Re: Batteries in the passenger compartment? More Thoughts

----- Original Message -----
From: "Randy Eckert" <redearthbonsai@...>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <ev@...>
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Batteries in the passenger compartment?


> God I am gad some one has the time to tell about how they did it first,
> thanks for all the good info.
> There is always time for great design!

      Hi Randy an" All;

    Have had a Rabbit, where EVERYthing was out in the open. Batteries lived
in the back, open, with the back seat out and 9 of them dropped down in a
well, where the spare tire USED to live.5 where the back seat was. In a
bunny there is JUST enough room between the frame rails to weld in a angle
iron frame to hold them, lowered down to about the rear modesty panel, so
they won't be first to hit something. Low clearence, curb, etc?My Rabbit was
built to handle a 50 mile plus commute, don't try this at home; stuffing 20
batteries in, you will be 3100 lbs curb weight! I DID beef up the springs
and  rear brakes with Jetta drums, though.So all up, with me aboard, toolie
kit, work bag, lunch, etc I was up about 3500 lbs! IF I took a passenger add
up HIS curb weight and there ya go, toward 4k!! Sigh, ONCE in a while I took
3 other victems I mean PASSENGERS. But rarely did I cary more than 2 folks
in Rabbit.

    Now,, Jetta, well, ALL the damn batteries, 20, are in the trunk and up
front, under the hood. I have ALL the passenger seats, as it was born with.
Nice if you take a few folks out for dinner?  I cut out the rather
commodious trunk, at the frame rails, and made a angle iron, well, actually
old bed frame rails. Vast amount of them turn up at your friendly dump!
Free!When I have cut and welded in the frame, I build a wood frame that sits
atop the sheetmetal, bolt it down with latex caulk around, to seal it off
from the cabin. This cuts down on road noise, inside. top it off with a
plywood top, with hinges, and thick rubber weather seal tape to male it
tight. Being it is OPEN to the outside, you get a venting action when you
are driving, and best, you can open and hose everything down, it drains
overboard. Hi tech here<g>!Batteries piss out acid, and NEED to be washed
down with a hose and paintbrush, all the time. Water them, NOT with the
hose, use distilled water! First, then wash it down, leave the lid open on a
sunny day, so everything dries out! Close it up and you can STILL load a few
hundred bux worth of groceries at the Stupermarket. Trunk is STILL useful. A
Wagon, with it's higher load capacity, you SHOULD be able to stuff batteries
in the "Trunk"? Same floor plan.You could "Band" the box with a couple
straps over, bolted through the frame rails to hold thing down when you do a
roll over?This will keep things in place and no shorts against the plywood
cover when it become the BOTTOM! The front? Not too worried as THEY won't
join you in the cabin, I'll pick them up later IF I can?

   I'm betting, with my "Signiture" battery stowing method that there would
be enough ventalation, being as it's open to the air outside, especially
when you are going? I HAVE blown up batteries, before. as it is OPEN you
don't destroy stuff, the blast? it goes overboard! It ISN'T an inclosed
setup, so no damaging, confined explosion. Works fine for me.In normal
service batteries DON'T gas, unless your charger went berserk? My system,
has worked over 100 years on RR passenger cars. Not a sealed box, but
vented, passively, 'cept when the train is going. Lottsa breeze them. The
downside is the batteries are out in the open, NOT so great when its below
zero out. I just live with half my range and think of Battery Beach Burnout
in FLA<G>! 70 degree daze in Jan, only a 26 hour train flight from NYC!
HowEVer it is PERFECT EV weather NOW in the glorious Spring!! Leaves
greening out all over the place!

    YMMV.

     Bob

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