Thread: Dual battery system recommendations?

Hey lads I'm driving up my new (2nd hand) D3 from Melbourne to Darwin on Friday... bit hard to take my jumpstart kit with me on the plane so just for safety I'm thinking I'll buy a 2nd battery in melbourne and just chuck it in the back as a backup for now.

Anyone got a recommendation for a commonly available battery that'll fit into both the main and spare battery compartment without any fuss and that will be ok as a basic deep cycle 2nd battery later?

The AMP-Tech D48 (60ah) fits neatly

Agree with whiteD3, Amp-tech or the Supercharge one. If you are a tightwad like me.
If you will want more AHs go for the 80 Varta and adapt it.

Hi, Just for those interested, I got hold of a Yellow Top Optima D34 battery for $316 inc GST. I got it from Batteries Direct (02 9586 4155)
in Mortdale Sydney, although I live near Geelong, I am fortunate to be able to get it down to me freight free. They have a special on at the moment. I tried dozens of other outlets and some asked as high as $449. Also bought a Traxide SC80LR thats being mailed down. Seems like a good product.

Hi

I've been following this post and others on dual battery systems with interest. I've ordered the Traxide SC80 jobby and now need to select a battery. My usage will be mainly to run a 55l fridge and a laptop (GPS), probably for not much more than a day or two without driving. I'll also have a camper trailer fitted with 105 and 120AH batteries, which I intend to run in parallel with the car's aux battery for longer stays.

I'm of the view more is better (other than price of course), so I'm trying to get the max AH battery into the hole. I'm a bit of a fan of Fullriver batteries having had a 120AH one in my Touareg as the second battery.

The dimensions as I understand for the aux battery hole are about 280mm long (with some mods to the plastic box) by 170mm wide and probably close to 195mm high. Does that sound right?

I looked at caver3d's post about shoe-horning the Varta 80AH in and from what I can find, 80AH is about the biggest battery than anyone's fitted in the D3 aux hole and according to the specs, it's at 190mm high. The Fullrivers of any decent capacity seem to be too high.

I just checked the batteries direct site and they still have the optima at $316. That said though, I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of those who've installed cheaper batteries particulalry their performace under similar conditions as I might use it.

Thanks

Bob

Originally Posted by wardh

Thanks to all for the information.

Drivesafe thanks for the links the system that you have is realy neat and well thought out.

Now for the strange part. When I purchased this vehicle it was pointed out to me that the previous owner had fitted a power outlet to the back. When looking at the links I thought that what was in my vehicle already seemed to match the discription of one of the setups, so I looked closer and it appears that this vehicle had been set up with a heavy duty cable to the rear and a fused outlet fitted to the passenger side just inside the tail gate but it does not work. I followed the cable back and found it taped up. Humm seems like it may have had a dual system in it but it has beeen removed.

If this is the case and the cableing is already in place, do all I need to get it going is the controller SC80 and a battery?

Howard

Hi warth, it sounds like your D3 was originally set up to power the back of the vehicle from your cranking battery.

My suggestion would be to fit the SC80-LR Plug-&-Play kit as per a normal installation and then just run a heavy positive cable from your Auxiliary Battery Compartment, across the back of the engine bay, to a point where you can join it to the existing installed cable.

FWIW, I noticed that the car stereo shop I often frequent has Optima D34 on sale at the moment for $310 - with free shipping for a limited time.

Fhrx Studios - Audio / Visual Specialists

Cheers,
Rob

Rotronics do a bulletproof three-way charging system to fully charge quicker and fuller than when you add another battery(s) to one in a different state of charge or of different type.