My dual battery installation

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

Now that's one hell of a car wash :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Chippy

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

dual batteries

Hi Drew

What make/brand of tray did you use?

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

Re: dual batteries

What make/brand of tray did you use?

Jacto,

I used a tray from SuperCheap Auto. If I did it again I'd prolly try to squeeze a 300mm long battery in there.

Drew.

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

The second battery is finally in !

Trial fit of the new N70 battery - Yep, it fits.



Tip for new players - use decent battery cable and quality connectors.
Strip the cable.



... and use a real crimping tool.



Now that's fine detail - measuring out the shrink tubing.



This is the Redarc isolator. It isolates the starter battery until the charge rises to 13.6V - then the solenoid activates and allows the Aux battery to receive charge. If the start battery drops below 12.7V the solenoid deactivates and directs all charge to the start battery.



... and with the battery in place.



Aux power cable and earth lead in place.





Power connected for the Anderson plug (to the battery in the Camper Trailer) and for the electric brake controller.
That's a 30 Amp circuit breaker sitting next to the Redarc - for the electric brake controller.
There's also a decent splash of termial protector over everything ops:



... and with the battery clamp in place and a bit of a clean up.
Note the little red light - it's the Redarc diode indicating that the solenoid is activated and that both batteries are connected. The Aux battery is now able to receive charge. With the engine off - turn on the headlights and wait for the charge in the start battery to drop below 12.7V - the solenoid deactivates, the light goes out and any charge is directed to the start battery.



A close up - so you can see how neatly all of the bits fit together.



Even got a chance to tidy up the other side - pity I didn't get to wash it ops:





A momentary switch on the dash that trips the solenoid and allows the car to start from the Aux battery - if the starter battery shits itself - an Emergency start push button.


Everything tests perfectly with a multimeter ... and I'm happy.

Cheers
Chippy

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

Good on ya Chippy, great to see someone elses work bench as cluttered as mine too ops:

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

Couple of questions chippy
What is the cable heading down near the power steering res, is it the interconnect for the batteries, did you take it round the back or accross the front ?
What cable and lugs did you use ? are they from an auto elec ?
Havent got off my lazy butt and done mine yet. Put dual batteries in my work ute last week though !

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

Hey Speedy

Welcome to BIL's workshop (brother in law). The bench top is two half inch steel plates (2400 mm x 1200 mm and around 450 Kg each). There's a sliding gantry and block 'n' tackle overhead - which is the only way we could move the plates - and, yes, it's well used.

That cable heading down by the power steering reservoir is the EARTH.
It goes down to a spare bolt hole on the block - with an 8mm bolt and spring washer. The interconnect is the short loop on the left side of the picture. The loop coming over the front of the battery is the power for the Anderson plug (to the CT) - as it was already in place. If it annoys me I'll get around to moving it when I get back and fit the snorkel.

The cable and lugs are the gear used by one of Perth's suppliers of 4WD vehicles to the mining industry (South Perth 4WD Hire) - also in Qld. BIL just happens to work there and recommended the heavier duty gear. The stuff available at Supercheap looks like jelly rubber by comparison.

Cheers
Chippy

[Blokeman Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blokeman]

I can throw a couple of thoughts in here, too late for you Chippy as you already have the battery, but I might make sure I get a battery with the terminals reversed to yours, so the positive terminal is a bit further from the guard (or turn it around?) In a prang it's not far for the terminal to short against the metal.

I was going to make a supercheap tray, but after the last trip I think I realise what a pounding it can take, shaking it to death for a thousand k's, I'm beginning to think it would be worth the expense of buying a piranha or similar type, even at >$150.00.

I've made a home made crimper in the past, pretty tedious though. Get a nut that looks the right size, cut in half with a dremel and then squeeze the two halves over the terminal in a good vise.

Great write up, thanks for posting all the pictures! These writeups are untold useful.

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

That was a thought early on - but I've gone for having all 3 batteries with the same post configuration (and the next step is to replace the original tray with a larger one and drop an N70 in there too). Both batteries in the engine bay are cranking batteries and the CT unit is a deep cycle.

The plan is - to use the 2 crankers in the engine bay and the deep cycle in the CT - then put the deep cycle in as the Aux battery when I can't use the CT and have to run the fridges in the vehicle.

The main aim was to be able to swap all 3 batteries around as needed.

I just need to take a little extra care with the +ve terminal on the Aux battery. There is a bit of clearance though ...







... but a bit of rubber mat fixed to the side panel probably wouldn't go astray.

Cheers
Chippy

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

Top work there Chipster.

Drew.

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

I want to use an AGM Fullriver 120amp battery and site it in cargo area , to enable me run my Waeco.
AGM’s are suspect under bonnet so I chose the cargo area.

Battery Box purchased is a Flyer from ABR at cost of $99 plus$12 postage
http://www.sidewinder.com.au/page18a.html

It has 2 Anderson plugs (one for Power In and one for Power out) attached plus other wiring and importantly for me the lid is flat and is built to hold a strap to tie it down to floor.
I will be using the hooks that hold in place the second row and third row seats (one of each) as anchor points for a strap which will run over top of Flyer, which fits between the two hooks.

This how I will be getting the wiring done for auxilliary battery.

Redarc off cranking battery (fused) attaching to twin 6 (B&S) cable running through to tow bar where an Anderson plug is fitted for van battery.

The same size cable is then run back from this Anderson plug to side of cargo area (above wheel arch) and another Anderson plug is attached at other end and fitted neatly to wall panel.

An extension cable from same material is made up with an Anderson plug at each end.

When needed , battery will be connected from the cargo area Anderson plug to the Flyer Power In Anderson plug via this extension cable.

Waeco lead , which has a cigarette plug , will be changed with an Anderson plug used in lieu of cigarette plug (fuse between Anderson plug and the waeco plug at other end)
The Waeco Anderson plug will plug into the Power out Anderson plug on Flyer battery box.

If I don't want to use the auxiliary battery, but just use the cranking battery while driving , all I need do is plug in the Anderson plug on Waeco lead into the cargo area Anderson plug .
When I pull up the Redarc switches off and the Waeco too will switch off so there will be no flat battery .
Another benefit is that I can now charge the auxilliary battery in vehicle by simply using the Anderson plug attachment I have on my Ctek700 battery charger and plugging it into Anderson plug on towbar.
This saves running leads into car and associated drama with connecting battery to charger.

Will post pictures after installation.

Pedro

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

It sounds really neat Pedro. I'm hanging out for the pics.

Oops - I just remembered - you've got 3 months to set it up and take the pics ....

..... or perhaps I'll just pop around, when I'm in the Gold Coast, and check it out in person :shock: :lol: :roll: :? :lol:

Cheers
Chippy

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

Chippy,
The TX3440 and Benlec 6205, Waeco reversing cameras Prado and Van go in Tuesday 10/7 and then I can start taking pictures.

Liked the look of your set up and look forward to checking it out when you are on the Gold Coast.
Might do a spot of fishing too if you like.

Pedro

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

Mate, one mention of fishing and you'll have the boys eating out of your hands. :lol:

Look forward to it.

Cheers
Chippy

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

Dual battery

Chippy,

Just finished my dual battery install this weekend, used a 120A/H federal battery, piranha tray, mason isolator and 2 B&S cable. I, like you have the +ve close to the guard which I am now regretting, are you going to turn yours around ?? If anybody is interested the 120A/h batteries are N70 size and available from battery world castle hill.