My dual battery installation

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

Hey Matt

Pleased to hear that your birthday wasn't a complete waste of time ... you now qualify for aged discounts as well :lol: :lol: :lol:

... but that's still a good price without having to show your seniors card. :shock:

Cheers
Chippy

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

From my understanding when I toured century batts years ago, they manufactured just about all brands there and just labelled and cased them differently.
I dont know about this particular batt but that is just food for thought.

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

Now that's what I call balance.

Battery on each side ... V6 in the middle ! :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Chippy

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

After 12 months with my supercheap battery tray I went out to TJM to buy a Piranah battery tray and do my duel battery properly. Unfortunatly TJM didnt have the one I wanted so I looked at their TJM battery tray and was quite impressed with the strength and workmanship of it. All edges were folded and each corner was welded perfectly. In fact the whole tray was done extremely well. I took out my old setup today and installed the TJM. and here is the photos below. PART # 031SB30D881 PRICE $150.00
** Please Note **
If you do buy one of these trays, I suggest you make sure all the bolts line up nicely without any pulling from another bolt which could cause future stress, especially the bolt that attaches to the inner guard. The extension that attaches to the inner guard may have to be bent slightly (as mine had to) otherwise when you do that bolt up tight it wanted to pull on the other bolts. No biggie, just be aware.













My good old Redarc

Below is a happy Prado

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

So, that is the TJM tray is it ? Looks damn solid to me. Has it got any support underneath the tray, close the the upright guard bolt :?:

The support is the 2 legs that the bolts tighten up to and the tray lies snug on the body shell nicely all the way to the edge of the tray. The upright that bolts to the inner guard is as strong as, but could flex if needed.
I think if you wanted to add another tray bolt under the upright you could with little hassle. However I don't think it necessary.
Basically the tray wont flex at all but the side upright to the inner guard can if need be and thats how I reckon they have solved the cracking problem. I think if the tray could flex it would influence the spot where they bolt up to. (**my opinion**)

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

Hi Les,
Job looks great but do yourself a favour and put some extra protection on that positive wire where it sits near the battery hold down strap. There is no fuse just there so if the cable did short (hope never) you would have big problems to contend with.
Cheers

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

Yeah thanks mate, I have to buy another maxi fuse for that side, as I used it over on the Redarc as seen in the second last pic.
Hopefully I can get that done before my next trip. 8)
cheers

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

I dont know how you wired it but I was thinking more mechanical protection like split conduit.
I have just wired my second battery up and will post pics time permits.

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

Once again thanks mate, thats a good idea. :wink: 8)

[nassie_gal Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close nassie_gal]

We recently bought a 2003 Prado, and just completed a gas conversion.

Prior to selling our Patrol, I took out all my goodies: Dual Battery, reversing sensors, and UHF radio.

Now I am looking to re-install them into the Prado. I have a couple of questions:

1. The gas system was installed just in front of the firewall on the passengers side. I can't seem to be able to see/find the grommet people are using to pass cables through. Is there an alternative?

2. How do you remove the interior trim just inside the doorways on the floor?

3. In the patrol, we stored the second battery in a portable box and ran 8g cable to it from the alternator. Now that there is more room in this engine bay, should I put it there? A benefit that we found with it being portable was that we could take it into the tent when we were camping.

thanks.

[PeteS Member Find all posts View Profile Close PeteS]

Hi MTpockets

Nice install. The tray looks nice & solid, one of the better trays I have seen.

Just in case you haven't done this already I suggest the +ve cables are well covered in corrugated conduit to avoid rubbing and eventual shorting. Even though I had protection on my leads I was surprised how much the covering rubbed away the paint on the body work on corrugated roads.

Cheers
Pete S

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

I had to do a few different things cause I found another isolator before I could find the Redarc. The physical size was lower profiled but wider and longer.
I made a plate to mount it on which attached to the paranah tray hold down straps.
If the battery has to be removed it all just pops out.
I have also fused both ends of the cables that go between batts.


Main Battery with fuse

second battery with fuses and isolator.

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

Nicely done plucker 8) Looks like a bought one :wink: 8)

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

Hi nassie_gal
1 When I first started to fit cables through the firewall there was a spare spot on the drivers side which accomodated the spotty wiring and the compressor in one go even though it was tight. Later when I ran 8 B&S to the fridge I had to drill through the firewall and put a grommet in, that was appropriate size. Also used split corrugated conduit through the hole as added protection.
All my cables go through the firewall on the drivers side.
2. If you are talking about the kick pad/step which is a hard plastic bit it should just pop in and out if you try.
3. Is the car generally close to the camp, if so you could use anderson plugs for whatever you want to run in the tent. If it is only a flouro, they draw bugger all power and will only need small cable. The more load, the longer the run the bigger the cable. Last trip to the gulf I used the ciggie lighter and about 10 metres of 1 mm cable for the flouro.
Hope that helps a bit
Cheers.

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

The kick panel comes off by undoing a large plastic nut by hand (no tools req) which is attached to the firewall. Then the panel just unclips.