Thread: Second battery moved into subby spot

The last picture could pass for the rear of my P38! Furry sub cover and blue switch in exactly the same spot! Great minds hey!

I have been thinking of removing my stacker and subs to put a battery in. My ark power pack is currently doing the job but I want something I can charge on the run.

Nice work!

Can you explain a few things for me as I have thought about a dual battery but all thought it was too much hassle to fit under the bonnet. Your arrangement on the other hand is worth more thought.

1. What is the cut out in the spare wheel well for?
2. Can you advise where you ran the cables to?
3. What else is needed and "traps to avoid"

Thanks

I used the isolator from ABR Sidewinder. I stashed it in the unused box behind the main battery compartment (mine is THOR and it was used for GEMS Eng ECU).

I ran a large positive cable along the top of the radiator (forward of it) and then around the airbox and EAS box, then into the firewall under the Eng ECU through the existing grommet. I taped the cable to a large screwdriver and pushed it through. Then I ran it along under the passenger kick panel, passed the B piller behind the flashing panel, under the rear left passenger kick panel, and then up behind the panel that the rear passenger seat belt bolts into. All the in-cabin stuff was easy, no tools really necessary. I put big 50A inline fuses at both ends of that long cable.

When the battery was in the spare tyre spot, I drilled a big earth cable through the wall and connected to a big chassis point. It was a mistake as its a hole I have to patch now. The current solution is much better.

This time I have used multiple earth connections, anywhere I could find, but one big major one from the neg terminal to the significant earth point near where the rear left seatbelt retractor unit is on the C piller under the interior panel.

Best to use a sealed battery, since it is in the cabin. Mine is a deep cycle, but is ~700CCA so can still be used to crank the car if front battery dies (the sidewinder isolator has this 'link' function).

On all my Rangies (3 Classics and 2 P38s), I've only ever used a heavy duty solenoid.

The trick to wiring these up is to use a wire from the top connection on the alternator, the one with the smaller wire, as the switching wire for the solenoid.

This works well because that wire doesn't go live, ie. 12v, until the engine has started. Therefore the batteries aren't linked until the starting battery has done its job successfully.

I am looking at another alternative to a fixed second battery. ArkPak, below is a cut and paste from their web site...

There is nothing quite like the ArkPak anywhere in the world! By placing a 12V battery inside, you convert it into a multi-function remote, portable power source, that gives you 240V and 12V power anytime, anywhere.
It does this by having a powerful built-in 6 amp 7 stage smart charger, that charges, conditions and prolongs the life of your battery, plus a built-in 150 watt inverter – that gives you up to 3 days of 240V power or up to 7 days of 12V power*.

Whether you are powering or recharging, the all new ArkPak gives you power where there isn't any, via its twin 12V sockets, 240V socket, 5V USB port, 50 amp Anderson plug and protected external high current terminals.
It also features Time Tracker, an intelligent microprocessor that constantly assesses the state of your battery and tells you the battery's current voltage, the % of battery capacity remaining and the number of hours left until fully charged via an interactive LCD screen.
What's more, with the optional DC-DC car charger adaptor, you can charge your ArkPak directly from your vehicle's 12V socket and run your in-car fridge at the same time - giving you a portable, dual battery system at a fraction of the cost of a built-in one.
Plus there are 3 other ways to recharge your ArkPak's battery:
1. Via the 240V adaptor, 2. Via solar panels, 3. Via Anderson plug

The only drawback that I can see is that it costs around $450 plus a sealed gel battery somewhere in the vicinity of $100-120.

Sealed gel battery will cost a touch more than that!

I've got the original ark power pack, the new one is a good looking bit of gear. Comes with Anderson plug so you just need to run a solenoid and fusible links at either end and your set.

Keithy p38, you're correct. The battery is a sealed unit but not gel. Once you go gel up goes the price

I'd definitely consider the new ark pak.