Ken,
The main reason to vent is the fumes are so corrosive to everything,
especially fabric and metals. The fumes in normal amounts are not harmful
but can be stinky offensive. A old type charger or defective charger (your
house 12v converter) can "boil-cook" the battery and that amount of fumes
are not only harmful to breath, but explosive with any spark. A sudden
overload/load on the battery from a defective load can also "boil" the
battery and create too much fumes to breath or explode.
The highly corrosive fumes are hydrogen sulfide gas. Explosive and
poisonous.
The interior of a coach is a bad place for any battery, especially a lead
acid battery because it is a small area for accumulation concentration. If
you can't or don't want to move it, then use the highly expensive Gel Cell
battery. It is sealed case under vacuum. You cannot acid water to the gel
and never pry open the concealed rubber caps. The vacuum allows the gassing
physics of the lead plates with the gel, without any venting. The gel allows
the battery to be used in any position including upside down. Gel cells are
much more expensive and shorter lived.
Best to spend the effort to go to any Walmart or Academy, buy a large
plastic battery box with cover, make a nice mount on the tongue of the
trailer with wood, bolt the battery box down to the wood with stainless
screws, large fender washers, large rubber seals from the hardware store,
and get that battery outside where it should be. The plastic case has an
area in it's top for the cables to exit. Grease all connectors generously
before connecting and heavily coat after connecting to prevent all corrosion
to posts, connectors and wiring. Makes a huge mess but works better than any
otc spray. Use a bunge cord to keep the battery box cover in place, or just
screw is down.
-Eddie- (713)694-8084 24hrs or email, EddieHuffstetter@hotmail.com
> My first time asking a question. I have a 68 Caravel I've been working on.
> (floor redo) The previous owner had the battery under the gaucho beside the
> charger, as I would expect. But I've read somewhere about the need to vent
> your battery. I've seen battery boxes with a vent. I've seen them without.
> Does anyone have any direction on this? Do I have to vent it? Are there
> fumes?