Home / Battery tool box
Extra — Battery tool box
DIY Battery Tool Box Build - Travel Trailer Project
Source: DIY Battery Tool Box Build - Travel Trailer Project · 2018-09-05 · 13:53
What Joe did
- Had aluminum diamond plate sheared into manageable pieces.
- Used the base plate as a shape template and scored the side strip to bend it.
- Learned aluminum welding with a spool gun, then closed seams and added a lid.
- Added aluminum angle at the top for stiffness.
- Bolted the box to the trailer and left room to operate the tongue jack.
- Planned a later battery framework inside it.
Numbers
| What | Value | Where in the video |
|---|---|---|
| Side strip width | 16 inches | “one 16 inch wide strip” |
| Argon gas | 100 percent | “with a hundred percent argon gas” |
| Material thickness | .100 | “relatively thin point one zero zero material” |
| Lid clearance | about ½ inch | “it’s about half an inch out” |
| Mounting bolts | 4 | “mounted with four stainless steel carriage bolts” |
Materials and parts
| Item | Detail as Joe says it |
|---|---|
| Box metal | Aluminum diamond plate from Industrial Metal Supply. |
| Welding setup | Forney 190 multi-process welder, spool gun, aluminum wire, 100 percent argon. |
| Reinforcement | Aluminum angle at top edges. |
| Fasteners | Stainless-steel carriage bolts. |
Tools Joe used
- Saw, angle grinder, clamps, Forney 190 welder, and aluminum spool gun.
Tips and mistakes
- Joe tested scoring on scrap before committing to the box.
- His early spool-gun welds had poor wire speed, voltage, and gas coverage; practice improved them.
- He says a pre-made box is usually better on cost and effort unless a custom shape or features matter.
For my build
- Nathan’s note: a bought battery box may protect the tools budget and avoids learning aluminum welding now.
- Nathan’s note: reserve a box location that works with the off-grid battery layout and tongue jack.