I don't see any issue with them as the amount they gas when they do is very limited - nothing like a vented type lead-antimony battery.

I wouldn't worry about it and just do it.

 

[KevinsMap]

Hydrogen

I agree with the acceptable risk conclusion; but you should minimize that risk. The gas in question is hydrogen. It is non-toxic, and the volume of gas "burped" by an AGM is small enough to pose no (oxygen displacement) hazard for breathing air that might be mixed with that hydrogen, in a room or vehicle-sized space.

But. Yes, there is always "But" ;-)

If you keep the battery in a confined, airtight space, like a poorly vented battery box (or simply underneath something that acts like an unvented hood) you can concentrate the hydrogen on the upper reaches of that small enclosure. Hydrogen is (much) lighter than air, and highly explosive. That concentration of gas is very dangerous.

So take care that your battery installation is well ventilated, top and bottom. Allow the Hydrogen to escape into the cabin of the vehicle easily, or much better yet, outside. If you do ventilate to the interior, and you also charge the battery unattended for long periods of time (when a malfunction could cause overcharging and outgassing), be sure that the interior of the vehicle is ventilated at the highest point of the interior, and at other places such as windows.

That would be acceptable risk, for me. Ask a sailor; we who mess around in boats. This is standard operational procedure.

 

[pappawheely]

I have a dual AGM battery system mounted in the back seat area of my F350 crew cab. I am in the desert southwest of the U.S. so 99% of the time I have a window cracked somewhere. Even in high temps I have never had any issues with excessive outgassing. Most truck cabs have passive venting anyways so you can close the doors. It works for me.

 

[Charles R]

Many OEM's are putting the battery in the enclosed areas of vehicles these days. But if you look closely, they all vent to the outside of the vehicle. On every one I've replaced so far, there's a small vent hole on the battery at reach end of the top casing. All it takes is a small 1/8" - 3/6" tube that goes to the outside, to match the properties of an OEM level install. And that's plenty good enough for me.

 

[free radical]

I've had AGM battery under my bed in TC with no problems for many years,,
Only time it MAY "burp" and out gas would be if you accidentaly overcharge one,,never happened to me yet..
AGMs are very safe and quick to recharge,usually takes me about an hour when 25% down,,do not discharge less then that if you want the batt to last!

 

[fog cutter]

so if i mount an AGM in a plastic battery box (in an otherwise passively vented base cabinet), can i get away with using the preformed plastic box top if i run a tube out to free space? i'm thinking of a piece of "smurf-pipe" flexible conduit or something similar. for some reason i want the terminals covered.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Thanks Guys! Have started my mock up already and should have pics shortly!

 

[rayra]

This whole 'hydrogen' thing is so grossly overinflated (no pun intended).

Car makers for decades had the UNsealed wet lead acid batteries inside the passenger compartment of many vehicles. Both American and European. Some pickups. Volkswagon Beetles had it under the back seat. The 2002 Buick LeSabre has it under the back seat.

And that doesn't even include all these new hybrids whose battery tech is accessed thru the passenger compartment.



And if you are worried about hydrogen gas the LAST thing you would want to do is seal the battery up tight in a box. Engineers work hard to seal the lines of hydrogen fuel cell systems. It's the smallest atom there is. It wont have ANY trouble getting out of your vehicle. And that's only if you have a fault condition in the first place. You folks need to understand the vast difference between possible and probable.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

This whole 'hydrogen' thing is so grossly overinflated (no pun intended).

Car makers for decades had the UNsealed wet lead acid batteries inside the passenger compartment of many vehicles. Both American and European. Some pickups. Volkswagon Beetles had it under the back seat. The 2002 Buick LeSabre has it under the back seat.

And that doesn't even include all these new hybrids whose battery tech is accessed thru the passenger compartment.



And if you are worried about hydrogen gas the LAST thing you would want to do is seal the battery up tight in a box. Engineers work hard to seal the lines of hydrogen fuel cell systems. It's the smallest atom there is. It wont have ANY trouble getting out of your vehicle. And that's only if you have a fault condition in the first place. You folks need to understand the vast difference between possible and probable.

Thank you for the explanation. Makes sense.

I just finished most of the wiring today.

 

[fog cutter]

... You folks need to understand the vast difference between possible and probable.

i'm still working on "concept & idea".