Battery Lock Box

[GrayghostUSA]

It didn't take but a glance at how the batteries were secured on my 26RBWS to realize they were not secure in how they were mounted or secure in the sense of foiling thieves. So I invested in a RVLockBox. With the screws that hold the front of the box on the trailer tongue being inside the box one area solved. All other fasteners are allen head cap screws with the nuts inside the box being the lock nuts with a plastic insert. You can spin the cap screws all day long and the nuts just merrily spin with them. Problem area two solved.

You know how old bolts that have been painted over are very hard to loosen. Well I painted over all of them.

Is it absolutely theft proof? No. But I hope these measures will slow the bad guys down enough or make them make too much noise.

[spydunks]

That whole “locks are for honest people” statement applies. Make an attempt at securing them, and like you said, if someone wants them bad enough, they won’t be deterred.

[babock]

I was going to do the same thing but though having a box like that was just an invitation for a thief to see what was so great in there that it needed to be locked up!

That is the reason I am moving the batteries inside my trailer under my bed and going with lithium.

Adding paint to the threads is pretty much useless. That is why when I have wanted to prevent a nut from being removed, I spot weld them.

[GrayghostUSA]

Originally Posted by babock

I was going to do the same thing but though having a box like that was just an invitation for a thief to see what was so great in there that it needed to be locked up!

That is the reason I am moving the batteries inside my trailer under my bed and going with lithium.

Adding paint to the threads is pretty much useless. That is why when I have wanted to prevent a nut from being removed, I spot weld them.

Paint is just phase 2

[babock]

Originally Posted by GrayghostUSA

Paint is just phase 2

How is paint even a phase?

[GrayghostUSA]

Originally Posted by babock

How is paint even a phase?

Actually phase three. You assume I painted the threads. Wrong. Phase one, as many fasteners as possible are screwed into the hitch using stainless steel self drilling screws from inside the locked box. Very difficult to get to. Phase two, all other fasteners are stainless steel cap screws going into stainless steel nylon lock nuts on the inside of the locked box. If you have a allen wrench of the right size you can spin the cap screw all day long and the lock nut just spins merrily along (tested). Phase three, painting the head of the cap screws, like rust, provides greater initial resistance but more importantly makes the fasteners harder to see especially in low light levels. When I design something I never rely on a single approach.

[GrayghostUSA]

Originally Posted by babock

I was going to do the same thing but though having a box like that was just an invitation for a thief to see what was so great in there that it needed to be locked up!

That is the reason I am moving the batteries inside my trailer under my bed and going with lithium.

Adding paint to the threads is pretty much useless. That is why when I have wanted to prevent a nut from being removed, I spot weld them.

Personally I would be uncomfortable having a heat source like lithium batteries under my bed. But that's just me.

[babock]

Originally Posted by GrayghostUSA

Personally I would be uncomfortable having a heat source like lithium batteries under my bed. But that's just me.

A battery is a heat source? Mine will be fused within a foot of the battery. You fuse yours right?

BTW, a bolt cutter will be used to steal the batteries before they try to unscrew your box unless your goal is to keep the box from being stolen. I would likely try to get a more substantial lock that the one you are using.

[GrayghostUSA]

Originally Posted by babock

A battery is a heat source? Mine will be fused within a foot of the battery. You fuse yours right?

BTW, a bolt cutter will be used to steal the batteries before they try to unscrew your box unless your goal is to keep the box from being stolen. I would likely try to get a more substantial lock that the one you are using.

Lithium batteries are known for heat during charging but good luck with that. Your fuse is for electrical overload not the heat. Maybe the heat will be a good thing in the winter. A Puck lock is already on order but thanks for confirming my thinking. I realize my system is most unfriendly as the most likely scenario is a theif will skip mine due to time constraints and go to my neighbors. You probably don't want to camp next to me.

[babock]

Originally Posted by GrayghostUSA

Lithium batteries are known for heat during charging but good luck with that.

Battleborn Lithium LiFEPo4 batteries are not known for heating since their internal resistance is a lot lower than a lead acid battery.

You will likely be fine in a campground. Just don't keep them in there if ever in a storage yard as a storage yard near us had all batteries stolen off the tongue including ones in boxes like that.

A puck lock is what I would also use. When I used to own laundromats, that's all I used on my coin changers. Of course a few minutes with a portable drill and they are toast as well

[GrayghostUSA]

Thanks for the info