Dual battery setup

[djtonyd]

Hi could I get some info from previous fellas that have installed a dual battery.
I’m looking at installing a dual battery and installing a 3000w inverter to my tool box.
I’m a sparky by trade not a auto sparky and I’ve read a little about something I may need for my triton. My car is a triton 2013 mn glx, would it have a smart alternator? If so apparently I have to buy some device that’s over $350 to make the rest work. I want to try this one if I don’t need to buy it

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/advent ... gJm2vD_BwE

So would I be able to hook my normal standard triton battery up to a agm battery with this device?

Thanks

[Intruder]

Hey mate,

No, MN doesn't have a smart alternator, so any VSR for a dual battery setup will be fine. Work out what you want the VSR to do, budget etc and chose what suits you.

All good to have an AGM battery as the second battery as long as it is not under the bonnet with the crank battery, AGMs don't like the heat. So if your putting the 2nd battery in the tub then AGM will be fine.

Get the right cable size for the run to the tub so you don't suffer from voltage drop, that's often the most overlooked reason for crappy dual battery setups. Circuit breaker protection at each end (or minimum of one end) too.

Plenty of posts on here on dual battery setups if you search.

[Duck]

Have a search, there are bucket loads of posts about 2nd. Battery install.
But my 2 cents work you need a DC-DC charger not a vsr The charging algorithm for different battery styles change considerably. An alternator is not designed to charge any battery to 100% it maintains a crank battery. Yes plenty of people run vsr’s and will not talk of issues, they may talk of rubbish deep cycle battery as they don’t last long and they won’t by smashing constant voltage into it. People also love the E10 fuel but I won’t use it. So spend more on the install and less on replacement batteries.

[tacticaltriton]

You don't need a DC-DC charger but TBH a kit like this one is such good value and comes with one it'd be the easiest decent quality option and very easy to install.

I have the same kit but with a VSR and it's a good setup.

https://www.australiandirect.com.au/Bat ... TCOMCHGKIT

[Lost1]

Not sure if you have done this yet. For my set up I ran 25mm cable from the engine bay to the tub and installed a 60 Amp circuit breaker in the engine bay just in case the power wire earths out. I run a 25 Amp DC-DC charger with solar input. I am thinking this might be a bit light on as I have a 100AH lifepo4 battery. If I decide to upgrade the DC-DC unit later the cable can handle up to 70 Amps from memory. But I wouldn't go higher than 50 Amp charge rate. The battery can take 100 amp charge, but it shortens the service life of the battery. So 40-50 amp is ideal for faster charging and longer battery life.

I have run the power down the passenger side rail and drilled holes through the tub for power and earth, then inserted rubber grommets to protect the cables. All holes got a coat of cold gal to protect the bare metal surfaces.

For batteries, you need to work out what you want to run. Then convert that usage into Amps consumed each day. Double your daily usage and that should give you the AGM battery size you need. If weight is an issue (most of us are close to or over GVM) Lifepo4 are a light weight solution. Be aware they do cost more, but if you are running an invertor most days when camping they can be run down to 25% SOC constantly without affecting the battery. Lifepo4 also have a faster charge rate than AGM. They aren't cheap, but if you run some power hungry equipment it could be a solution.

I run a 75L dual zone fridge freezer, some LED lights and a laptop for route planning on the fly or photo's. This handles all of the above right now. If I were to run an AGM battery I would need a 150AH battery to meet my needs. This setup allows me to have both my water tank (55L) and house battery between the wheel arches. Good luck setting up up your tray.