DIY Dual Battery Tray

[Darren253 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Darren253]

Made a Prado battery tray today from a Supercheap $19.99 tray. Mounded using Toyota existing mounts and new M8 bolts.
I can now fit a 10.5" x 7.5" Battery... Shopping time!

Cut down one side, folded open and drilled a hole to relocate the rubber AC pipe mount.

[Get2it Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Get2it]

Re: DIY Duel Battery Tray

Made a Prado battery tray today from a Supercheap $19.99 tray. Mounded using Toyota existing mounts and new M8 bolts.
I can now fit a 10.5" x 7.5" Battery... Shopping time!

Cut down one side, folded open and drilled a hole to relocate the rubber AC pipe mount.

Great job Darren. You have saved heaps. Went looking on eBay last night and had prices well over $150.00 for a battery tray. I have an old tray from the caravan and will copy your plan. Thanks

[winniliss Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close winniliss]

Re: DIY Duel Battery Tray

Just need big washers on those bolt heads to spread the load...

[Silvo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Silvo]

Re: DIY Duel Battery Tray

don't forget to post more images when you get the batteries installed.. nice work

dan

[Keeper Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeper]

Great work Darren - installed the same tray into the car last night. Thanks very much for your images. It certainly made a difference to the bottom line.

[cyclone Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyclone]

Nice work. And thanks for the pics. I had the battery controller and Anderson plugs fitted last Friday. Could not fit the battery as I am waiting for a Toyota tray to arrive. It has been on order for a week. Maybe I should cancel the order and copy yours.
Regards
Sid

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Nice work !

I did mine with the same tray a few weeks ago. When you look at the Toyota supplied tray for your main battery.... why spend $150+ on a purpose made one for the aux. There is already a platform provided with nut-serts and holes to clamp the battery with. With the packet saved on getting the supercheap tray i fitted a 75ah AGM battery straight off.

[Giles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Giles]

Nice work !

I did mine with the same tray a few weeks ago. When you look at the Toyota supplied tray for your main battery.... why spend $150+ on a purpose made one for the aux. There is already a platform provided with nut-serts and holes to clamp the battery with. With the packet saved on getting the supercheap tray i fitted a 75ah AGM battery straight off.

Because you already out layed decent coin on the Prado it's self? Why run the risk of the battery getting damaged due to Corrigations dislodging it. Even if it were to happen with a purpose built tray at least you have a little thing called "warranty".

My two cents, Good job with the idea though, it's always good seeing people think outside the square.

Giles

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

Because you already out layed decent coin on the Prado it's self? Why run the risk of the battery getting damaged due to Corrigations dislodging it. Even if it were to happen with a purpose built tray at least you have a little thing called "warranty".

My two cents, Good job with the idea though, it's always good seeing people think outside the square.

Giles

I doubt that ANY of the dearer tray manufacturers would take the blame for damaged batteries etc from corrugations. They also wouldn't take the blame for cracking the wheel arch etc like in the Prado 120 series. I don't see how the purpose built tray adds anything over and above these trays, other than the additional brackets, which you could also make up for a fraction of the price with some sheet metal from bunnings. Battery trays are one of the most over priced accessories I have ever seen. $160 odd dollars for $5 worth of steel. An absolute rip off in my opinion.

Darren - good work. I might go down to Super Cheap and have a look at these my self!

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

The main battery tray in the 150 is a 3mm thick plastic sheet with a tiny lip on it. The vehicle has a flat battery platform with nutserts on both sides as standard and holes to clamp the battery to the car body, so really all thats needed is another flat plastic tray. Fitting a $15 supercheap tray seems like an overkill compared to the main battery tray. Heres a few pics, it took me 2 days to wire the dual battery (50mm/0 gauge), dedicated fridge socket and P3 brake controller.

Toyota main battery tray.

[andoland Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andoland]

Alternative,

I agree, what you have done is the best solution and is exactly what I did on my last Prado. The thing that stopped me doing it this time was the $77 Toyota wanted for the battery tray and clamp when the supercheap option costs about $30 all up.

Ando

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Its a genuine sheet of plastic though

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

Its a genuine sheet of plastic though

Classic.......

[Giles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Giles]

I doubt that ANY of the dearer tray manufacturers would take the blame for damaged batteries etc from corrugations. They also wouldn't take the blame for cracking the wheel arch etc like in the Prado 120 series. I don't see how the purpose built tray adds anything over and above these trays, other than the additional brackets, which you could also make up for a fraction of the price with some sheet metal from bunnings. Battery trays are one of the most over priced accessories I have ever seen. $160 odd dollars for $5 worth of steel. An absolute rip off in my opinion.

Darren - good work. I might go down to Super Cheap and have a look at these my self!

I have seen Inner guards crack. Only due to putting the wrong battery (to heavy) into the aftermarket tray.

I here what your saying, The trays cost more than $5 to make, add powder coating and plating into it ect but all in all the best thing is there are plenty of
options,nice work darren.

[BNEGXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close BNEGXL]

I used one of these trays on our 120, it was part of an ABR Sidewinder kit, it all fitted well and looked solid enough.

We did a lot of beach work with the 120 and it had electronic rust prevention.

After about 3 years I noticed that the battery was moving a bit, on inspection I found that the tray was terribly rusted and failing to hold the battery.

I'm not saying that the tray isn't any good, just that mine didn't hold up under exposure to salt water.

For what it's worth.