CONTINUOUSWAVE

I have a couple of battery boxes labeled - POWERHOUSE model number 17880 in off white manufactured by DTS MFG mounted in my 1986 OUTRAGE 18.

I found them here:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022145.html

Recently, one of the latching flaps that attaches the top of my POWERHOUSE brand Group-24-size battery box broke off.


The manufacture of the battery box (DTS) seems to have gone out of business. Phone number is disconnected.

I really liked the look of the off white battery box in my desert tan splash well.

Does anybody have a source of the DTS MFG POWERHOUSE off-white strapless battery box?

Or, a source for another brand of off white/desert tan group 24 battery box?

Here are a couple sites >>>

Battery Sales
Century Tool

Above is a nice off-white battery box and, at $12, it's not very expensive.

The battery box in a Boston Whaler boat was usually held in place by a nylon retainer strap. The strap was threaded through two Footmans Loops that were fastened to the cockpit by screws. This resulted in a very strong retainer for the battery box. Compare at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... ml#battery

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... ml#battery

The retaining strap used by Boston Whaler was a KevLok-brand nylon strap with a nifty tightening clasp. This product is now made by AGM CONTAINER CONTROLS in Tucson, Arizona. In the past few years there has been an effort to make a group purchase of these KevLok retainer straps as the manufacturer has a minimum order of about $250. At TWIN CITIES MARINE the parts doyen Sue may have a few of these available.

The Footmans Loops and KevLok strap can be seen at

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgoltz/ ... 5.jpg.html
and
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgoltz/ ... 8.jpg.html

You may be able to get Footmans Loops from

http://www.strapworks.com/ProductDetail ... tCode=SSFL

Thanks for the info Jim.

I had seen the box from Quickcable. The description of white vs off white threw me, I might order a couple to see the actual color.

I have previously (a couple of months ago - May of 2016) spoken to Sue regarding the Kevlar battery straps. She no longer has the straps from the group buy directly from the manufacture. She now sells the exact same strap sourced from Boston Whaler @ $50 a strap. $100 for a set of battery straps is a little rich for my blood. I may look at ordering directly from the manufacture @ $100 I am almost half way there if indeed the minimum order is $250.

I had to look up doyen

f8f1 wrote:...May of 2016...[spoke] to Sue regarding the Kevlar battery straps. She no longer has the straps from the group buy directly from the manufacturer. She now sells the exact same strap sourced from Boston Whaler @ $50 a strap.

Well, they're darn good straps. Yes, a bit expensive. From the last group purchase I found some information that indicated the straps were bought in a quantity of 100 and the price worked out to $32.85/each; that was about six years ago. The price of everything goes up a bit in six years. To be able to get a single-unit-quantity at $50 is not really a horrible price for this item.

The manufacturer mentioned they might sell some of these via Amazon; I just spoke with them, and that sales channel never came to pass. I doubt that a group buy of 100-units could be worked out easily; that would take almost $4,000 in front money. Since Twin Cities can get them to you for $50, that seems like the best option at this moment.

f8f1 wrote:I had to look up doyen

I probably should have used the feminine form, doyenne.

Is there something particularly special about the webbing material used in the Kevlar straps that Whaler used? I have these different straps holding down my 3 batteries.

http://thmarine.com/battery-holder-tray-with-stainless-buckle.html

The buckle looks identical in operation to the Kevlar strap referenced. You can only get it with the tray, but the tray/strap combo when I bought them were maybe $8. Three years later they are working fine.

Since I have not seen the alternative strap, I don't know how its quality of webbing compares to the KevLok strap. The KevLok straps on my boat are 26-years old and show no deterioration of the web material.

For information about the webbing available in KevLok straps, see

http://www.agmcontainer.com/tie_downs/1webcomparison

In the normal configuration from Boston Whaler, the KevLok strap includes a locking pin device, although it is very common that users don't realize the function of this lock and have not installed it properly. The KevLok components are available in several tiers of quality. I believe Boston Whaler used the stainless steel components. This probably adds to the cost compared to using plain steel or chrome plated steel.

In the application in a Boston Whaler boat, the strap was used to hold down lead-acid flooded-cell vented batteries, which tend to emit acidic vapors, particularly when the charging voltage is excessive, as was often the case with older outboard engines. My inference is that Boston Whaler chose the KevLok strap because it would provide a long service life in that environment. Also, Boston Whaler boats were very commonly used in saltwater, so the stainless steel components were likely selected for durability in saltwater, too.

In the event the strap becomes unthreaded from the KevLok over-center buckle, this recorded presentation will be very useful in re-threading the strap through the buckle:

http://www.agmcontainer.com/support/how ... er-buckles