Dual Battery for D3

[Allan]

My son is contemplating buying a D3 V8 SE or HSE and would like advice as to how and where is the best place to fit the second battery. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Allan

[p38arover]

As far as I'm aware, there is a hole for the second battery. I have a seen a D3 with three batteries under the bonnet. I may even have pics here........

Pic 1: RHS of engine bay
Pic 2: LHS with battery cover on
Pic 3: LHS with battery cover off

[WhiteD3]

Search the D3 section. There's a couple of threads there about this.

[shining]

Good Pictures. Re Pic 1. Most (all?) deep cycle batteries will not allow the replacement of the plastic cover, however, if you have access to plastic welding equipment to cover can be remade to fit making a very neat job. The other location shown is also good for mounting an air compressor unit.

[WhiteD3]

Good Pictures. Re Pic 1. Most (all?) deep cycle batteries will not allow the replacement of the plastic cover,

The AMP-TECH D48 will fit under the lid. Have a read of this thread.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-zone/86474-second-battery-connection-advice.html

[Tote]

As will the optima yellow top.
Regards,
Tote

[drivesafe]

Hi Allan, try the link below, it shows everything involved in fitting one of my kits to a D3.

Cheers.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/verandah/62580-traxide-full-power-cable-kit-d3.html

[wardh]

Pictures of my dual battery system and alternate way of securing the battery

System is D48 60 amp/h deep cycle battery, Traxide SC80 controller. Anderson plug at tow point and 2 12v outlets in the back of the vehicle.



This is an alternative way to secure your dual battery if it has the moulded lip protruding around the bottom edge of the battery

I noticed that the spare battery compartment had the moulded edge on the side closest to the engine that matched the battery lip, so if the battery can be locked against this the battery is held firm.

To do this I fabricated the following bracket. (See picture)



The bracket I made was a one off prototype hence the approximate sizes, materials could vary with what will be available and your battery but will give you the alternative idea.

Materials

1 length of angle approx 1.5cm x 1.5cm by 20cm
1 piece of pipe to go over angle iron (tight fitting)
2 8mm bolts approx 4.5cm to 6cm long depending on battery lip and finished bracket.

I made a piece of angle iron cut from a length of square section steel. It measures approx 1.5cm x 1.5cm by 20cm long. You may be able to purchase this size at the hardware or try a window manufacturer for the same in alloy

Cut a piece of ½ inch poly garden irrigation pipe 20cm long and soften in hot water, this is the tricky bit. Push the angle through the pipe this forms the pipe into a triangle shape.

Drill 2 x 6mm holes through the pipe and one face of the angle and out of the bottom of the pipe (as in drawing) at the appropriate spacing of the threaded holes in the aux battery box completes the clamping bracket, when the bracket is tightened down onto the lip of the battery it holds the battery secure to the floor of the aux battery box.

Cheers

Howard

[Roger]

Hi Wardh I like your alternative battery clamp. I am wondering if I can use this on my optima yellow top. I have my concerns using the LR bracket because of where I have the positive terminal positioned on the Yelow top in relation to the bracket. I fear that if in a severe prang I think the battery might slip forward a few cm and possibly short with the bracket if the mounting bolt pems (nuts molded in the plastic base) break, or the battery just slips. Now I am not worried about the breaking/sliding issue, (the D3 would be stuffed anyway) just the potential of a resulting fire from the short, cause in a bad prang you can't tell what will happen, and if we can't get out easily I don't fancy a fire starting under the bonnet, to be the icing on the cake, or should i say sparkler. I think the battery weighs about 10kg. As the Aussy norm for crash test securing is 20G that means the pems would need to hold 200kg in a crash sled test, and I don't think they would, so the battery would move forward. The securing bolts in their normal state do not earth out, but I am not sure they would not contact some metal in the spare battery box in a severe prang! Food for thought folks.:D

[Bushwanderer]

Hi Roger,
Have you considered fitting an appropriately designed "spacer" in front of the battery to obviate any movement?

Best Wishes,
Peter

[Ashes]

Hi Allan, try the link below, it shows everything involved in fitting one of my kits to a D3.

Cheers.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/verandah/62580-traxide-full-power-cable-kit-d3.html


This is an excellent piece of plug and play kit. I fitted this with a Amp-tech battery (battery was $160 which was much cheaper than the optima). Extremely easy to fit the battery and controller. 90% of the work is the wiring hanging off the battery back into or through the cabin.