Thread: Second Battery installation

Originally Posted by Laurie 123

Hi guy's .Where is the best place to install second Battery on Disco 3 ?

I'll show you mine when you get here to look at the Nanocom.

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

Or maybe have both.

IMG_3308.jpgIMG_3309.jpgIMG_3310.jpg

Yellow top in front of the main battery and the bigger 85ah on the other side. Both connected thru a traxide DBS from Tim and has performed faultless running a big fridge.

Cheers Ean

Skite

Originally Posted by Narangga

Skite

Doesn't happen very often so im taking the opertunity whilst I can.

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by Narangga

I'll show you mine when you get here to look at the Nanocom.

ok Cheers mate

Hi Laurie, have you had a chance to look at what you might set up yet.


If not, here are some comparisons that may be of help to you.


To set up a Lithium battery system, you will need a location other than the engine bay, you will need an appropriate DC/DC charger and heavy cabling.


I am now selling Lithium batteries and matched with a Sterling BB1260, a 60 amp battery to battery charger ( DC/DC ), I can supply the BB1260 and 2 x 100Ah 12v Lithium batteries for $2,460, delivered.


You will still need some 4B&S or 3B&S cabling, terminals and an 80 to 100 amp circuit breaker, a manual reseting type so that you can also use it as a switch to isolate the BB1260 when not in use. A guesstimate around $150.


So a twin Lithium battery setup will cost around $2,600.


NOTE, this does not include power to the rear for charging batteries in a caravan or camper trailer. You would need to run a separate power supply from your cranking battery to the rear bumper, and would most likely need some form of isolator for this power supply. Minimum cost of at least $150


I can supply you with one of my Triple Battery kits, the D3-TB5 for $875 and you can fit 2 x Optima D34 55Ah batteries which cost around $310 each. As the D3-TB5 kit has everything you need to fit a full system, except the 2 Optimus. So a twin Optima setup will cost around $1500.


Pros and Cons.


A Twin Lithium battery setup would give you 200Ah of usable power and would be about 10Kg ( only about 5Kg lighter if you add the caravan power supply ) lighter than the Twin Optima setup. But would need to take up cabin space.


The lithium batteries would have a MUCH longer life span.


A Twin Optima setup would give you 155Ah of usable power and while two Optima D34 batteries would be slightly heavier, they would be under the bonnet, so no cabin space lost.


If you discharged the two lithiums down to 20% ( using about 160Ah ) you would need to drive for roughly 3.5 hours to charge them back to over 95% using the 60 amp BB1260, or if you used say a 40 amp DC/DC device, you would need more than 5 hours of driving.


Charging the two Optimas from flat to over 95% will take less than 2 hours driving.


Just some food for thought!

Thinking a bit 'out of the box', would it be feasible to re locate the main vehicle battery (say a red top optima or whatever fits) to the 85 ah aux. battery position and use the original location plus extra space to fit a large single aux. battery ?

Deano

Originally Posted by DeanoH

Thinking a bit 'out of the box', would it be feasible to re locate the main vehicle battery (say a red top optima or whatever fits) to the 85 ah aux. battery position and use the original location plus extra space to fit a large single aux. battery ?

Deano

I looked at this but you would need to re-run the start cable and try and fit the 400amp fuse that hangs off the positive into an area where either the air cleaner restricts or the brake ABS restricts depending on which end you want the pos + terminal. it would be a very small start battery . Plus you need to run the pos + from the fuse box to the other side of the engine bay

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by DeanoH

Thinking a bit 'out of the box', would it be feasible to re locate the main vehicle battery (say a red top optima or whatever fits) to the 85 ah aux. battery position and use the original location plus extra space to fit a large single aux. battery ?

Deano

Hi Delano, when you fit one of my isolators, first off, you will have use of half the cranking battery’s capacity to run your accessories, and that amounts to an additional 45Ah added to the 55Ah of a single auxiliary battery ( 100Ah total ) or as in Ean’s Setup, with two 55Ah auxiliary batteries, giving a total usable capacity of 155Ah.

Plus, when you start your motor, you will be drawing energy from from the auxiliary battery to assist the cranking battery while starting the motor.

This is actually a far better way to achieve what you are suggesting, and it is far simpler to set up.