[mike.knew]

Hi Zookers,

I have been wanting to do a dual battery setup for quiet a while now as I am going on a trip around Tassie next month and I have been able to borrow a fridge.

After heaps of head scratching I just couldn't seem to fit a deep cycle battery battery under the bonnet so I decide to fit a battery box in the back on top of my drawers but after I mounted the battery in I just wasn't happy. The battery was large, heavy (just under 25Kg), took up valuable space, high center of gravity and I wasn't happy with a normal type of battery venting into the car so back to the drawing board:




So after reading through some old 4WD magazines on a fridge comparison I though I could get away with a 55AH battery, and if I got a glass pack type I wouldn't have to worry abut the battery venting into the car and I could mount it on the side so here we go:

Dual battery kit

has a 12.8 cut in voltage and a 12.7 cut out voltage.

From the off cuts left over from the drawers I cut a piece that would fit under the seat so I could use this piece to hold onto the sides of the battery and also reuse the same mount holes as the jack handle:




This is the sort of space I have to play with, the battery needed to be far enough back to not hit the cable that connects the two slide latches for the rails:


Then cut a hole for the battery to sit in:






Then ran some cable from the main battery to the drivers side, through a grommet in the firewall, under the dash and down the center console.

I spent hours trying to get the cable through on the passenger side but I just couldn't get it - it was like the snake/rope was going into the ducting for the vents?

Then i made a bracket that would hold the battery isolator and screw onto a screw/bolt near the gear selector:




Made a bracket to mount on the top so the battery doesn't bounce out:


and job done ... well almost:


I still would like to put a fuse on each battery so all cabling is protected between the two. You can get inline fuses for car stereos that have a 60A fuse so I think that would do the trick, I also need to run some auxiliary circuits from the second battery so next weekend

[mike.knew]

I also went to Bunnings and got a length of 100mm down pipe and some screw on ends. A 3 meter length was the same price as a 1 meter length from off the shelf - figure that one out, I needed a 1.5 meter length so I got them to cut to fit. $40 all up.



Glue the ends on:


A bit of a trail fit using some cable ties:

I had to file bit of a channel into the pipe so they mounted better on the racks, I want to get a bit more of a wear mark in and I will make it deeper.

another picture:


I am thinking of getting more, larger cable ties as they seem to be doing a good job or I may use large hose type clamps. Not 100% in this area.

Enjoy

[Gonzo]

Nice photo's mate !

Did you have someone taking photo's for you ?

I would get the shits if I stoped and took photo's all the time, Lol

[brendan]

i dont realy what the timber is for but anyway, good idea. you sure you can mount them batterys on there side?

[steak_knife]

I was under the impression that a battery can only be mounted it a HIGH ventilation area, i.e, NOT in the cabin unless in a sealed containment & ventilation's made to suit.

[Sutho]

your mad we charge like 40 bucks for a 6m length at Reece

[pyrohamish]

I don't think they do need ventilation being a fully sealed battery from what I could see?

How much did you pay for the dual battery kit, realised I sell the same relays where I work in a boat chandlery.

[want33s]

AGM batteries are sealed hence need NO ventilation and can be positioned in any plane... IE: on their side or end or even upside down if need be.

They are also legally allowed to be placed in a passenger compartment as used in cars like R31-32-33 Skylines where the battery is under the back seat..

[mike.knew]

Gonzo wrote:

Nice photo's mate !

Did you have someone taking photo's for you ?

I would get the shits if I stoped and took photo's all the time, Lol

It only takes a click. Its pulling my finger out and doing a post is what that slows me down. Plus I like reading other people build threads so happy to contribute.

brendan wrote:

i dont realy what the timber is for but anyway, good idea. you sure you can mount them batterys on there side?

The timber is to stop the battery moving backwards and forwards plus I can use the existing holes in the floor, no extra ones. I don't like drilling any holes in my car unless it can be avoided.

steknig wrote:

I was under the impression that a battery can only be mounted it a HIGH ventilation area, i.e, NOT in the cabin unless in a sealed containment & ventilation's made to suit.

Is that in reference to legality or battery operation? It is a sealed battery (glass packed, similar to a gel cell) so I thought on its side and under the seat shouldn't be an issue.

Sutho wrote:

your mad we charge like 40 bucks for a 6m length at Reece

$40 is including the end caps. $20 for a 3m length.

pyrohamish wrote:

I don't think they do need ventilation being a fully sealed battery from what I could see?

How much did you pay for the dual battery kit, realised I sell the same relays where I work in a boat chandlery.

$249 is RRP for the dual battery kit. I didn't pay anything like that, my girlfriends brother manages a battery shop so I saved mega dollars. It just goes to show the mega price hike retail stores put on.

[atari4x4]

top effort mike, very neat install... i'll be doing something similar one day. i like the use of the space under the seat!!

nice choice in roof basket

[atari4x4]

Gonzo wrote:

Nice photo's mate !

Did you have someone taking photo's for you ?

I would get the shits if I stoped and took photo's all the time, Lol

if it wasn't for people adding photo's the forums would be a boring place full of words... & we like photos here.

it's not that hard to take a photo along the way & it's a great way to contribute back to the forum we all love & use.

[mike.knew]

atari4x4 wrote:

top effort mike, very neat install... i'll be doing something similar one day. i like the use of the space under the seat!!

nice choice in roof basket

G'day Atari. I am very happy with it and I reckon it is the way to go, nice and low for your center of gravity too. I even looked at moving the air compressor but I still don't think you could fit a battery there.

Well picked up .... all the cool kids on the block have rola roof baskets

I might have a crack and see if I can get something like these:
Rhino Rack - Conduit pipe clamp set
to fit onto the rack

[atari4x4]

cable ties are the future...

does the battery board pick up the holes for the jack handle?

[mike.knew]

atari4x4 wrote:

does the battery board pick up the holes for the jack handle?

Yep spot on. That way no extra holes needed to be drilled in the car.

I didn't have a photo for underneath the board but I used what I think are called carriage bolts

[Muzza]

Nice Pics, looks like a good job to me. Looking at you interior makes mine look like a Dinosuar. Nice Job Mate.

[royce]

Thats a pretty good use of some normally wasted space in a vit, I have an AGM here I have thought about putting under the seat for the stereo but 3 batteries is starting to get silly

that wood will give a good base to stick a nice fuse panel on as well, I can recommend something from a boat shop or look at the fusible link block from a commodore like Atari did or look in VR-VS Commodores for the relay block under the bonnet, it has mounts for relays and a nice little 3 fuse block thats all modular so you can swap em to suit what you need, the panel under the dash is pretty useful too

[atari4x4]

royce wrote:

Thats a pretty good use of some normally wasted space in a vit, I have an AGM here I have thought about putting under the seat for the stereo but 3 batteries is starting to get silly

that wood will give a good base to stick a nice fuse panel on as well, I can recommend something from a boat shop or look at the fusible link block from a commodore like Atari did or look in VR-VS Commodores for the relay block under the bonnet, it has mounts for relays and a nice little 3 fuse block thats all modular so you can swap em to suit what you need, the panel under the dash is pretty useful too

who would have thought that a crumpledoor would be so useful

[royce]

atari4x4 wrote:

royce wrote:

Thats a pretty good use of some normally wasted space in a vit, I have an AGM here I have thought about putting under the seat for the stereo but 3 batteries is starting to get silly

that wood will give a good base to stick a nice fuse panel on as well, I can recommend something from a boat shop or look at the fusible link block from a commodore like Atari did or look in VR-VS Commodores for the relay block under the bonnet, it has mounts for relays and a nice little 3 fuse block thats all modular so you can swap em to suit what you need, the panel under the dash is pretty useful too

who would have thought that a crumpledoor would be so useful

I tell you what its a good feeling slicing a whole heap of them out knowing that cause of they they will never run again

[pyrohamish]

Think at work we just sell the relay piece, for around $130, not sure though not working for a week or so so cant check