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CAUTION!! Battery box!
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Just finished re-attaching my battery box to the floor. I was quite surprised sliding in some new house batteries when the entire right side, really 3/4 of the box pulled away from the floor pan! It's a good thing it happened in my driveway, not going down the road! For those of you who don't know, my coach is an '84 Regency (MCC) but that should have no bearing on this issue... this is a coach build not chassis issue. BARTH only rivited the box to the sub-floor sheet metal pan, and didn't through-bolt the box to the actual floor! VERY bad design! The floor is a sandwich, sheet metal is laid out on the frame, then a sub-floor of plywood is laid on top of that. I pulled up a section of the floor in the rear bedroom, drilled holes through the sub- floor and through the flanges of the battery box, and bolted the box, big washers to distribute the load. No way should one trust the heavy weight of the batteries to mere rivits into sheet metal! You all may want to check this out, as none of these coaches are getting any younger! I'd stick a pry bar up under the battery box flange and pry it back and forth like mad... if it seems to be loose, bolt it now, before MAJOR headaches on the road!!! Just be careful, and don't drill UP and through the floor, because there are lots of wires and hoses up above that spot of the sub floor!
 
Posts: 159 | Location: Newington, CT USA | Member Since: 06-02-2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Been spending time under my coach lately, and it looks like the storage compartments are ALSO rivited to the sub floor sheet metal pan! After my experience with the battery box this is a bit disconcerting, to say the least. A few bolts through the actual floor seem like cheap insurance...
 
Posts: 159 | Location: Newington, CT USA | Member Since: 06-02-2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Under the coach today and found battery box half unfastened from floor. Some thing else to fix. Charles
 
Posts: 63 | Location: Winona Lake, IN | Member Since: 04-18-2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 7/17
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Getting ready for journey to Daytona and beyond. Had to refasten battery compartment. This was not 1 of the best ideal to just rivet the flange to the under pan. I suggest that everyone take a good look at their's. I was able to drill for 3/8 carriage bolts thru my floor in a water tank compartment thru the flange, Having my son underneath with nuts, washers and lock washers made the job not to bad.

I am not the only one that has had this issue. A little time and a few bolts might save you some real problems down the road. That a lot of weight hanging on a few rivets.


1986 31' Regal -1976 Class C
454/T400 P30 -350/T400 G30
twin cntr beds - 21' rear bath
 
Posts: 1023 | Location: Dayton, Ohio | Member Since: 09-27-2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 3/11
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You will also find that the water tank is riveted to the floor and the side rails that the skins attached to. You can add bolts and angle aluminum bar to the inner edge of the compartment and it will come through the floor under the couch.


1993 32' Regency Wide Body, 4 speed Allison Trans, Front Entry door, Diamond Plate aluminum roof &
1981 Euro 22' w Chevy 350 engine and TH 400 tranny
 
Posts: 1514 | Location: Houston Texas | Member Since: 12-19-2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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