Finished battery slide out tray

gr8njt · March 24, 2007, 10:53:09 AM

In anticipation for my bus getting smoothsided and repainted by Diamond State Conversions, I fabricated a slide out tray to accomodate eight (

200Ah scrubber batteries for an 800Ah bank in a 24V system. This should be stout enough source of juice for my Xantrex SW4024. This is in preparation for my 24VDC generator project for this year.

gr8njt · March 24, 2007, 10:56:21 AM

AS long as the trays are not extended out at the same time, each battery tray will balance each other as demonstrated by the unsecured tray on the concrete garage floor.
More of my 24VDC generator project to come.

H3Jim · March 24, 2007, 11:50:32 AM

Very nice job on the rack.

Have you considered solar in your equation?

I have 600 amp hours of batteries at 24 volts, a 12k wrico generator and I just added 600 watts of solar panels. I have room to add more if I need to.

If I had known how nice and effective and QUIET it is to have the solar, I'm not sure I would have bought that generator. Its true I will need it to run air conditioning, but short of that, I easily run everything else off solar and batteries. Something to consider. I'm all electric except I will be adding the diesel fired heater. I have kept 24 volts wherever possible

4024 inverter
16 cu ft Sunfrost refrigerator (24 v)
1100 watt microwave / convetion oven
electric stovetop
toaster
tv, DVD player
Home theater stereo
lights
24 v water pump

gr8njt · March 24, 2007, 12:11:13 PM

Thanks for the compliment Jim.
And yes, solar power is in the DC generator project plan. I am looking at around 400-600 watts of solar power down the road.

My bus is presently at Bruce Knee's place for re-skinning, smooth-siding, rear cap/louver kit install and painting. I am also in the process of buying the needed parts for hydronic heating using 24V diesel fired "ProHeat".
This year, my bus expenses budget is already bone dry. Since our approach to our bus conversion is NOT TO BORROW and convert as the finances allow, those darn expensive solar panels will have to wait for the next years bus budget

jjrbus · March 24, 2007, 04:46:32 PM

Nice looking job.

Barn Owl · March 24, 2007, 05:32:17 PM

Gr8nt,

That is some very nice fabricating and good use of track rollers. What a first class job! I enjoyed your web site, you have a beautiful family.

Laryn

gr8njt · March 24, 2007, 07:41:38 PM

jjrbus, thank you.
Barn Owl, thanks for the kind words. My family is all I've got.

I will be posting some pictures of the Lexan "see thru" Class-T fuse blocks and 4/0 awg
connection points for the (a) house battery bank (b) SW4024 (c) bus battery bank (d) 24VDC genset and (e) solar power.

gr8njt · March 25, 2007, 04:28:38 AM

Here's the ground (-) isolated "Lexan" see-thru (+) connection point panel.
Connections and cable are all 4/0 awg
Note: the plastic protective cover for the Lexan is still present.
It will be on a 3/4 ply-wood box (like a big sub-woofer speaker box)
mounted to the side of the battery tray. It will also have 2 on/off switches
for the upper and lower slide out battery trays.
I may even place a small neon light inside the box just for show. LOL.

muddog16 · March 27, 2007, 02:35:26 AM

Wow! Nice looking slide out, I'm impressed. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind? Is that powder coated and where did you find your rollers?

Pat

Jeremy · March 27, 2007, 03:22:20 AM

Very high quality work - great design and great execution. I liked the rollers as well - they look to me like ballraces that you have adapted - if so I wish I'd though of that six months ago, when I was planning my own slide mechanisms!

Jeremy

Ace · March 27, 2007, 04:57:09 AM

Looks good but from what I can see from the pics is one, a third set of rollers would have helped to keep the tray level when slid out and thus keeping the owner from lifting it up to slide back in. I used this approach when I made my slide for generator. It can come all the way out and never drop so to speak so there is no lifting to get it to slide back in. Two it doesn't appear that the upper rack would be able to slide all the way out until you have the whole rack secured. Is this correct? With all that top weight, once out, will that put a lot of stress on the rear mounting bolts and/or even the bay floor of the MCI? Other than that, a very nice clean job! The rollers look to be the same as I used on my generator slide! Not cheap either!

Ace

FloridaCliff · March 27, 2007, 06:08:53 AM

Vey nice work!

I really enjoyed the pictures, well thought out and I appreciate the attention to detail.

As someone who likes to fabricate, it nice to see others ideas and finished products

Cliff

gr8njt · March 27, 2007, 04:41:44 PM

Quote from: Ace on March 27, 2007, 04:57:09 AM
Looks good but from what I can see from the pics is one, a third set of rollers would have helped to keep the tray level when slid out and thus keeping the owner from lifting it up to slide back in. I used this approach when I made my slide for generator. It can come all the way out and never drop so to speak so there is no lifting to get it to slide back in. Two it doesn't appear that the upper rack would be able to slide all the way out until you have the whole rack secured. Is this correct? With all that top weight, once out, will that put a lot of stress on the rear mounting bolts and/or even the bay floor of the MCI? Other than that, a very nice clean job! The rollers look to be the same as I used on my generator slide! Not cheap either!

Ace

Thanks for all the complements Gentlemen.
Ace, I used a third set of rollers to be able to slide the tray out completely. Used a total of 12 cam rollers for the dual tray. I will definitely secure the tray with massive bolts to the MCI floor. The idea is for each tray to balance the other (as long as they are not out at the same time) will put less stress at the floor mounts. Check the first pic. It shows the location of the rollers as the tray is completely extended out. The tray is 10 inches longer than the actual needed footprint. This is where the leverage is located when the tray fully extended.
Muddog, the rollers are called "cam roller bearings" I purchased from eBay. They come with the "stems" built in. They vary in price but the ones I used are 1 3/8 inch in diameter and paid $50 for 10 rollers free shipping. I took advantage of the free shipping and ordered 30 rollers for future projects (gen-set slide-out).
I used metallic blue spray paint (in a can) after a primer of "Rustoleum" and used regular white enamel for the slide out trays for some contrast.

I've also finished the box with white laminate and installed with a 2-source switch in the front of the box.
The "Lexan" provides a safe material to mount the Class T fuses and heavy duty "bus bars" for clean connection points.
It also provides an easy way to visually check the connections every now and then.

Ace · March 27, 2007, 05:01:53 PM

Yea that's what I'm talking about! Nice job! I must have missed seeing the 3rd bearing in the other pics but it's clear now!

Good price on the bearings too! Wish I could have found them at that price when I built my slide out!

Ace

Homegrowndiesel · March 27, 2007, 05:30:43 PM

Looks good Ray.

You Da Man.

Rustoleum and all.

I see you can get to all filler caps on the lower rack. Well ballanced, But, Just Kidding, no need for the third bearing, really, you do not have to lift these, even with only 2 bearings. (good design)

Keep up the good work.

Bill