Dual Battery D2...a Stevo Tutorial :-)

[stevo68]

G'day All,

Well finally got my dual battery set up in. Big thanks to Tim for his guidance and for his Traxide system. Ok lets start the tute....

First you need to fit battery tray. Do not get a Piranha....from what I can gather the ARB is best bet. First one I got..Piranha....didnt fit...second...thanks to TJM here on the coast...fitted but not as per instructions.

Next you need a battery :).....I went to Battery World...sourced some feedback from mates and got the one that I did. A straight up lead job.

Ok battery into place...oh and with the little hooky things...use from the inside to hook into...not the outside....took me 10 mins to work that out...ok I lie....it was pointed out to me :angel:.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1280.jpg

Now in my case I wanted to connect dual battery with my rear socket. This is the hard part...how the **** do you get the cabling from under the engine.....allllllllllll the way back there.

Well what you dont do is try and reef the skirting up where the carpet meets the door. Better still get a manual on the D2 and find out how to. Oh look...pull up a plastic strip and there are screws :wasntme:. Much easier :D
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1281.jpg

Then same for rear as this is where I ran the cabling:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1282.jpg

Also before doing that...as it seems best to start at the back and go forward......is pull out current plug and see where it runs....in my case I also put in another plug:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1283.jpg

Confused yet?? I was :eek:.

Ok now you have to get the cabling from engine bay...into car and up to plug. This involves dealing with whats called a grommet......a rubber thingy that lets cables through...but no dust particles. Pretty good thing..hey :D.

First crack...popped the bloody grommet half out. Managed to massage that back into place....lucky SWMBO wasn't watching..otherwise would get the " ohhh....well do it for grommet...but not for me"....my brothers know the go :cool:. Had another crack and got a hole through...stuck my finger in and made it bigger and then fed cable through with some slippery stuff..Palmolive or something like that.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1284.jpg

Then I basically fed it along the front door seem...under the B Pillar...along back door seam...up the wheel arch....into where the plastic stuff is where the socket was. Look at it....it will make more sense :whistling:.

Once done.....the cabling and crimping etc was done. I drilled a second hole for the second socket as below:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1285.jpg

Then the under hood stuff needed to be done......if using Tims stuff...follow instructions....and voila:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/08/357.jpg

Best thing....IT ALL WORKS :cool:. Cannot wait to have my first stress free ( well in relation to keeping fridge cold) camping weekend...starting tomorrow. Oh yeah :twobeers:

Hope you enjoyed another useless as tits on a bull tutorial from Stevo. Keep eyes peeled for another in coming mths,

Regards

Stevo

[Rosscoe68]

nice work. nice to see people that aren't qualified in explaining things to prefoessors putting up tuts to give us noobs a fair idea without all the techno mumbo jumbo :)

[AussieAub]

Next you need a battery :).....I went to Battery World...sourced some feedback from mates and got the one that I did. A straight up lead job.

G'day Stevo,
Out of interest, what battery did you get?
I already have the dual battery wiring and tray in place (and I know it all works coz I took the old battery out with it being almost dead). Just looking at getting a new 2nd battery when I saw this post, so was wondering which one you fitted? Any price guide?

Cheers,

..:: KIEREN ::..
2000 Disco II Auto V8 (lemon edition)
AussieAubs Disco Page (http://aussieaub.blogspot.com)

[LandyAndy]

Good work Steve.
A bit of advice,you will need a heat sheild around that battery.
Have a look at a few others setups.
Heat will shorten the batterys life.
Andrew

[stevo68]

G'day Stevo,
Out of interest, what battery did you get?
I already have the dual battery wiring and tray in place (and I know it all works coz I took the old battery out with it being almost dead). Just looking at getting a new 2nd battery when I saw this post, so was wondering which one you fitted? Any price guide?

Cheers,

..:: KIEREN ::..
2000 Disco II Auto V8 (lemon edition)
AussieAubs Disco Page (http://aussieaub.blogspot.com) Hey Kieren....will have a look in the morning...it was around $170 for the battery.


Good work Steve.
A bit of advice,you will need a heat sheild around that battery.
Have a look at a few others setups.
Heat will shorten the batterys life.
Andrew Hey Andrew...thanks for the reminder.....I will go back through some of the previous posts and see what others have used,

Regards

Stevo

[Hastykiwi]

Steve,
first, cudos to you on a most excellent tutorial. Given that now you are in real danger of offering practical and useful advice I must admit that these tutorials are a lot harder than they look to get right. Mine consisted of 1 photo and 4 lines and wasn't half as entertaining as yours.

I was curious about the difference if any in the quality and ease of fitting of the battery trays available as it seems that the ARB gets the nod most times, unless a bigger battery is wanted.

Thanks again and enjoy yr weekend.

Nick

[B92 8NW]

Onya Stevo:D. Did my routing help? (Read that ANY way you like)

[stevo68]

Steve,
first, cudos to you on a most excellent tutorial. Given that now you are in real danger of offering practical and useful advice I must admit that these tutorials are a lot harder than they look to get right. Mine consisted of 1 photo and 4 lines and wasn't half as entertaining as yours.

I was curious about the difference if any in the quality and ease of fitting of the battery trays available as it seems that the ARB gets the nod most times, unless a bigger battery is wanted.

Thanks again and enjoy yr weekend.

Nick Hey Nick...thanks for your comments :). I still think I am a loonnnnggg way off offering anything useful...but its more if someone like me can do it...then anyone can :D. As for the battery trays...from what I have read and some others in my club...the ARB is way to go. Cost is around $68 compared to the $200 I paid for the Piranha and I couldnt have fitted it...hence why TJM where I got it from did it for me. Will get to test it over 48 hrs of camping and 4wding this weekend. Just gotta buy the beer now....oh and I guess some food for me and the brats ;).


Onya Stevo:D. Did my routing help? (Read that ANY way you like) Hey mate...certainly did as I managed to remember some stuff from previous questions as I did mean to print off the information. Even know what and how a grommit looks like now :cool:,

Regards

Stevo

[Redback]

Outstanding Stevo, have fun this weekend and let us know how it goes:D

Baz.

[harry]

ok stevo,noted tute, and comments,
i will look in the parts supply bin, now, and load a heat shield in for you.
modification and fitment later, will bring it down with me to cc.
thanks landyandy,

[greg smith]

Hey Nick...thanks for your comments :). I still think I am a loonnnnggg way off offering anything useful...but its more if someone like me can do it...then anyone can :D. As for the battery trays...from what I have read and some others in my club...the ARB is way to go. Cost is around $68 compared to the $200 I paid for the Piranha and I couldnt have fitted it...hence why TJM where I got it from did it for me. Will get to test it over 48 hrs of camping and 4wding this weekend. Just gotta buy the beer now....oh and I guess some food for me and the brats ;).

Hey mate...certainly did as I managed to remember some stuff from previous questions as I did mean to print off the information. Even know what and how a grommit looks like now :cool:,

Regards

Stevo

Just copied your installation am doing the same myself, where did your friends buy their ARB trays I got a quote from their shop in Cairns:$180+????

[stevo68]

Just copied your installation am doing the same myself, where did your friends buy their ARB trays I got a quote from their shop in Cairns:$180+???? Hi Greg, the quote I got was from local ARB down here on the coast. The $180++ one will be the Piranha tray as they also sell them. Ask for the $68.00 jobbie. It is in their parts book,

Regards

Stevo

[stevo68]

ok stevo,noted tute, and comments,
i will look in the parts supply bin, now, and load a heat shield in for you.
modification and fitment later, will bring it down with me to cc.
thanks landyandy, Thanks mate......will make sure I have a cold one for you :D,

Regards

Stevo

[jwb]

re the heat shield. it is the radiant heat from the turbo which is most important. I simply pasted alu foil on that face of my battery to get some reflection. the convective component will heat up the entire engine bay including battery regardless of what type of shield you fabricate.

[Hotspur]

Good on you Stevo, next you will be doing the roadside repairs on Harry's and Disco2's vehicles.

Cheers

Kieren

[Hendrik]

Stevo,
That looks like a 55AH battery, will it be sufficient to power your fridge?
Im got the same kit as you and was wondering if that battery would be big enough to power your fridge for long enough.

CHeers
Hendrik

[drivesafe]

Hi Hendrik, don’t forget, because of the way the SC40 and SC80 use about 50% of the Cranking battery’s stored power to assist the Auxiliary battery, your 55 A/H is going to give you the equivalent power of at least a 90 A/H battery.

[Hendrik]

Hi Hendrik, don’t forget, because of the way the SC40 and SC80 use about 50% of the Cranking battery’s stored power to assist the Auxiliary battery, your 55 A/H is going to give you the equivalent power of at least a 90 A/H battery.

So a 55AH battery would be sufficient in powering a 60L Waeco, but for how long? If its only gonna be 12hrs, then its probly better to go the 70AH just to be sure...

[drivesafe]

There’s no quick, sure fired answer, but you can test how long your set up will last by simply parking in your driveway and letting the fridge run till the fridge’s low voltage cut out trips.

You will then have a rough idea of just how long it might last.

[DavidB]

Well done Stevo.

Regards heat shield.
Mine is stainless steel.
I had mine made by DGH Fabications
Factory 2/7 Hutchinson St, Burleigh Heads.
Phone # 5593 4122.

From memory it cost me $25.00 (cut to size and bent).

Hope this helps.

Dave.

[Mundy]

We done Steve, I did an almost identical install except for how it connects up at the rear. The ARB tray is what I used as I find their stuff very good quality and good value for money, unlike Pirannah which is grossly overpriced.

The ARB tray comes with a heat shield built in as part of the hold down mechanism. The problem as observed is that one can only fit in a 55Ah battery (both Piranha and ARB) under the bonnet using the standard fitment. There are only a limited range of batteries which will fit. An Exide 4DR (or a number like that), a Century and, the one I have an AMPTECH. Bought it online and the delivered cost was cheapest and it has good specs. These batteries are all liquid lead/acid.

When I first installed I wanted a larger battery. Trawled the battery makers on line. It is possible to fit in a RemCo 60Ah but you can't use the standard holddown clamp it comes with. I made up a hold down like Stevo. This battery is an AGM battery but my experience was it didn't like the heat under the bonnet and died after a few months. The AMPTECH has been in for a year without problems.

As far as supplying power, I find the 55Ah a little small. My battery supplies a Waeco CF50, camp lighting and occasionaly an electric shower pump. In cooler climates and in winter I can get up to 2 days only out of a fully charged battery but in hot climates (eg Lawnhill NP, 35deg) it lasted only barely a day. If you do standing camping, and don't go out driving each day, it won't be big enought unless you have a solar panel.

That was my solution. I made a 60W solar panel from 2 x 30W panels as a top up device. The result is 3 days from the battery. In summer its hotter but the hours of sunshine is longer. In winter, the heat load is lower but the sun hours are shorter and sun angle lower.

Hope that helps

Cheers
Mundy

[Mundy]

Further to my last email, there are a number of threads on dual battery setups which are worth reading. My next project is to relocate the dual battery into one of the rear panier boxes (there's a thread on this) and to mount my air compressor on the ARB tray. Will be doing it when it cools down a bit and will let you know how it goes. Maybe even some pictures (if I can work out how to do).

Mundy

[stevo68]

G'day All,

Am back from first trip with new dual battery set up. Cuppla things...and I am assuming here.....is do not try to run your fridge and charge a portable battery...when the battery you are using was previously flattened.

For most of the drive and I was on the road a good 4+ hrs....the error light on the Waeco kept flashing. When I pulled into camp..Harry tested it with one of those thingamajigs that tells you voltage and it was reading only 9.8 volts. Various reasons were offered...heat....battery dead....possibly not getting enough charge because of above reason.

Anyway...for that night...I ran it off my portable battery which was showing 11.5 volts..so enough to keep temp at 3 degrees ( even though I normally have it at -2...I like my beer very cold :cool:). Next day I decided to keep the fridge plugged into the portable...and plug the portable into my front socket that still runs of the main battery and give the spare a break.

Drove around for a couple of hrs, got back into camp around 4ish and thought would plug fridge into dual battery sockets...and voila. Error light stopped flashing.....fridge dropped down to a nice cool -2......and I reckon it ran ( without error light) for close to 20 hrs before I started up car to go home. So a bit of a hiccup....but now running as good as gold. Looking forward to next trip away already,


Regards

Stevo