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Well to start the story, I was doing some testing in my garage and with the vehicle running and charging. I had 16 12 volt batteries and was charging them to 16 volts. So they where putting off quiet a bit of fumes. Well the fumes built up in the rear of the camper shell and when I turned on the amps the back half of my truck exploded. The campershell blew apart, the sides of the bed are buckled, the tailgate broke at the hinges, blew a hole in the top of the speaker box, put a crease in the roof of the truck, and sides of the box detached from where they where molded to the truck. While all this happened the garage got a beaten too, blew the window out of the back of the garage, broke the ceiling fan blade off of the fan, put holes in the sheetrock in the ceiling of the garage, and shattered about every light in there.. So on further note I'm am OK but truck is totalled.... I do believe that this could happen to anybody. So to the people that are charging the heck out of your batteries to the point of where you can smell the acid, beware. I have come up with an idea to try to prevent this from happening, try to section off where the batteries are from the amps and put a fan that blows out the fumes to the outside of the vehicle before turning on the system. "Like a boat has" Also for the competition side......WE MUST KEEP SPECTATORS AND PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE VEHICLES!! "Thats all I can think is how many people where standing around my truck at SBN if this would of happened there." This blast from my vehicle could have easily killed somebody that would have been standing behind it. I was lucky, and someone was watching over me....PLEASE WAYNE, WE HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE LANES BEFORE SOMETHING VERY TERRIBLE HAPPENS. I will be putting up pictures very shortly. Thanks Erik Reid ---- I will be back very shortly,trying to find new vehicle!
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Crap Erik, that sucks! At least nobody got hurt. Were the batteries regular lead acid, sealed, or what? I have been hoping to avoid having to make an eclosed battery box by using sealed batteries. Sealed batteries can however vent if they are overcharged. You are right in preaching that we must be careful with our cars. One bad injury or fatality at an event could set the whole organization back years.
Good luck coming up with another vehicle soon. Just keep it out of 1-2 Extreme...please!
------------------ Team Sick Bastard... 'The Edge' of Insanity
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Erik, sorry to hear your bad news, but Im glad that you are ok. After waiting so long to see you out there again I feel cheated in not seeing what you could have done with it...I know it was new. I second the need for some kind of spectator restrictions so we can get in and out of the lanes without somebody being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can you fix it?
Frank Holmberg TEAM HERTZ USA Extreme 3/4 170.4dB
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Posts: 618 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
Sorry to hear of your loss. But on a lighter side, lets put some mad photoshop skillz to work here and come up with a too much bass kills truck theme.
------------------ Team Distortion Members pages are up and running at...
Come visit and see what our members are up to.
Super Street 1-2 Its gonna take a 164 to win the finals...
Can anyone spare a couple of db???
Posts: 1759 | From: victoria, bc | Registered: Oct 2000
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Good to hear you are OK. You are right about the dangers, as an unfortunate event happened to you. I think everyone can learn a lesson from this, and prevent this from happening again.
------------------ Mike Agens Team Hertz President 1999 dB Drag Racing 1-2 Sub World Champions 1999 dB Drag Racing World Points Champion 1999 AS&S/Wayne Harris SPL Achievement Award
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damn dude, sorry to hear that, i hadn't ever seen your truck, but i heard all the stories....hehe did it screw up all your equipment too? good luck with your next endeavor.....
------------------ 4-15" Shockers 4-PHD2s anyone can feel free to send me any extra batteries you have :) Team Sick Bastard Team Thunder doobie doobie doooo...beware the penguin(he's a sick bastard)
Posts: 2291 | From: Stanton, MO | Registered: May 1999
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Dude, sorry to hear. The truck will be missed.
Ya know, not trying to say anything, but maybe the way the battereis were in the truck may have had something to do with it. I have seen yours and Larry's trucks countless times, and I always wondered how the battereis got "fresh air". I'm not trying to imply anything, but maybe you might want to look into a different battery location. I realize you an Lary have a tremendous amount of batteries, but, obviously something has to be done.
Like I said, I am really sorry this happened. I am very glad you're OK, I mean, without you, who else would me and Bobby antagonize and pick on at shows.
Good luck, I'm sure everything will turn out great for you, given your track record, I know whatever you build next will be louder.
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WOW, sounds real bad, I have been scared something like this would happen, the smell of batterys cooking at events always gives me an uneasy feeling, I too second the fact that we need to keep spectators at events at a safe distance from the lanes, that is why they have those big pretty readouts on top of the towers anyway. I do think that people with the cars should be able to be with them just not like was at SBN this year with the spectators actually in the lanes, where many would just walk out in front of cars as they were entering the lanes. I am glad you are ok, and hope for a speedy return to the lanes. I hope this is the last of this type incident we hear of.
------------------ ---JASON SMITH--- Member Team Triple Threat losing....its gotta hurt less than getting kicked by a golf shoe in the face.
Posts: 906 | From: Taylor, AL | Registered: Mar 2000
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That is indeed a VERY scary proposition. I know USAC's got pretty strict rules on SQ for battery ventilation- it makes more sense in retrospect to maybe suggest something for SPL -- where a LOT more batteries are involved.
Never having smelled a "cooking" battery- what does it smell like? I know, probably a dumb question, but if you know what to sniff for, you may end up saving your ass, if you know what I mean...
------------------ Driven By Sound I am ... Aren't You?
Never argue with idiots. They'll only bring you down to their level, and trounce you with experience.
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Erik, Man that is some scary #$%@. I sure am glad that you are all right. I am also glad that it didn't happen at SBN. The thought had crossed my mind out there, I guess I should've listened to my intuitions when I saw the batteries venting the way they did. I think that since we were out doors it helped the fumes dissipate a bit but not in your garage huh. I know you wanted to break 170 but I don't think that counts
quote:Originally posted by Dragon Lady: I am glad you're ok, and nobody was hurt.
That is indeed a VERY scary proposition. I know USAC's got pretty strict rules on SQ for battery ventilation- it makes more sense in retrospect to maybe suggest something for SPL -- where a LOT more batteries are involved.
Never having smelled a "cooking" battery- what does it smell like? I know, probably a dumb question, but if you know what to sniff for, you may end up saving your ass, if you know what I mean...
Battery fumes have a distinct smell. Kind of like real pungnet eggs and sulfer, yet acidy smelling. Once you smell it, you'll never forget it. I know this from some of the hydraulic guys I habg out with. They are ALWAYS going through batteries, and the smell they make is tremendous. I thought SPL stuff draws some current, you ought to see what a 96 volt hydraulic system in a car smells like after about 3 minutes of hopping...hehehe.
As for the SPL, well, remember, he was charging his batteries when this happened, not playing the system.
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To answer some of the questions, the computer was on but it shut down when the exlosion took place. Not sure that the placement of the batteries had anything to do with it, I just believe that to much charging was taking place in a confined area. I was only standing about a foot away from the truck, Larry was also standing quiet close to it also.. The truck is not repairable, so this is why I am in search of a new vehicle for this season. Thanks Erik Reid
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