Dual battery system

hey fellas.

I am going camping over the xmas holidays and i was thinking of installing a dual battery system into my GU so i can run my engel that santa is bringing me this year and to run some LED lighting etc.

My question is. Is there another way to do it incase i want to take the engel out of my patrol and leave it with my wife and friends for when i go 4x4 during the day?

I have been told about a"Absorb glass mat battery"?????

Anyone heard of that?

And info would be much appreciated as i really want to get into camping and not at caravan parks on powered sites...

Cheers

First up, if you're going to head out for a wheel by yourself while away, I would recommend against that. Especially if inexperienced. It is an easy way to find yourself in big strife as track conditions can change very quickly......always have more than one car until you have plenty of experience and even then......
On the subject of a dual battery setup, there are many ways this cat can be skinned.
What will you be doing with it?
Do you want solar backup?
How many appliances?
How long do you expect to be in the one spot?
These are all things you need to decide.
Initially, for what you want to do, you could buy a portable battery box to pull out and hook up to the fridge if you want to do that.
I would still put a second battery in the vehicle and possibly run the battery box as a third for your stated task.

Always 4x4 with 2 that way you have someone to back up all the stories lol
As Drew said plenty of option available I run a Redarc system Aust made simple to use
and affordable, battery wise you'll need a cradle for your new 100 ah sealed battery [less mess]
I run a Trojan 115am , or you could just use a battery pack until you have time to shop


Only run engel when motor is on they can drain a start battery pretty quick'
I wouldn't recommend it but some do, ok as long as travelling I would think

There will be another car with me. My mates just got to pull hes finger out and buy one.

I will be using it when i go camping. The trip i am talking about is to a 4x4 park in qld. I want to run my engel to keep the food cold during the day and then chuck some stale ales in it early arvo so they are nice for after dinner.

Also at the time of travelling my daughter will be 8 months old and we need to sterilize water and clean bottles and that involves boiling a kettel. Im also thinking about buying a inverter.

Sorry if this sounds stuoid but im new to all this fellas.

cheers

You could do as I do and take a good quality ice box mine is 85 ltre baileys ice box, holds 90 cans and ice.
This is for 4 blokes, ice lasts 4-5 days normally
I leave the 40ltr Engel for food only,,, less opening so less power used, get wine bladders of water to fill all voids in the engel
Try and keep the whole area cold. only put cold gear in it.
Stubbies will cool quickly in ice, Pack carefully as top layer is known to wear its way through the lower layer, use lino

Threedogs.

Ill pm you mate so u can give me more info

Quote:

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Originally Posted by statok

Also at the time of travelling my daughter will be 8 months old and we need to sterilize water and clean bottles and that involves boiling a kettel. Im also thinking about buying a inverter.

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Forget boiling a kettle using an inverter unless you have a very substantial (read large capacity, heavy & expensive) battery bank (& the means to recharge it). You would be looking at a couple of grand at minimum for a sustainable system just to boil the kettle a few times a day. Yes you could just buy a large capacity inverter & comect it up to a 100Ah battery, but the battery would be wrecked very quickly. A billy or a kettle on a gas stove is the go.

@ cuppa he just needs a basic dual battery set up for his Engel and some led camp lights,
He will be camping with a mate, I wouldn't think they need solar back up ATS.
Don't even know what Patrol he has as the Petrols are a PITB to fit a 2nd battery
As for boiling a billy you can't go past those $15 cartridge stove by Gasmate, get about 1hr easy to a cannister

Threedogs. I have 98 GU 2.8 diesel. I am thinking dual bettery system instead of a battery in a ark box

Get yourself an aux battery tray and fit it
,Redarc is install and forget system.
Later on you can fit rear power outlets

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

I wouldn't think they need solar back up ATS.

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Never suggested that he does TD, in fact quite the opposite......... just letting him know that boiling a 240v kettle via an inverter & the average dual battery set up is not going to make him a happy chappie.

Love it when you two get going on battery set ups !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gaddy

Love it when you two get going on battery set ups !

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Yeah goodinnit? :) ..... even when we’re in agreement!

If you want to remove the Engel and keep it cooling when you're out and about, I would put an Arc power pack in the back of the car and have an Anderson plug to the main battery to charge it. Then you could take it out when you get to camp and keep the fridge running. You could also leave it out of the car when you're not using it to save some weight if you wanted.

Im getting to confused.
If i buy a battery to put in a ark box then to charge it i have to A plug it into 240v or B connect it to my main battery.

If i do a dual battery system then i cant take the 40L engel out of the back...

What to do

Yeah if it were me I would run a thick lead from the main battery to an Anderson plug in the back of the car to connect to for charging. Just like a normal dual battery setup but with the battery in the back. Then you could take out the fridge AND the battery when you get to camp to keep the fridge running while you are out with the car.

I was agreeing with you Cuppa lol
@ statok as well as your dual battery system running your fridge,on the way to that 4wd park
the battery pack will allow you to move the engel anywhere, closer to the food prep area or similar.
Just remember to keep in a shaded cool spot elevated off the ground for air flow. As its summer when you go,
your batteries will hopefully get a top up driving around the park

I got a question , how long has this battery got to run for before it gets a charge ? If he pulls the fridge and the pack out when he gets to camp . Goes driving without the battery , and is putting hot drinks in the fridge , id give the battery about a day and half at best especially in summer , just my 2 bobs worth

@ gaddy A few PMs later and he is now well aware not to put
hot/warm drinks in the Engel' suggested a decent icebox for grown up and kids drink

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gaddy

I got a question , how long has this battery got to run for before it gets a charge ? If he pulls the fridge and the pack out when he gets to camp . Goes driving without the battery , and is putting hot drinks in the fridge , id give the battery about a day and half at best especially in summer , just my 2 bobs worth

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And less if he wants his battery to have a reasonable life. ........ Nup, not saying any more, said it all before. Shaddup Cuppa. :fish:

I had the same thing when I was lookinf at the GQ and camping with the little ones I ened up with a ark box in the back I have run the connection from the battery under the hood under the carpet and into the back when the box is in it charges undo 2 bolts and pull it out no worries. Few photos attached looks bit messy in the back cause I dont jave the box in there right now

Pm sent kind

@ Kind why not leave them connected to the
Battery all the time Via a thermo fuse of some description.
Terminate the other end with 50 Anderson plug, then make lead to suit
your battery.
Merit adaptor shown

I have only just put it into this car im still working out what I wanna do cause im trying to have the least amount of cords in the back as I can.

Also sorry @statok didnt get a pm

yeah hard to restrict cables, but with all the accessories that are 12v
its gunna be a given. You can conceal most even my rear power outlet
maybe what your after

My idea is very simple.1/ Dual battery under bonnet. run decent cables down to the back to run fridge . 2/ Leave the fridge in the car all the time. While you are out wheelin around, the batteries are being charged. 3/ Have ice box of some decent quality, Get some water proof containers and put the food for your family in that while you are out playing. 3/ ANY THING with a heating element DON"T try running of car battery. Gas burner is your best friend for cooking or boiling water..
Cuppa is probably the best on here for facts on batteries etc., he helped me out heaps recently.
Steve

Just thought of something else, Old soft drink bottles, 2/3rd fill with water and freeze them. They do 2 things. Help keep your ice longer, and you also have nice cold drinking water.
Another tip, sprinkle salt over your ice. It keeps it longer.