Under bed batteries + water crossings
- Thread starter kc0stp
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Well I cannot speak from experience but I don't see it being a major problem myself...
What issues where you thinking?
What issues where you thinking?
If you off-road in mud/water pits and get your truck deep enough in, I can see the potential for an issue, although I honestly don't know either way. On a similar note, depending on where you put the batteries, I can see a possible issue with boat ramps.
At the same time, I dont' have any real-world experience in this matter, although I am contemplating doing something similar to get more space under the hood and distribute the weight a bit better, so I will be paying close attention to this thread
At the same time, I dont' have any real-world experience in this matter, although I am contemplating doing something similar to get more space under the hood and distribute the weight a bit better, so I will be paying close attention to this thread
MIDNIGHT RIDER
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I doubt the fish would appreciate the acid mixing with their drinking water.
I don't see a once-in-a-blue-moon few-seconds submersion being a problem, so far as the batteries/connections are concerned.
However, if one purposefully drives around in deep water, I would pick a more high-and-dry location.
I don't see a once-in-a-blue-moon few-seconds submersion being a problem, so far as the batteries/connections are concerned.
However, if one purposefully drives around in deep water, I would pick a more high-and-dry location.
Submerged live wires if it gets deep enough, (figure even with a flat bed on the bed Id hydrolock due to water in intake first) since water is conductive would it short out essentially (yes I know I only need power for the FSS and E40D comp but....
Mud Im not so worried about (try to avoid that) but one of the few offroad trails I go on includes multiple stream crossings (including a 1 or 2 that can get deep for a stock ride height truck like mine) location wise Im thinking front right corner of bed with the main requirment being it cant hang lower then frame rails and/or transfercase (if it ends up next to transfer case then transfer case is definatly deciding height). Im definatly not a heavy duty offroader by any means (most stuff I do your averager offroader would call a regular road) but do occasionally go out and about on the easy trails (full size truck definatly doesnt help)
Oh and for those interested heres the main reasson Im asking (mainly check the videos) every other trail I occasionaly hit is high and dry (and usually only go once a year as our snow free seasson is all of late July and early August and even then you still get some snow)
Well my thoughts are it coudl short out the batteries...but more likely short out the starter first...
My goal is frame mounted...but I plan on lift and being quite a bit taller than stock...On the other had, I'm not worried about acid spillage as I currently have one Optima and plan on two...or some other AGM battery so I'm golden!
Sounds to me like your on your way to a well thought out move to me. I too will be watching as others chime in
My goal is frame mounted...but I plan on lift and being quite a bit taller than stock...On the other had, I'm not worried about acid spillage as I currently have one Optima and plan on two...or some other AGM battery so I'm golden!
Sounds to me like your on your way to a well thought out move to me. I too will be watching as others chime in
ERr, ok here, ever take a look at the hot wire on yer starter that comes down from the batt? That baby remains exposed and hotter than a firecracker all the time and it is sitting down around the frame rail. No different than what you would have with batts mounted down at that height.
I don't know if shorting across the terminals of a battery or batteries when submerged is something that can happen in real-world conditions, but with a shorter current travel, it is certainly possible. I installed a 7-way "blade" trailer plug in 2002, made sure all connections were happy, and all was well...until I inadvertently submerged the plug in salt water when launching a boat in 2005. Keep in mind, the plug was in almost brand-new condition before going swimming...and this is with a constant +12v hot and a ground in the plug, and with the boat trailer plug disconnected. I first realized there was a problem when I noticed that my running lights were on even with the switch off 
Again, I don't know how big of an issue this is with the spacing between battery terminals, but just FYI...
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Again, I don't know how big of an issue this is with the spacing between battery terminals, but just FYI...
Got to thinking about it (and replys on another forum) all water would do is slowly discharge the battery vs shorting anything out (hint why no one has problems with starters while wet), as far as acid goes there Optime yellow tops so no worries there. Oh and for the record warden thats an extreme cause of salt induced corrosion, mag chloride does the same thing up here but at a slower rate (and we normally start having problems long before it gets that far).
Oh and fair warning to anyone that submerges there starter make sure when you park it that its either in neutral or park with the parking brake on as starters have been known to crank over continusly while drying out after submerging (not that often but it does happen)
Once I get the bed on and a battery box (thinking just a regular toolbox with holes for the cables will work) Ill see if I can manage to do a write up on relocating them for all interested.
Oh and fair warning to anyone that submerges there starter make sure when you park it that its either in neutral or park with the parking brake on as starters have been known to crank over continusly while drying out after submerging (not that often but it does happen)
Once I get the bed on and a battery box (thinking just a regular toolbox with holes for the cables will work) Ill see if I can manage to do a write up on relocating them for all interested.
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
Tim... Is that a leverite plug....
Honestly, I can't for the life of me remember who made that plug. The remains are long-gone, unfortunately...made for a good conversation piece before I tossed the remains out
When I replaced it, I relocated the plug in the bumper so hopefully it won't be a problem again. I just wish I could find one with a truly waterproof cover.kc0stp, not saying that you're incorrect, but that plug was only submerged for 5 minutes or so...would salt-induced corrosion destroy something like that that quickly?
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
Tim.... A leverite plug is one that you leverite there where you found er.......
Honestly, I can't for the life of me remember who made that plug. The remains are long-gone, unfortunately...made for a good conversation piece before I tossed the remains out
kc0stp, not saying that you're incorrect, but that plug was only submerged for 5 minutes or so...would salt-induced corrosion destroy something like that that quickly?
Typically no but it couldve gotten enough water trapped inside (either where the trailer plugs in or where the wires attach) to get a fairly good start before it dried out and unfortunatly once corrosion starts itll feed off itself so untill its all cleaned off will just keep expanding.
If its any indication about how much water can get in those plugs I recently replaced the factory orginal connector on my trailer that was 100% sealed from the factory (or so I thought) when I cut the end off probbly had 3-5 ounces of water pour out of the end. Only two places that it couldve gotten is was the plug end itself (where it connects to the truck) or the junction box under the floor of the trailer (out of the elements) so I honestly dont know how it got in or how long it was there.
I see nowTim.... A leverite plug is one that you leverite there where you found er.......
I didn't have a chance to take the plug apart until the day after it went swimming, and that was when I took those pictures...I had seen the blades the evening the plug went swimming so I knew that it was bad (the blades didn't really deteriorate overnight; don't know about the backside), but even still wasn't expecting it to be that bad I disconnected the wires right after taking that picture just to make sure that nothing would short and make the truck burn down...Wow! Still surprising that it could get that bad that quickly...
OTOH salt water is some nasty stuff, and live current does make it worse....even still, though... 
sle2115
NRA LIFE MEMBER
Salt water is conductive, or more so than non-salt water. I've had batteries in a boat completely submerged, they were optima's as well, sealed, gell cell and no issues. Shorting out won't be a problem, but getting acid/dirty water contamination can be an issue.
Tim, I'd say salt played a large part in that. I have Hoppy ones that are sealed on the wire side, I've had mine underwater about as much as above, no issues, but they will corrode inside a little, I keep putting a little dielelectric grease in them every so often and have no isses, other than dirt builds in the grease...I usually spray them out with contact cleaner, then re-grease. Have on that is at least 10 years old and seen all kinds of mud and water!
Tim, I'd say salt played a large part in that. I have Hoppy ones that are sealed on the wire side, I've had mine underwater about as much as above, no issues, but they will corrode inside a little, I keep putting a little dielelectric grease in them every so often and have no isses, other than dirt builds in the grease...I usually spray them out with contact cleaner, then re-grease. Have on that is at least 10 years old and seen all kinds of mud and water!
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