B361 relocation of batteries

[bshock]

Hello all,

When I bought my 2000 B361 a few years ago, the batteries were kaput and I ended up having to buy new ones. I had wanted to go from the two 4D house batteries to using four 6 volt golf cart style batteries as I've seen recommended on this site as well as others. Unfortunately the layout of the B361 (at least mine) doesn't allow this due to the existing location of the batteries. The 6 volt batteries, unless I'm mistaken, are about an inch taller than the 4D batteries I have.

So I went ahead and just replaced the old batteries with new 4Ds. But I've been wondering if anyone has moved their batteries from what I suspect is the stock location to a location where there is vertical clearance for the taller 6 volt batteries. Currently my starting battery and one of the 4Ds is underneath the "floor" of the single aft berth (which can be very inconvenient). The other 4D is in front of the engine beneath the companionway steps. I'm assuming this is how the battery lay-out was designed from the factory. Unfortunately these areas are just too short for any batteries that are taller than the batts I already have.

My thinking then, was to move the battery location to the storage space beneath the port side settee in the main cabin. The drawback here, obviously, is losing that storage space, but I think it might be worth it to get the 6 volt batteries. Has anyone does this, and is there enough room for the four 6v batts, or better yet, the 6v batts AND the group 31 starting battery?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Philip_Oceanis 361]

I have the twin aft version so for me the space below the bed is really easy. Of this is not an answer for your question. I was thinking... the area you mentioned in the saloon below the port settee is quite large but isn't that too far? How will you get the wires over there?

 

[DougM]

I changed to slightly taller batteries in my 323 which would have interfered with the floor of the quarter berth. Adding spacers under the floorboards that make up the berth raised the floor enough to clear the tops of the batteries without creating any major dimensional issues. I only needed about an inch. Any more than that may have been more of an engineering problem.

 

[bshock]

Philip, to answer your question about wires to the port settee, I guess I was thinking I'd simply have to run longer wires somehow, if that's even possible. I guess the point of my post was to find out if anyone else had moved their batteries to that location, to see if it's even possible.

Doug, that is a good idea, and normally an excellent solution I think. In my case, we have a 4 or 5 inch bed topper on top of the stock cushion in the aft berth, and I'd really like to avoid reducing the already low clearance back there. My wife loves the bed topper mattress in that berth, and says because of that she sleeps better on the boat than at our land home. But of course I get the "inside" part of that berth, right underneath the wheel, with the clearance there being much reduced compared to where my wife sleeps in that berth. So I'm already smacking my legs on the "ceiling" in that aft berth already. Your solution might indeed be the best solution, but I'm still looking for alternatives.

Thanks both of you so much!

 

[FlorDLuna]

A few years ago I had L&L Electronics in Connecticut replace/upgrade the batteries on my B331. The original locations were right in front of the engine, and under the bunkboards in the aft cabin, near the centerline. They ended up removing the battery that was in front of the engine, and placing a new one in the port cockpit lazarette, down low. I'm not sure why they did it that way, and I was skeptical of the weight being that far from the centerline, but it seems to have worked fine.

 

[fiddlersgreen1]

I have a 361. I changed to Trojan 145 wet cell 6 volt batteries. I have two batteries under the step. I have two batteries under the stern berth. Posterior to the two 6 volt batteries under the stern berth is a additional battery, a 12 volt auto starting battery. I have done NO modification other than battery wiring modifications. Everything has worked well for 5 years. There is fairly easy access to these batteries and I check fluid level quarterly.

 

[Syversens]

We have a 361 as well and I did add another bank on starboard side settee, in the one by bulkhead to forward cabin. I wired it into the windlass cable, which has a 00 cable going from the batteries by engine. I installed breakers in both ends and of course new breaker to windlass from battery upfront. My battery banks consist of a starting battery and 2 6V interstate batts, one under stairs and the other up front like mentioned. the 12 Vs (2x6) are configured in parallel. Its worked well for years. Another benefit is that I upgraded the charger to a 50 amp when the 20 went out. its now wired to the battery just 2 feet away and has a temp sensor instead of 30 feet away. I know the batteries are not in same location so temp will wary greatly but I think it's a big improvement over what it was before.

 

[bshock]

Folks, thanks for the replies and sorry for not acknowledging them until now. Fiddler's Green, love the name! Also, I'm surprised you had the clearance under the steps and in the stern berth for the higher 6 volt batteries. Perhaps I need to shop the 6 volt batteries some more. Admittedly, when I measured them before, I only measured one brand; Interstate. Not sure why I'd think ALL six volt batteries would be the same height! Thanks again, and that gives me hope!