Dual battery box for D2 and D2a coming up...

Ditto!

Attachment 139959

From memory, the total allowable height is approx 200mm for the battery(to the terminals), from where the base of the tray needs to be set too.

Before brother got his two D34's I had an Exide battery from an old car, and it's body was 200mm high, +20mm for the terminals. No way I could manage to make it fit no matter how much I angled the base of the tray.

Other alternative could be if you found battery models that had side mounted terminals with the 200mm height restriction for the case. Problem then becomes that you don't have a lot of room laterally to fit the batteries either.
Off the top of my head I think the maximum base dimensions were something like 350(sideways)x260(front/rear) .... or close to it, without doing body modifications.

I am looking at a second battery for my sons car, Would love to have them together, but will likely go with another tray on the pass side or even in the back as the Optima's IMHO are useless. I had the Blue top as a second battery and found it to be the most over rated expensive battery I have ever had, started having issues with it less than 12 months, their warranty is a waste of time. I was lucky to get 24hrs out of it with the Engel 60 litre. I get more than 3 days out of the ones I have now, no problem.
I have 2 SSB HVT86D AGM x 1000CCA / 130AH batteries in my Defender and 1 in the caravan, much better option.
Cannot fit them in the original area so will put elsewhere. A shame as side by side would be nice.
I honestly dont see much point going for a 55AH battery as you second unit, but that is me personally. SSB do have one that will fit 2 in the HVT65D which gives 600CCA and 68AH and is 260mm long 168mm w and 183mm High, better performance and half the price of an Optima so maybe an option.
Was what I loved about the D1 really easy to put another battery in by relocating the ps resevoir. Shame they put the air cleaner in the D2 there.

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Originally Posted by CraigE

I am looking at a second battery for my sons car, Would love to have them together, but will likely go with another tray on the pass side or even in the back as the Optima's IMHO are useless. I had the Blue top as a second battery and found it to be the most over rated expensive battery I have ever had, started having issues with it less than 12 months, their warranty is a waste of time. I was lucky to get 24hrs out of it with the Engel 60 litre. I get more than 3 days out of the ones I have now, no problem.
I have 2 SSB HVT86D AGM x 1000CCA / 130AH batteries in my Defender and 1 in the caravan, much better option.
Cannot fit them in the original area so will put elsewhere. A shame as side by side would be nice.
I honestly dont see much point going for a 55AH battery as you second unit, but that is me personally. SSB do have one that will fit 2 in the HVT65D which gives 600CCA and 68AH and is 260mm long 168mm w and 183mm High, better performance and half the price of an Optima so maybe an option.
Was what I loved about the D1 really easy to put another battery in by relocating the ps resevoir. Shame they put the air cleaner in the D2 there.

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I understand this comment completely. This is why i'll end up with 3 batteries. However, I believe i'll be able to manufacture this box so the standard battery will fit and leave enough space for accessories next to it. Like for example, winch solenoid, boost box, ect. While this sort of exists with the standard box by removing the jack, there will be a flat metal surface to work with if i get it right.

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Originally Posted by Jazzman

I understand this comment completely. This is why i'll end up with 3 batteries. However, I believe i'll be able to manufacture this box so the standard battery will fit and leave enough space for accessories next to it. Like for example, winch solenoid, boost box, ect. While this sort of exists with the standard box by removing the jack, there will be a flat metal surface to work with if i get it right.

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Yeah on the 3x batteries.
Brother's install was also based around the point that he already has a portable battery box. One of those black boxes where you place a battery in it, etc, etc ... had it for years, used heavily.
So the old 100Ah starter battery went into that box. Cabled up already with a charge point in the back.
So with the battery box in the rear AND now with the weeny 55Ah Optima up front, he has a total of 155Ah of battery to 'run his fridge'.
Actually not 100% accurate, as the idea is that you don't always need all that power all the time, and sometimes you may only want a day away or whatever .. hence why we did his dual battery tray job.
No need for the 100Ah battery box thingy all the time. And when he's camping for a long weekend(usually up to 5 days) the portable battery box comes out of the back, onto the groundm connected up to a 250W solar panel ... fridge connected to that battery only.
5 days running, no problemo last Easter for him [thumbsupbig]

Note sure I'm following your standard battery thinking there Jazzman.
Are you saying that you reckon you have enough room for the std battery and a second battery in that location? Or is the tray going to be made up in a way to do either a std battery or dual.

Wish I had known about those SSB batteries before I directed brother to get his D34s too tho.

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Originally Posted by AK83

Yeah on the 3x batteries.
Brother's install was also based around the point that he already has a portable battery box. One of those black boxes where you place a battery in it, etc, etc ... had it for years, used heavily.
So the old 100Ah starter battery went into that box. Cabled up already with a charge point in the back.
So with the battery box in the rear AND now with the weeny 55Ah Optima up front, he has a total of 155Ah of battery to 'run his fridge'.
Actually not 100% accurate, as the idea is that you don't always need all that power all the time, and sometimes you may only want a day away or whatever .. hence why we did his dual battery tray job.
No need for the 100Ah battery box thingy all the time. And when he's camping for a long weekend(usually up to 5 days) the portable battery box comes out of the back, onto the groundm connected up to a 250W solar panel ... fridge connected to that battery only.
5 days running, no problemo last Easter for him [thumbsupbig]

Note sure I'm following your standard battery thinking there Jazzman.
Are you saying that you reckon you have enough room for the std battery and a second battery in that location? Or is the tray going to be made up in a way to do either a std battery or dual.

Wish I had known about those SSB batteries before I directed brother to get his D34s too tho.

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If the theory works... the two options will be. 2X D34 [II II] or 1X N70ZZ type battery [=]. The limitation will be approx. 170mm width for the STD battery to fit, but there will be extra space on one long edge for other things.

I'm failing to see the point in this battery tray. You can out in 2 D34's total of 110Ah to replace a standard battery of 110Ah. What am I missing? Can you get two standard batteries on this new battery tray?

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Originally Posted by Bohica

I'm failing to see the point in this battery tray. You can out in 2 D34's total of 110Ah to replace a standard battery of 110Ah. What am I missing? Can you get two standard batteries on this new battery tray?

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Nothing wrong with 2 D34`s . I have had mine that way for 6 years in this configuration and when camping i very rarely stay put for 2 days with out driving somewhere and this throw`s enough charge to keep the fridge running [wink11].
If your concerned either drive it a bit or use a solar panel no biggie really i dont find it a issue at all .
If your not interested no point adding negative feelings as not every one is the same and or develop your own apart from your compressor mount [bighmmm]

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Originally Posted by rangieman

Nothing wrong with 2 D34`s . I have had mine that way for 6 years in this configuration and when camping i very rarely stay put for 2 days with out driving somewhere and this throw`s enough charge to keep the fridge running [wink11].
If your concerned either drive it a bit or use a solar panel no biggie really i dont find it a issue at all .
If your not interested no point adding negative feelings as not every one is the same and or develop your own apart from your compressor mount [bighmmm]

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I'm wondering, why change out a 110Ah battery to put in 2 55Ah batteries. The amount of Ah is the same. I thought that you could fit 2 of the 110Ah batteries. That would be nice. 220Ah of battery.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bohica

I'm wondering, why change out a 110Ah battery to put in 2 55Ah batteries. The amount of Ah is the same. I thought that you could fit 2 of the 110Ah batteries. That would be nice. 220Ah of battery.

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With a Traxide isolator you get about 85ah

Then take into account it charges in a fraction of a conventional battery and you start to win!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bohica

I'm wondering, why change out a 110Ah battery to put in 2 55Ah batteries. The amount of Ah is the same. I thought that you could fit 2 of the 110Ah batteries. That would be nice. 220Ah of battery.

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There actually is a benefit in that the CCA of one D34 at 55Ah has 800 CCA which is enough to start the vehicle rather than one 120Ah battery and 850-900 CCA. The charge time is also much less than a conventional battery. Many people run marine or deep cycle batteries for their fridges ect., however after 3 days of camping only drive 200 kms up the road to the next spot for 3 days. After the 4th or 5th day the battery is flat because the charge time was not long enough. This is where the Optima batteries are good because they would be fully charged after 200kms.

For my specific purpose, I want enough CCA to start the engine from one battery and have another close by for a 24VDC switch to run the winch. I'll have a 120Ah battery in the rear of the car to run accessories. The second 55Ah D34 battery (when not used for winching) can be utilised as extra 800 CCA for the start if required or 55Ah for accessories when required. Also when switched to 24VDC this battery will not be receiving any charge from the alternator while sourcing a considerable amount of current to the winch. Therefore it must charge quickly.

The short answer to your question is, it makes your power supply become more versatile. Horses for courses.