Dual Batteries for dummies

[davbar65]

......but I do plug the fridge into 240 when it is at home running for more than 12 hours. I do make sure the lead goes via the drivers side so I don't forget it is there and hop in and drive off.

You to hey.
I now hang a short piece of cord on the drivers door handle to remind me not to do it again........

[xychix]

......but I do plug the fridge into 240 when it is at home running for more than 12 hours. I do make sure the lead goes via the drivers side so I don't forget it is there and hop in and drive off.

You to hey.
I now hang a short piece of cord on the drivers door handle to remind me not to do it again........

reminds me how I tried to take off on my motorbike with front disk lock still attached

[Qwerty]

......but I do plug the fridge into 240 when it is at home running for more than 12 hours. I do make sure the lead goes via the drivers side so I don't forget it is there and hop in and drive off.

You to hey.
I now hang a short piece of cord on the drivers door handle to remind me not to do it again........

Lol i always leave my bonnet up if i have any AC plugged in! or a canopy window open. Although, i do hear you, ive driven off with the canopy window open several times!

Another big one is when I mount stuff on the roof basket ... have nearly destroyed the carport ... so now I leave a ladder in the car port when i do my trip load up ... so on the way home after a trip I don't pull in.

ps in answer to oyur other question, the ACDC is a 15amp ... the redarc is 20 amp ... and yep you're right it may well have simply been a bad battery.

Oh, the fridge keeps up ... just in super hot weather it runs its compressor very frequently and pulls more than the solar (at the moment its running as as a freezer has there's crayfish on freeze for this weekend that i caught last weekend ) ... we tend to get hot weeks where it's light at 5am and 7pm, and barely dips under 30c. Inside locked canopy all day it'd be 50c + in the canopy where the fridge is.

All good, is what it is! beer is cold and so are the crayfish.

[Beng]

I'm just about to install a dual battery system in my 2015 sr, I have everything worked out in my head .
Arb battery tray, Ctek d250s port side of the glove box etc etc etc.
Thought I'd have a look around town for what was out there and TJM are selling the interVOLT DCC pro dual battery system. Does anyone have any feedback on this unit? I can find very little online or this forum.
It looks a good unit, what's selling it is I can mount it in the engine bay(and a pretty brochure) what's not is the price......

[Richolux150]

Sorry Beng no......... but I am a big fan of my C*tek set up.....it will draw from crank and solar at the same time if needed.......it also still draws from the crank when the engine is not running as long as there is enough juice in the crank to do so.........

[martynvella]

Bells and whistles come at a price, ask yourself, do I really need them.
My advice, keep it simple.

[Beng]

I spent hours last night reading and think I'll just play it safe/cheap ang grab the ctek. Any tips on running the wiring through the firewall to behind glove box? Is the wiring too much to just go through with the factory loom? Or should I drill another hole? I'm not the master of the search function, I found most of the info I need that's all that's holding me up at the moment.

Thanks.

[martynvella]

Nah, a short run like that the cable wont have to be overly large and depending on the model the wiring grommet by the glove box should have a couple of spare blanks that stretch heaps, just feed one cable through at a time with plenty of soapy water or water based lube and each of those can take at least 2 runs of 6mm sheathed auto cable.

[Vylen]

I spent hours last night reading and think I'll just play it safe/cheap ang grab the ctek. Any tips on running the wiring through the firewall to behind glove box? Is the wiring too much to just go through with the factory loom? Or should I drill another hole? I'm not the master of the search function, I found most of the info I need that's all that's holding me up at the moment.

Thanks.

Beside the massive loom on either side are rubber "nipples". Cut off the tips and you can put additional wiring through them.

I've put a lot of massive cables through them including 200amp rated cables for the CTEK. Did it cause i want the failure to be definitely in the fuse and not the wire. Use vaseline to get them through.

[Beng]

Thanks for the info, spent a bit of money yesterday 2nd hand trailblaza fridge, d250s, arb battery tray, battery, cables & fittings. I'll be surprised if the wife hasn't taken my card out of my wallet after that little effort. Half way through the install now(I hope), just need to run the cables through the fire wall and connect it all up.

[martynvella]

My wife loves having the fridge in the back permanently, means she don't have to race home after doing the grocery shopping and she hated the ice thing when we were camping. If it broke down she would force me to spend the coin to replace it.

It is one of those once you have had one you couldn't live without it again.

[Richolux150]

My wife loves having the fridge in the back permanently, means she don't have to race home after doing the grocery shopping and she hated the ice thing when we were camping. If it broke down she would force me to spend the coin to replace it.

It is one of those once you have had one you couldn't live without it again.

x2 for sure.....

[Beng]

I'm pretty happy with how the job turned out. Unfortunately with the tray back the fridge can't live there permanently.
One tip for folk doing this in the future though it would be a lot easier to run the cables through the bulkhead before you fit the battery tray.........

[stretchie]

hi guys . I am an Electician by trade with electronics knowledge.I have been running a good quality 120amp second battery that is standard lead acid thing . All you need is a decent alternator [with about 14v regulation] and bloody big wires [35mm square] so virtually no volt drop between the batteries a Decent isolating circuit breakers both ends and a relay that is rated at 100 amp constant . The relay triggers from you alternator when it is running. The second battery is in the tray about 6meters by wire from the main battery. the second battery charges to full capacity and has been running for about four year with no problem. My main idea was to keep it as simple as possible.

Just my thoughts for a cheaper alternative.



p.s. yes i do run a heap of items ,fridge, lighting for camping and so on.

[TOYZX]

Most guys would love that set up, it's what I have! Problem is the factory alternator just isn't up to the task!

[stretchie]

Me again . all you need to make it work is an external regulator or an after market regulator which is what i did .I cant remember which one it was but if any body is interested i will try and find the paper work for it . Yes it can be done reasonably easily then the original alternator IS up to it. I would suggest you talk to your local auto spark who will tell you it can not be done ! after this go to another one who has more clues. Just keep trying you will get what you want eventually .
the standard alternator only puts out 14.2volts when it is cold but as it warms up it will slowly drop to about 13.4v depending on how hot it gets .The original regulator has heat compensation in it , so remove it and replace it with something else. Hope this helps someone.

[TOYZX]

Exactly what I've had done! Like I said the factory one isn't up to it. Obviously can be made to tho! Bansheebuzz has taken care of that for us.

[Jacko9]

I'm just going with a redarc isolator. It's cheap and if it doesn't work well enough, I'll look at a bcdc to add into the system. Probably I'll upgrade the alternator, before I try the bcdc.

[Richolux150]

'm just going with a redarc isolator. It's cheap and if it doesn't work well enough, I'll look at a bcdc to add into the system. Probably I'll upgrade the alternator, before I try the bcdc.

http://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/ ... -dual.html
http://offroaddownunder.com.au/product/ ... -isolator/

Doesn't seem to be cost efficient way to approach the issue unless the Alt upgrade is less than $200.....
I found the SBi12 didn't work very well with the Alt in my 2012......JM 2c..
But 14.2 v out of the Alt all the time would be nice....

[Jacko9]

Roughly around $300 mate. I'm not too worried, I'd prefer have my alternator working properly. If it doesn't work out afterwards, it's of no loss mate. I have a ln167r which it can go in, it's my hunting vehicle, and I'm currently running the fridge off the starter battery, and have been looking at putting a dual battery system in it at some point, it'll work good in that, then I'll put a redarc dcdc unit in the newer Hilux.