Battery over the wheelwell, or behind it?

VanGoSki

Well-known member
Hey folks, I'm trying to fine tune the placement of my 400 AH LifePo4 battery on the passenger side near the wheel well. It's 100 lbs in a 12"x12"x12" cube. I'm trying to decide whether to put it over the wheel well, or behind it. My main concern is weight balance. Over the wheel well is a higher center of gravity than on the floor. Behind the wheel well is lower, but COG is behind the axle.

A bit more about my weight distribution: I'm going to have a Northwest Conversions 20 gallon water tank around the wheel well on the driver's side wheel well. That's 160 lbs of water when full. But I'm going to have other electrical goodies on the battery side, like a big inverter, which will help balance things. Towards the front of the van I will have a large fridge on passenger side overlapping the slider door and galley on the driver's side.

So which placement is better? Or am I overthinking things? Thanks!



 

VanGoSki

Well-known member
If you can, I'd recommend putting it in front of the wheel
Do you mean in-front towards the front of the van? Unfortunately the fridge is going to go there, overlapping the slider door (which isn't shown). I should have mentioned that. Thanks for the feedback though.
 

flyag1

Active member
If you keep the build lite, put the 100# blocks where they fit best.
I try to keep things low, but that extra 12 inch lift of 100#'s ain't gona make much difference. Now it you do that enough times then it adds up but just a couple hundred #'s above the floor want matter. Have fun and enjoy!
 

Outlookela

Active member
I agree with the above in that it’s not critical but good to. E aware of. But I would do your full design as best you can then make the decision.
 

Colorado_Al

Well-known member
Best to keep the heaviest parts of your build low and between the axles. If there's no other place for it, then I guess it'll have to go where it can
 

kcshoots

VanTripping.com
In my build I found that it was difficult getting the installed weight to the rear, and easy to load the front, so I'd recommend the rear instead of over the wheel.
 

sparkplug

Well-known member
I say it doesn't matter all that much. I have 2 x 200Ah on top of the wheel arch and have my underslung gas tank in front of the wheel arch on the other side of the van.

My water is split 50/50 behind the wheel arches on each side.

The fridge is in front of the wheel arch on the battery side and I keep my dry goods in drawers in the rear seat on the opposite side

and so on and so forth.

I try to balance as much as is practical with left / right weight distribution and also to some extent forward and rear but the truth of it is that it doesn't matter where any single thing is. The important thing is to keep an approximate balance overall.

Don't sweat it too much, but do keep it in mind.
 

sprint2freedom

2008 NCV3 170ext
In my build I found that it was difficult getting the installed weight to the rear, and easy to load the front, so I'd recommend the rear instead of over the wheel.
I would have said just the opposite, but I think it depends on the wheelbase. In a 170 there is a lot of floor space that loads the rear axle almost exclusively when weight is added to it. A 170ext even moreso.
 

VanGoSki

Well-known member
The MB Body Builders Info Guide has quite a bit to say about where to put loads, plus the calculations to determine if you're off-loading the Front wheels too much by putting to much weight behind the rear axle.
I've attached the 2012 NCV3 edition and the 2019 VS30 edition.
--dick
Thanks, Dick. I'd forgotten there are guidelines in the BEG.
If you keep the build lite, put the 100# blocks where they fit best.
I try to keep things low, but that extra 12 inch lift of 100#'s ain't gona make much difference. Now it you do that enough times then it adds up but just a couple hundred #'s above the floor want matter. Have fun and enjoy!
Thanks! Sounds good to me.
I agree with the above in that it’s not critical but good to. E aware of. But I would do your full design as best you can then make the decision.
Thanks, the layout is actually done. I described it in the post, but didn't show it in the diagrams I posted.
Best to keep the heaviest parts of your build low and between the axles. If there's no other place for it, then I guess it'll have to go where it can
Thanks, I get that. Unfortunately there's not a lot of flexibility in a 144.
Your wiring may tell you where it’s best.
Thanks.
In my build I found that it was difficult getting the installed weight to the rear, and easy to load the front, so I'd recommend the rear instead of over the wheel.
Interesting. I believe it since the rear of a stock cargo van is woefully light.
I say it doesn't matter all that much. I have 2 x 200Ah on top of the wheel arch and have my underslung gas tank in front of the wheel arch on the other side of the van.

My water is split 50/50 behind the wheel arches on each side.

The fridge is in front of the wheel arch on the battery side and I keep my dry goods in drawers in the rear seat on the opposite side

and so on and so forth.

I try to balance as much as is practical with left / right weight distribution and also to some extent forward and rear but the truth of it is that it doesn't matter where any single thing is. The important thing is to keep an approximate balance overall.

Don't sweat it too much, but do keep it in mind.
Great data! Thanks a bunch.
I would have said just the opposite, but I think it depends on the wheelbase. In a 170 there is a lot of floor space that loads the rear axle almost exclusively when weight is added to it. A 170ext even moreso.
I'm sure that's true for the longer vans. The shorter overhang in back makes for a better departure angle which is one of the things I like about the 144.

Thanks to everyone who commented. I really appreciate it. :cheers:
 

rootsrunner

New member
Hey folks, I'm trying to fine tune the placement of my 400 AH LifePo4 battery on the passenger side near the wheel well. It's 100 lbs in a 12"x12"x12" cube. I'm trying to decide whether to put it over the wheel well, or behind it. My main concern is weight balance. Over the wheel well is a higher center of gravity than on the floor. Behind the wheel well is lower, but COG is behind the axle.

A bit more about my weight distribution: I'm going to have a Northwest Conversions 20 gallon water tank around the wheel well on the driver's side wheel well. That's 160 lbs of water when full. But I'm going to have other electrical goodies on the battery side, like a big inverter, which will help balance things. Towards the front of the van I will have a large fridge on passenger side overlapping the slider door and galley on the driver's side.

So which placement is better? Or am I overthinking things? Thanks!



I wonder how your battery placement went? Did you go over the wheelwell?
 

Kajtek1

2015 3500 X long limo RV
Those vans rock like crazy even without lifting COG, so I am putting as much as I can under the floor.
All 4 of my tanks are under the floor, while factory 2nd battery is under the hood.
Would I want add more batteries, I already have my eye on underfloor cage sold on ebay.
 

marklg

Well-known member
Those vans rock like crazy even without lifting COG, so I am putting as much as I can under the floor.
All 4 of my tanks are under the floor, while factory 2nd battery is under the hood.
Would I want add more batteries, I already have my eye on underfloor cage sold on ebay.
Do you have a link to the cage? I think others might be interested.

One of the good ideas Great West had was to provide two battery holders under the rear floor and a large storage well under the rear floor as well. I've got two batteries in the holders and two more in the storage well. I also have some heavy tools in the well. As far as I can tell, these were proprietary to Great West and since they are out of business, no longer made or available. Besides lowering the center of gravity, they allow a flat storage area above for things that you want to access more often. I've seen other vans with the area in the back above the floor taken up by batteries. Of course the spare has to be moved to the rear door.

Regards,

Mark
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
Hey folks, I'm trying to fine tune the placement of my 400 AH LifePo4 battery on the passenger side near the wheel well. It's 100 lbs in a 12"x12"x12" cube. I'm trying to decide whether to put it over the wheel well, or behind it. My main concern is weight balance. Over the wheel well is a higher center of gravity than on the floor. Behind the wheel well is lower, but COG is behind the axle.

A bit more about my weight distribution: I'm going to have a Northwest Conversions 20 gallon water tank around the wheel well on the driver's side wheel well. That's 160 lbs of water when full. But I'm going to have other electrical goodies on the battery side, like a big inverter, which will help balance things. Towards the front of the van I will have a large fridge on passenger side overlapping the slider door and galley on the driver's side.

So which placement is better? Or am I overthinking things? Thanks!



Hello what make and model 400ah battery is that, and how is it working out? That’s a compact package for 400ah. ??
 

Kajtek1

2015 3500 X long limo RV
Thought so. That is from member hein on this forum. He has lots of good stuff.

Regards,

Mark
And for premium price. My problem with his design is that the cage is design for the cavity in the center of the van, what in my case is used for water tanks.
I need to build something that will go into smaller cavity close to the rear axle.
But I either drive a lot, or stay with hookups, so big battery bank is not on my list for now.
Additionally I plan to add front hitch, so that is where additional batteries and small generator would go.
 

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