6V battery boxes

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by E-pad

There is some variation, apparently, in where the batteries are located on the different models.

Lots of variation between models:

• 17': just in front of rear bumper on frame structure in boxes (street side for single battery, usually one each side in separate boxes for dual batteries)
• 19': tongue just ahead of body, in boxes like 17', or in bottom of Escape optional front storage box)
• 21' and 5.0TA: under dinette bench seat

There have also been variations over time, and slight variations due to options ordered (for example in 21' and 5.0TA: in back of U-shaped dinette, but curb side of standard dinette).

Originally Posted by E-pad

The discussion on batteries is causing me to wonder..........the local golf cart place sells Trojan and US Battery, which is cheaper than Trojan and has around the same AH, around 232 AH. On this forum folks mention Trojan and Interstate often, but I never hear anything about US Battery. Is there a reason? Anybody have experience with US Battery?

I think it's mostly just obscurity. Trojan is well known in the battery industry; Interstate is familiar to Escape owners because Interstate is the factory-installed brand. US Battery is neither.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

For Interstate batteries, it depends on where you get them. From Louisiana to Southern California, Interstate batteries are made by a Johnson Controls manufacturing plant in Monterrey, Mexico. In the other states, the batteries are made by Johnson Controls in the United States.

This brings up a reality of the lead-acid battery industry: there are many brands, but few actual manufacturers. Almost every automotive battery sold in North America is made by one of three companies, the biggest of which is Johnson Controls; JCI lists five brands on the website, but actually has many more.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by E-pad

...the local golf cart place sells Trojan and US Battery, which is cheaper than Trojan and has around the same AH, around 232 AH.

Within the same overall case size (GC2) there is a choice of batteries, both by construction (such as lead plate design), and by capacity (more or less mass of lead plates in the case). In Trojan's Signature Line alone there are three:

• T-605 (210 A-h, 28 kg or 62 lb)
• T-105 (225 A-h, 28 kg or 62 lb)
• T-125 (240 A-h, 30 kg or 66 lb)

Those are 20-hour rates (higher capacity at lower discharge rate).

Have some extra height available? There's also the taller GC2H-sized T-145 which has 260 A-h of capacity and weighs 33 kg or 72 lb. Trojan also has an RV/Marine line, with most of the same GC2 or GC2H models (T-105, T-125, T-145) and "Plus" variants of each of those. Within each of these dozen or so model variants, there also choice of terminal styles.

I suppose that the good thing is that any deep-cycle 6-volt lead-acid battery which fit in the case will work.

[E-pad]

KStock11: Same scenario here. My husband was told the same as you about the mfg whereabouts of the batteries and the US Battery is $45 less than the Trojan, so we are also willing to roll the dice. The 6 V he is considering is 10.25 L x 7 W x 11.00 H. The height is the big problem when fitting into a box, as we would like the lid to snap down tight. Are these a lot smaller than yours?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by E-pad

The 6 V he is considering is 10.25 L x 7 W x 11.00 H. The height is the big problem when fitting into a box, as we would like the lid to snap down tight. Are these a lot smaller than yours?

That's the common GC2 size, although exact height varies by manufacturer and 11.00" is a fraction of a inch taller than most (but still not as tall as a GC2H).

Interstate's website is a horribly broken piece of junk, but the golf car products page shows the GC2-XHD used by Escape as 11-1/8" tall, so it is apparently a GC2H package size.

[kstock11]

The batteries that I am using are the US 2200 XC2. Dimensions listed are: 10-1/4L x 7-1/8W x 11-1/4H. In addition to this, Escape had a high connection to the positive that added probably an inch or so. My batteries (and trailer) are off site so I can't verify those dimensions. As to the fit in the boxes that I mentioned, the fit was very tight. In order to get the batteries out, I had to purchase a special battery puller that clamps near the top so that I can pull them out when necessary.