I am creating a diy 12v battery - does anybody know if there is a place you can buy a battery box to fit everything in.

I'm looking for something like this https://www.lithium-solarbattery.com/sale-13735366-msds-abs-battery-case-for-12v-180ah-gel-lithium-battery.html - it must be about 30cm long at least. The other dimensions wouldnt matter too much.

Thanks!

You can also try Outdoor Warehouse and Midas branches for the camping type of box without all the switches and sockets.

37 minutes ago, stok said:

have you tried electroman sa? I have seen battery boxes there, not sure of the sizes.

I have looked at their site yes thanks - they dont have the bigger ones that I need.

14 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

You can also try Outdoor Warehouse and Midas branches for the camping type of box without all the switches and sockets.

I have thought that would be my last resort for now. I would love it to look like a real battery (and it needs to be waterproof)

36 minutes ago, tvic said:

I have thought that would be my last resort for now. I would love it to look like a real battery (and it needs to be waterproof)

Once you found a nice box you can use these for connection. I have some fitted. They have a through thread so you can fit a short M10 bolt from the inside and outside.

Thanks, where do you get those connectors - might work great then with an ordinary box from outdoor warehouse

Pioneer plastics produce a number of battery boxes that you can consider, I ordered one online for my battery build.

https://www.pioneerplastics.co.za/collections/battery-boxes-1

Your other weird choice (did this myself with a lot of effort, not sure if worth the time for you)...
Took a damaged 200Ah 12V battery and stripped it down after 2 cells gone... Was intending to try fix the 2 cells as a project, but the case turned out more important, so sold all the lead and used the cash to buy small Li batteries (used). It is a project but fitted them all into the old casing, and have to use an external charger/battery manager (although with a bit of money extra you could monitor a cell/cell bank). Anyway, I used another battery case to make this possible, you will still need to provide your own BMS system, I am only providing a thought.

On 2022/08/03 at 10:22 AM, tvic said:

Thanks, where do you get those connectors - might work great then with an ordinary box from outdoor warehouse

Try battery shops. Stud to taper adaptor. I know they are available from a shop in Centurion.

On 2022/08/03 at 9:34 AM, tvic said:

I have thought that would be my last resort for now. I would love it to look like a real battery (and it needs to be waterproof)

You want the box to be waterproof, but wouldn't that cause heat and possible gas buildup inside the enclosure which might lead to problems? 

58 minutes ago, Vaal said:

You want the box to be waterproof, but wouldn't that cause heat and possible gas buildup inside the enclosure which might lead to problems? 

Lithiums don't have gas to release AFAIK and yes the temp rise must be kept within limits but no cooling is needed from the actual case.

I think most of the drop in replacement batteries come in waterproof enclosures. The ones like blue nova, hubble, revov. So I think it should be fine.

BTW at the moment I'm leaning towards something completely different. I'm thinking of using a sturdy a see through food storage container or something similar. That way I can keep an eye on everything on the inside of the battery too. The connections to the battery will be done with an anderson connector and that way I can make a small hole for wires through the container that can easily be sealed.

30 minutes ago, tvic said:

That way I can keep an eye on everything on the inside of the battery too.

When things in a battery go wrong, you don't need a clear plastic container to see it. 🤪