Battery access on 2016 R29

[Kenaithab]

Does anyone have any advice on changing the house and engine batteries on an R29? Access appears to be very difficult in the forward part of the port lazarette under the deck. The batteries seem to be sitting on stationary mounts, not a sliding tray. I can get one arm in there but vision and maneuvering room are extremely limited. I am considering cutting an access hole under the small freezer unit we have in the cockpit. Any better ideas? Am I missing something obvious? Thanks.

 

[Rocky]

My 2018 R29s has a sliding tray. I have never slid it out. Looking closely, I see how it works, and frankly, it is not that intuitive. It might be worth looking closer to see if the 2016 model is the same but just not obvious.

I hope that helps.

Rocky

 

[Kevin Lamont]

Does anyone have any advice on changing the house and engine batteries on an R29? Access appears to be very difficult in the forward part of the port lazarette under the deck. The batteries seem to be sitting on stationary mounts, not a sliding tray. I can get one arm in there but vision and maneuvering room are extremely limited. I am considering cutting an access hole under the small freezer unit we have in the cockpit. Any better ideas? Am I missing something obvious? Thanks.

Hello,

There should be a few screws that are holding the battery tray to the floor. Once you remove the screws you should be able to slide the battery tray aft for service.

Thank you,
Kevin Lamont

 

[baz]

Kevin: I've seen the batteries on the screwed down tray before the cockpit and/or Cabin liners are installed. There are several screws as I recall and once the liners are installed the access to the screws becomes quite a challenge.

In addition the batteries are secured to the tray with nylon straps.

Unless I'm mistaken, accessing all the screws is a futile task.

Shouldn't a better means for sliding out the almost hidden batteries be designed ?

The design goal is obviously one that secures the batteries from moving about with the various boat's motion.

Here's a picture of the 4 batteries installed on my 2018 R27/OB.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AG0ehgLGfnZiA

The batteries are in a black tray that the batteries are strapped to. The white starboard base board the batteries and their black tray sits on is I believe screwed down (this maybe incorrect) with one of more of the screws used to secure the black tray to the starboard base. Unless it's just the aft screws holding the white starboard base plate to the underlying stringer it would be nigh impossible to unscrew the other screws holding the white starboard base to the underlying stringer as the batteries are eventually hidden. Even if the batteries can somehow be removed there has to be enough cable slack to allow the batteries to be slid out and exposed.

Now, if the starboard base board isn't screwed down to the underlying stringer then with some effort I'm guessing the whole tray of batteries can be slid out to be exposed so long as there's enough cable slack.

Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. Thanks.

 

[Kenaithab]

Hi Kevin,
I checked the port battery mount on my 2016 R29 today. It doesn't really look like it is intended to slide out. It actually looks like they put some sort of caulking or adhesive along the base. Additionally, the heavy yellow inboard cable doesn't look like it is long enough to allow the mount to slide very far even if it does slide.
Thanks
Ty Moffett

 

[RGrover]

Good afternoon all
Just thought I would pass on my experience with working with two 2017 R29’s battery trays. As was mentioned the trays are held in place by a few screws. Removing them should enable you to slide the tray aft. It may take a little bit of a push but it will go. As for the cables once the tray was back , both boats I worked on had enough cable to easy remove and replace the batteries. The only extra advice would be to take pictures of the cable layout before you start to remove them.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

I’ve had the batteries out on our 2018 R29 and it’s no picnic but doable. For me I emptied the locker out completely so I could physically get into the locker. I left the battery pans in place and started with the starboard closest battery. When I disconnect the cables/wires I zip tie each posts cables together and assign a number to them that corresponds to the battery they go back onto. After lifting and pulling the first battery out I go to the starboard battery behind the first one taken out. At this point I’m all the way into the locker, on my side with my arms and hands well into the locker. After battery 2 is out it’s easier to work on getting the port side of the battery Bank out. Also at this time the 2 pans from the 2 batteries already taken out are easy to take out now and make it easier to get the remaining batteries out. In the end I had to be inside the locker, on my back and side to be in a position to unbolt and zip tie the cables. With the cables off I was able to take the 4 house batteries out while on my knees in the locker but had to scouch into the locker to get the start battery out. I’m guessing this is one of the reasons the factory uses non servicing AGM batteries. Hope this helps.

Jim