Dual battery system, where to put 2nd batt?

[Bulli]

I need to fit a second battery to give me a little more power for the camp fridge and lights.
The question is where to put the battery as the load bay is already configured with the drawer system an fridge and a 50 liter water tank.

No space in the engine bay, 3 people, 16 days, 3 countries, African countries, 5000km, I need my fridge to keep my beer cold and my meat fresh!

Any suggestions?

 

[ridenby]

There is a thread on here or LOST where some one put a batt. under the left rear seat.

 

[ridenby]

found several but this is the one I refer to
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?p=423297&highlight=dual+battery#post423297

 

[Bulli]

Thanks man, very helpfull link.
I will toy with were to install the battery a little more. Under the seat there is just not enough space for the deltec 105 ah battery i will use. Thinking about in the load bay on the right by the tail light.
Dont know. Tough one.

 

[Bulli]

I've been succesful in fitting the battery in the load by on the right hand side between the tail light and wheel arch. Will take a pic and post it sometime. Never say never.

 

[iamweasel]

Cool, looking forward to seeing your solution

3 countries, African countries, 5000km,

Where are you going, Andre?

 

[Bulli]

Adam, we going from Pta (where i stay) to Richtersveld, from there to Namibia (luderitz, Walvisbay toer toer met n tent up to Marienfluss via van Zyl's pass), Angola then back thru Botzwana. Can't wait i must tell you! Bliksem.
Any way, here is the pic of the battery "mod". In the process to build a nice box with supa wood and cover it with black carpet to close everything up and to fit the power commander and power points.
Everything behind the battery(the big hole) need to get treated with density foam and then finished off with bedliner.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[iamweasel]

Nice work man.
ahhh - been dying to do a trip in that area. Was just looking at Richtersveld on Google maps yesterday!
You must definitely share some photos when you get back

 

[Bulli]

We only going in December, but i cant wait.
There is still alot of finishing touches to do but i think it will be all worth it.

 

[iamweasel]

I'm sure it's gonna be awesome.
Very jealous

 

[Bulli]

When are you doing Sani?

 

[iamweasel]

When are you doing Sani?

Two weeks. Can't wait Gonna take my helmet cam and mount it to the Jeep somewhere to (hopefully) get some cool footage.

With your battery installation - do you connect it in parallel to the main battery? or is there some circuitry involved to manage the charging?

 

[Ry' N Jen]

For an other idea,

Optima makes 6 volt batteries.
Cold Crank Amps 800; Crank Amps 1000; Reserve Capacity 100; Ampere Hour 50; Top Terminal; L-10 in.; W-3 9/16 in.; H-8 1/8 in.
(I know not everyone here likes their products, but just throwing it out there!)

Mount one under each of the front seats.
Then just install a yellow or blue top under the hood. Nice clean discrete installation!

The way I am looking at doing it is to remove the factory air box and install a second battery in it's place.
(I am building my own snorkel which uses a Spectre 9833 alloy air box.)

For those with their custom rear seat delete and a pocket full of cash, you could always use an Odyssey PC1800-FT and mount it directly to the rear passengers foot well!
Yeah, it weighs in at 132 lbs., but it also has 1800 PHCA (5 sec.), 1300 CCA,
and 475 reserve capacity minutes! (L-22.75", W-4.9", H-12.44")

 

[Bulli]

With your battery installation - do you connect it in parallel to the main battery? or is there some circuitry involved to manage the charging?

I will run a positive wire from the primary battery to 80ah continious solenoid about 8mm ID. Then from the solenoid straight to the batt. (2 inline fuses)

Earth i will take from as close as possible to the Batt.

The solenoid acts as a relay wich gets ignition power trough a timer relay which allows the primary batt to charge the cranking amps it used to start the jeep and then after 4min or so it will activate the solenoid and charge the secondary batt along side the primary batt. Just to not overload the alternator.

The solenoid also disconnect when you switch the jeep off to prevent the fridge and lights to pull both batteries down. if the two batteries is connected without the solenoid the two batteries will equalize each other all the time (think of two water tanks connected with a hose, both tanks full of water and you taking water from only one tank. At the end both tanks will be empty):freak3:

The system is home made and developed. I do not wish to winch, Jump start or any thing else. It there for cold beer, lights, and a 12v shower pump.

 

[Billwill]

Optima makes 6 volt batteries.
Cold Crank Amps 800; Crank Amps 1000; Reserve Capacity 100; Ampere Hour 50; Top Terminal; L-10 in.; W-3 9/16 in.; H-8 1/8 in.
(I know not everyone here likes their products, but just throwing it out there!)

Mount one under each of the front seats.
Then just install a yellow or blue top under the hood. Nice clean discrete installation!

The way I am looking at doing it is to remove the factory air box and install a second battery in it's place.
(I am building my own snorkel which uses a Spectre 9833 alloy air box.)

For those with their custom rear seat delete and a pocket full of cash, you could always use an Odyssey PC1800-FT and mount it directly to the rear passengers foot well!
Yeah, it weighs in at 132 lbs., but it also has 1800 PHCA (5 sec.), 1300 CCA,
and 475 reserve capacity minutes! (L-22.75", W-4.9", H-12.44")

This idea of using 6 volt Optimas is very good...only trouble is we are talking South Africa here and the odds of getting these batteries here is not good and with their weight...you would not think of shipping some of these batteries in. Maybe I am wrong or maybe there is some other make of similar 6 volt batteries available here.:freak3:
I also thought of rather removing the factory airbox and using a snorkel...not that I am planning anything like this...my KJ stays mainly on the open road.:shrug:

 

[Banditsteve]

Hey Bulli.
Just as a thought while you are in the middle of all your wiring, maybe you could wire in a by pass to your "timed relay" to link the two batteries together at the flick of a switch so if your primary battery goes flat, you will have a battery to jump from already waiting at the flick of a switch? Just a thought. Like the battery set up. Good luck with the rest of it. Steve :smokin:

 

[JLRockies]

Optima batteries are a ticking time bomb of suk waiting to explode into a cloud of asstasm without warning. That aside, the increased internal resistence

 

[JLRockies]

Stoopid iPhone

Of wiring two 6 volt batts in series will make the perfomance suk even more than it's 12V counterpart.

 

[OneOneNiner]

Optima batteries are a ticking time bomb of suk waiting to explode into a cloud of asstasm without warning. That aside, the increased internal resistence

You must be registered for see images attach

This is not true, plain and simple.
The original red top(the one that was supposed to be made to lesser specks) spent over two weeks underwater in a flood at the camp. A year later I put a charge on it and sure enough, the tractor is sporting a 5 year old red top that went snorkeling. And that was about a year ago, and still going strong.

I call Optima Envy.

 

[Bulli]

The only optima batteries we get here is out of Chrysler cars. There is no agent here that i know off.
Steve, a switch sounds like a good idea. did not plan on jumping or starting from the second battery becouse of the distance to the second batt, and then you need really thick wire and to start a car from a deep cycle battery is not good for the battery.
But i wil keep it in mind to be able to equalize the two if need be.

It's hectic at work so i must wait until i have some free time again before i can finish!!! Its so frustrating