6 volt batteries in a Journey 32T

[greenhorn1]

Has anyone tried to put 4 6volt batteries in a Journey 32T?

[charles tuit]

Four 6 volt (golf cart) batteries will not fit in my 02 Journey 32T battery tray. The most Amp hours that will fit is 3 each, group 31, 12 volt. They yield a total of approximately 300 amp hours.

[GaDawgFan]

I have a 2000 Itasca Horizon. I changed out the 2 12-volt house batteries for 4 6-volt batteries 4 years ago. The battery tray was about an inch two narrow for the 4 6-volts. I removed the tray along with the slides assembly. The tray was bolted to the slides. Once I removed the tray from the slides I took to the tray to a metal fabricator and they cut the tray in half from front to rear and then widened the tray by one inch by welding a wide strip along the cut area. This gave me a tray that would hold 4 6-volt batteries. I was then able to reconnect the slides and it has worked perfectly. The clearance is tight at the top of the tray so I installed a pump style watering system.

[bobpie]

I have put them in my Suncruiser under the steps. Way more amp hrs. I had to modify the electric step bracket just a bit and move the insulated power post up a bit as the batteries are a bit taller. It was a tight fit but it can be done.

[greenhorn1]

Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to do some measuring. Hoefully I can do a similar mod as GaDawgFan

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by GaDawgFan

I have a 2000 Itasca Horizon. I changed out the 2 12-volt house batteries for 4 6-volt batteries 4 years ago. The battery tray was about an inch two narrow for the 4 6-volts. I removed the tray along with the slides assembly. The tray was bolted to the slides. Once I removed the tray from the slides I took to the tray to a metal fabricator and they cut the tray in half from front to rear and then widened the tray by one inch by welding a wide strip along the cut area. This gave me a tray that would hold 4 6-volt batteries. I was then able to reconnect the slides and it has worked perfectly. The clearance is tight at the top of the tray so I installed a pump style watering system.

A very good friend of mine had to do the same exact mod on his '02 Journey. He removed the tray, modified it (widened it I think) and re-installed it. He now lives with (4) GC 6V batteries. Now, when it came time for me to do it, I was all prepared to do the mod but, the house battery tray in our '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330 CAT, needed no mods. It came with (3) 12V Interstate SRM 429 12V batteries but, I wanted the 6V units.

So, off to Costco I went and, well, as you can see in the pics, it was done in one day. Way better than what I had. Good luck. Below is a pic of the old, and the new setup.
Scott

[Sammie]

Hey Scott, I kinda wondered what happened to you. Guess you finally got a nice vacation in with no problems. Anyway, I made the same battery swap that you did a couple of years back and just wondered if and how you installed battery hold downs on the 6 volts. Here is my battery installation but I have not installed any hold down brackets yet. I guess I figured they wouldn't go any where because of the weight.

Sammie

[GaDawgFan]

Originally Posted by Sammie

Hey Scott, I kinda wondered what happened to you. Guess you finally got a nice vacation in with no problems. Anyway, I made the same battery swap that you did a couple of years back and just wondered if and how you installed battery hold downs on the 6 volts. Here is my battery installation but I have not installed any hold down brackets yet. I guess I figured they wouldn't go any where because of the weight.

Sammie

I never installed hold downs on mine either. They sit so snug in the tray, I really don't think they are going anywhere.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Sammie

Hey Scott, I kinda wondered what happened to you. Guess you finally got a nice vacation in with no problems. Anyway, I made the same battery swap that you did a couple of years back and just wondered if and how you installed battery hold downs on the 6 volts. Here is my battery installation but I have not installed any hold down brackets yet. I guess I figured they wouldn't go any where because of the weight.

Sammie

Sammie,
Well, we did just get back from a two week, 900 mile trip, to and from the eastern Sierras. We were in the Mammoth area, Toms Place and finally, the road from Bishop, 168 to Lake Sabrina, South Lake and North Lake. What a great area. Anyway, while it was a nice trip, it was not without problems as you suggested. I'm going to write a thread about the issue I had with those batteries, inverter/charger and generator.

Anyway, you and the other gent mentioned "battery hold downs". Well, since those 6V units are considerably higher than the 12V units they replaced, devising a hold down system was going to be a bit of challenge. You see, I'n not sure of the top clearance you have on yours but, I darn near have to use a feeler gauge as my tray is slid into its resting place. The cables and battery caps etc. don't hit the frame of the compartment but, it's seriously close.
So, figuring that those batteries are, a whopping 67 lbs. each, I figure they're not going anywhere.

I mean, 4 x 67 lbs. is 268 lbs. and they're snugged in there with spacers etc. If they decide to leave their resting place, I think I've got bigger problems than worrying about them. Anyway, that's the story on those. How's the Sophie kid?
Scott

[greenhorn1]

Well after doing some measuring--looks like about an inch in length and width will do the trick. Will pick up the steel and wait for the time to do the mod.
Thanks for all the input

[bobpie]

I just put those tensions bars that U C at camping world for in the cabinets. They have different sizes. Just tighten in place over the batteries. With the snug fit and these I have not have any problems at all.