Camco 55371 Vented Group 24 Battery Box | RV & Marine

The Camco 55371 is a vented battery box built to hold and protect a single Group 24 battery, whether it's living in an RV, a boat, a camper, or a utility trailer. It's molded from heavy black polypropylene, and it seals up around the battery to keep road grime, water, and accidental contact away from your terminals. If you've ever watched a loose battery slide around in a locker, or seen corrosion eat a set of terminals, you already know why a proper box earns its spot.

What sets this one apart from a plain open tray is the external vent system. Flooded lead-acid batteries give off hydrogen gas when they charge, and that gas needs somewhere to go. The 55371 ships with a vent hose, a hose mount plate, two hose clamps, and a louvered vent grill so you can route that gas out of the compartment and send it safely outside the coach or overboard. That's the whole point of a sealed, vented box. The two included hose clamps lock the vent line down at both ends, so it stays put over rough roads and rougher water. You get the containment of a real enclosure without trapping gas where it can build up.

Sizing is straightforward. This box is cut for Group 24 batteries and nothing larger, with an outside footprint of 14-7/8 inches tall by 9-5/8 inches wide by 10-1/4 inches deep. If you're running a Group 27 or Group 31, this isn't your box, you'll want a larger Camco enclosure. A quick note from the field: some Group 24 AGM batteries run a hair taller or wider than a standard flooded 24, so the fit can be snug. If the lid doesn't want to seat, trim back the included foam tape a little rather than forcing it down.

On the install side, Camco gives you everything in the kit. You get foam tape and putty tape for sealing, eight #10 self-tapping screws, ten #8 machine screws, and ten #8 hex nuts for mounting the box and the vent hardware. On a wood or metal battery shelf the self-tappers bite fine. But if you're mounting into fiberglass, do yourself a favor and pre-drill your pilot holes, then back the screws with a plate or large fender washers. Fiberglass and self-tapping screws don't always get along, and a backing plate spreads the load so you're not chasing a cracked mount six months down the road.

A couple more things we've picked up installing these. Don't over-tighten the screws into the polypropylene itself. The plastic is tough, but crank down too hard at a corner and you can split it right at the screw hole. Snug is plenty. And if you're on a sailboat, or anywhere the box lives low in the hull, route that vent hose up and over with a loop before it exits, and keep the exit above the waterline. You don't want a following sea pushing water back up the vent line into your battery compartment.

Maintenance is easy. If you run in salt air, the louvered vent grill will pick up salt and grime over a season, so pull it and rinse it now and then to keep airflow clear. The putty tape that seals the vent fitting can soften in real heat, so if you're mounting on a deck that bakes in the sun, keep an eye on it and re-seal if it starts to weep.

Bottom line, it's a simple piece of gear that does an important job. It keeps your battery put, keeps water and debris out, and vents charging gas the way it should be vented. For a single Group 24 house or starting battery in an RV or on the water, the Camco 55371 is an easy call.