Thread: D2 Auxiluary Battery - Another way

This has probably been done before, but here goes anyway.

I've been wanting to install an auxiluary battery into SWMBO's (names Kaye but I call her Bappi) D2 for some time but it's all been a bit too hard. The after market kits are too small capacity wise (55 AH) and Pirahna's gear is ridiculously expensive for what you get. Also the limited space in the engine bay makes it impossible to install a decent sized auxiluary battery. I toyed with the idea of of having an external battey under the passenger side in the unused compressor bracket but didn't like the idea as it was a bit exposed. I also thought of putting a 55 AH high CCA Optima start battery in the back of the engine bay and using the existing battery as the auxiluary (even though it's not a deep cycle type) but didn't like the idea of mixing battery types and am too lousy to throw the perfectly good calcium OEM type battery away and get new everything.

What I decided to do was keep the existing calcium OEM battery and install a decent capacity auxiluary battery of the same type. It's important to keep battery types the same so that they match each other and the cars electrical system. I chose an N70ZZ, common or garden variety size, sealed marine deep cycle battery. Capacity 97 AH. Marine batterys are good as they are more robust than conventional batterys. Just the shot when travelling on outback corrugated roads.

Previously I had used a 70 AH sealed calcium battery in a battery box plugged into the aux. battery socket in the rear of the D2 to run the Engel but found this to be useless. The internal wiring to the socket was too small to allow the battery to charge effectively and it also back fed the vehicles electrical system when at rest and created other problems. Also the cig. lighter plug vibrated loose and was an unreliable connection. All in all it was more trouble than it was worth.

Bappi's D2 is the 5 seat version with storage bins in lieu of the 6th & 7th seats. I chose to use the LHS bin as an auxiliary battery compartment.



What I've done here is drilled through the plastic bin base with a 19mm hole saw and then drilled through the floor to take the stainless steel eye bolts. Nut and washer both sides and Bob's your uncle. Though the hole spacing had to be just so to make it fit OK. If you look through the 3 rectangular slots that take the cover lugs you will see 2 of the 4 160mm lengths of 50mm X 12mm pine that I laid longitudionally under the bin to fill the gap between the base of the bin and the floor so as to pack the gap and transfer the weight of the battery directly to the floorpan. Theyr'e secured to the bottom of the bin with 6 gauge X 12mm countersunk head screws so they will not move. I removed the vented cover directly behind the bin and fed these pieces of wood in through the hole created. You can also see the battery cable and the 'uber' octopus stap I will use to restrain the battery. If this isn't strong enough I will replace this strap with a couple of small turnbuckles and a suitable bar.



This shot shows the two piece timber battery base. It needs to be two levels to allow the bin cover lugs to slide under and clip home. I used some scrap 3 ply, approx 300mm X 180mm X 6mm thick and glued and screwed them together. Above it is the underneath of the scrap piece of auto. carpet that goes over the top to make it all look pretty.



I squeezed in the top of the 'S' clips so that the ends wouldn't dig into the battery (not shown in this photo).



This is the business part of the exercise, looking through the access panel just behind the storage bin. Existing I already had a 16mm cable directly from the battery (via a 30 Amp thermal circuit breaker) to an Anderson connector next to the tow bar. I removed the LHS tail light and extended this supply into this cavity. Easy job. There's an existing earthing screw holding a white connector which was ideal for holding the relay and earth lugs I needed to install. The relay is used to isolate the auxiluary battery from the main battery when the vehicle is switched off. If you look closely at the picture you will see a yellow wire which is extended from the factory aux. socket in the rear cargo area just in front of the LHS storage bin. This is what activates the relay. There is plenty of room to feed this behind the back of the bin from the factory socket. I put a right angle aux. power socket under the factory socket to power our Engel which is fed from the aux. battery not the factory socket. This cable runs in the other black flexible conduit heading to the right of picture. I could have probably got by with one piece of conduit if I'd planned better. The red and black wires in the centre lower of picture is the direct battery power from the Anderson connector. The thick red wire is power via a 25 Amp fuse to the aux. battery. The other thick red wire is fused, 20 Amp, and feeds the Engel socket and the two other aux. sockets. The skinny red wire cable tied up at the lower of picture is a spare 12 volt supply from the Anderson connector feed.



Here's what the battery looks like when installed. It hasn't really got two +ve terminals, I'm just using the covers to insulate the battery posts. I'll find something else to cover the wing nuts.



Well. here's the end result.

Total cost, about $100 if you have to buy all the cable and connectors etc. plus the battery.


Deano
xxx

Nice job mate.