My dual battery installation

[Zapper Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zapper]

When I got mine a couple of months back it cost $160 but that was a mistake from the sale person he actually quoted me for the diesel version,lucky he still gave it to me for that price . The price has gone up though I was getting prices from $175-$195. I guess it pays to shop around.

Zapper

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

Prices are up because of the WA guys.....Steel prices are up. Oh well atleast it keeps the economy going :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: My dual battery installation

Well I've made a start on my dual battery this weekend. Was going to be building a drawer unit but my father inlaw was not available and for this he is Time The Toolman.

Mine is a 2006 TD pre D4D and I was looking at a Piranha tray which seems reasonably popular and successful. I did the ring around and found the local Opposite Lock has one so I took the family down there yesterday morning. I came home with a different tray. The one I have installed is an Outback Accessories unit manufactured in WA. Looks like a TJM style of tray and fit in easily. The tray is suitable for both Diesel and Petrol motors and includes additional brackets for those petrol fellas to relocate the extra crap out of the way. Cost me $170 and I probably could have talked them down a bit but then a feral kid was getting into a blowup kangaroo and we needed to leave quickly.

The install took about an hour and was pretty simple. I included a few bits of 3mm rubber underneath the tray and also along the side wall.

The tray only has four mounting points. Two underneath and two into the side wall but in the side wall you place a large bracket with two 8mm bolts welded to it which is located between the side wall and the plastic splash guard.
Straight out of the box


Showing the rubber strips read to go


Tray installed and awaiting an additional 3mm sheet of rubber to go under the future battery


Next weekend I hope to progress things a fair bit. Will be collecting the battery during the week. I was getting a Trojan but a lot of suppliers are not stocking these and so the price has sky rocketed. I recall someone bought a Trojan 27TMH through Battery Discounters here in Adelaide about 12months for about $200. These guys have dropped Trojan and the best price I found on them was $369. Aussie dollar drop but not that much. I'm now picking up a Crown Supreme 27DC36 which is the equivalent of the Trojan 27TMH for about $204.
http://www.ozbattery.com/components/...ery/27DC36.pdf

This will be charged through a Redarc attached to a bracket on the passanger side of the vehicle close to the main battery.

Will post more detail when it's done.

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

Re: My dual battery installation

Schaffer, that's a decent tray mate.
Nice and stirdie looking.

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: My dual battery installation

Schaffer, that's a decent tray mate.
Nice and stirdie looking.

Cheers. I was looking back through this thread a couple of days ago thinking "I unique as no one else has this" but then I found Chippy had put one in. Didn't realise it at the time though.

The tray is great BUT the battery I bought is "slightly" too wide. The handle on one side connects with the tray. I might just have to "modify" the tray slightly tonight when i start the install.

[metro09 Member Find all posts View Profile Close metro09]

Re:

Hi Cjd,

I don't think Toyota has changed anything. I have a Piranha battery tray since early 2005 which is secured similar to what you had described. So far I have had no trouble over rough tracks. ARB seems to think otherwise, hence they locate the battery on the passenger side.

However make sure under the wheel arch the bolts are secured with a flat metal plate, otherwise you may find the bolts get ripped off the wheel arch.

Hope this helps

I just don't understand where the likes of ARB are coming from - why would the OEM battery be over the wheel arch if it wasn't strong enough (and a nice spot presumably for a second battery is present)......

I too have the Piranha mounting bracket and can't see how it would be an issue. Actually aparently the brackets were altered to have the extra screw that sits on the front of the car (you know the bracket that goes across the battery) and this is to minimise the rocking on rough terrain.

[Dobbo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dobbo]

Re: My dual battery installation

I started installing my dual battery system a couple of days ago. Went for the Piranha tray mounted over the front wheel arch. The instructions were pretty straight forward although they say that installation takes only 1/2 an hour, I probably spent close to 2 by the time I had to keep running down to the shed to get different tools etc.
My Redarc should turn up today with any luck so then it's off to a local auto leccy to buy some cables and bits and pieces.
I'm using the battery out of my boat at present, it's an Amaron brand that a mate uses in his earthmoving machines. I'll probably look at getting a deep cycle one later on but for now I'm trying to keep the costs down.
I didn't bother taking any photos as the camera batteries were flat and there's plenty of other shots in this thread.

cheers,

Dobbo

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: My dual battery installation

Forgot to post the finish off of my dual battery and, as I have the day off, I thought I would. So I had to grab the wifes camera to take some shots. Uhmmm. Where has the wifes camera gone?

So option B, grab my phone with Grad Crap Cam and see what this looks like:

I used the Outback Accessories BT64. Picked it up from OL for $170 but I think I could have got them to drop by $10-15 if the kids were not bugging me. Very happy with this tray. Nice and sturdy:
I cut out some rubber with slots to add a buffer


So next was a stainless bracket made up to support the Redarc and fuses. I bought a couple of fuses and bases from Jaycar but will look at changing over to the Sea Systems or similar. I don't think the fuse is sturdy enough. While it is designed for in car and to support upto 100A, I believe this is actually for speakers with speaker wire. The cores of the 16mm I used where rigid and, while they hold, I would not reply on these holding across the repeatertive thumping of crossing the Simpson


The battery I used was a Crown Supreme 27DC36. This is a 105Ah lead acid. Happy so far. The only issue I had was that the battery and battery tray are not a perfect fit. I had to cut a section out of the top right side wall on the battery tray as the top of the battery is wider than the space allowable in the tray by about 10mm. Only took off about the top 15-20mm and now it all sits nicely. Tidied it up with a file and a bit of black spray and it's all sweet.


And with it all wired into the the Isolator with the two main fuses and fuse block to run four dedicated circuits when the car is off:


Purchase an Engel Posi Fit socket to whack in the back. Ran 6mm2, positive and negative the whole way and mounted this in the recess near the exiting 12v outlet of the primary.


I was over in Perth about a month back with work, out in Forrestfield, and during a spare 30 minutes headed out to the 12V Shop. Great place and should be on the Must Do Before You Die list. They have everything. While there I picked up two new sockets to put in the rig on a rainy day. I grabbed an Engel Socket and Standard Cigarett Socket, but both marine rated with covers. My son sometimes sits in the back and the last thing I want is him plugging up the current Engel socket with crap. So now I've got a couple of these and will fit them later, with a new circuit through the car

12v Shop Perth - Sockets and Plugs

Last thing I need to do is grab some sort of battery monitor. I did see something in Jaycar that was a combined voltage, temperature and clock for about $45.00

I was thinking that's not a bad looking unit and can be mounted over the streering wheel where quite a few people have placed their Scan Gauge.

[glennv Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close glennv]

Re: My dual battery installation

G'day Drew and others, Just new to the site and looking at purchasing a 120 Prado Manual ( If I can find one as they seem to be like hens teeth) after the demise of my beloved 80 series turbo diesel.
I have read some information about cracking and other issues with the second battery. Your installs seem to have been done for some time now and I gather all in the front drivers side behind the headlight. Is it only the ARB fit.

Glenn

[PradoGXL08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PradoGXL08]

Re: My dual battery installation

Hi Glenv,

To assist us, could you please include your location in your Profile.

Thank you

Stuart

[glennv Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close glennv]

Re: My dual battery installation

HI Stuart,
apologies. Yeah I live in Hurstbridge Victoria

[PradoGXL08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PradoGXL08]

Re: My dual battery installation

Hi Glenn,

Are you looking at 2nd hand or new?
Do you have a colour and model prefrence?

Stuart

[glennv Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close glennv]

Re: My dual battery installation

Hi Stuart. Looking new 120 at the moment in white or blue. Been ringing metro dealers all day. The story is that they have none that I can test drive and cannot get one in on the proviso that I might buy it after the test drive. One said middle of the month for a white GXL turbo diesel. Other than that have drawn a bit of blank at the moment.
Glenn

[makk08 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close makk08]

Re: My dual battery installation

Hi fellow PPers,

I'm looking at installing a dual battery system and am currently researching battery trays. I have a petrol 08 prado and have had both the piranha and outback accessories tray recommended to me. The position of the second battery will be behind the drivers headlight. Could anyone provide me with any feedback and the pros and cons that they may have encountered with either of these trays?

Thanks
Matt.

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

Re: My dual battery installation

I've been reading through all the posts on dual battery installs and finally made the decision to install my own as it seems simple enough. I've drawn up a rough wiring diagram below that I think is correct but if some of the more electrical minded people could have a look to make sure I've done it right that would be good. The 8 B&S wire running to the fridge will be twin sheath and earthed in the engine bay somewhere.

Cheers
Corbo