Oilbrnr
Active member
They have a different airbox setup to allow it.
Need Ideas for Second Battery Installation
- Thread starter Exeter
- Start date
They have a different airbox setup to allow it.
rayra
Expedition Leader
well Martin it mostly spawns from a manufacturer or product line being offered with a diesel engine variant, which usually come with two batteries. So there is usually mounting provisions - at least the threaded bolt holes - in all the vehicles of a model line that offers a diesel option. Even my old '85 C-10 had such, although I only got so far as finding the factory tray for it, I never got around to wiring up a second battery. Ironically when I added the 2nd battery to my '02 Sub - after obtaining its factory tray - I was able to snag the battery hold-down block and bolt from my pickup, to mount the 2nd battery in my Sub. Trusty old GM and their re-using parts designs anywhere and for long as they can.
Due to ratcheting US environmental regs there's been a real dearth of diesel options available for the last couple decades. Particularly among imports. There's whole online communities of Preppers pining for the opportunity to buy a diesel Hilux but they are barred from import (not clean enough for US regs?)
Maybe the 2nd tray option exists in the 3500 pickups, since they all have diesel / hauling versions. But I don't think there's a difference in the engine compartment sheetmetal between those and 2500/1500, so there ought to be the threaded inserts in there somewhere.
Due to ratcheting US environmental regs there's been a real dearth of diesel options available for the last couple decades. Particularly among imports. There's whole online communities of Preppers pining for the opportunity to buy a diesel Hilux but they are barred from import (not clean enough for US regs?)
Maybe the 2nd tray option exists in the 3500 pickups, since they all have diesel / hauling versions. But I don't think there's a difference in the engine compartment sheetmetal between those and 2500/1500, so there ought to be the threaded inserts in there somewhere.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Is it possible to convert the Diesel airbox setup to work on a gas truck? Only reason I say that is because I think it would be much easier (and safer) to put the battery in the engine compartment even if it means moving something else around, vs. trying to put the battery in some other location which means you'd have to route a thick (probably a 2 AWG?) cable underneath the truck and into either the cab or the bed.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
I prefer batteries to be outside of the passenger area,I have seen enough pictures to make me wary,it's not the odds,it's the stakes.There are pictures on this forum of batteries placed where the spare tire was located, as rigs running large tires can't use that location for the spare tire.A frame mount is an option,like the picture below, another option ,https://www.torklift.com/automotive/hiddenpower
View attachment 512962Under Vehicle Battery Mount - HiddenPower | Torklift International
The Torklift International HiddenPower is a unique and convenient auxiliary under vehicle battery mount for all types of Group 24 or 27 twelve volt batteries such as lead acid, AGM, sealed, gel cell etc. Engineered as a no drill installation with quick disconnect electrical connectors this...www.torklift.com
Well that certainly solves the "where to put it" problem but are you not concerned about exposure to the elements and/or what might happen if you are crossing water? It just seems to me that having electrical parts open and exposed that low on a vehicle could lead to other issues as well.
I try not to get hung up on the "method" and keep my focus on the "purpose." Before I look at doing extensive (and expensive!) surgery on a vehicle, I always try to ask myself if there's a simpler way to solve the problem I'm trying to solve.
For me at least, if I could not figure a way to get the extra battery under the hood I'd look into alternatives to a 2nd battery. Maybe something as simple as carrying a robust 'jump pack' to make sure you can jump start when needed would be enough. An ArkPak or similar might also be an option. Even just charging up a deep cycle marine/RV battery at home and carrying it in a case to run a fridge when you are parked might work, at least in the short term.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
To the OP: Elaborating on the above:
So these are your actual requirements. And really, they are pretty similar to mine as well.
. I am fortunate to own a GMT-800 Chevy which has a dedicated space for the 2nd battery, so doing a dual battery setup was easy for me because as I said above, the question of "where to put the battery" is the most difficult part of any dual battery setup and on the Chevy there was a simple and inexpensive factory solution at hand.
HOWEVER, if I am to be honest, I did a dual battery because I saw there were a couple of good write-ups (that I pretty much copied directly) and because I wanted to see if I could do it. Contrary to the link about "making a cheap dual battery system for $50" I don't think you can actually do one that inexpensively unless you have a lot of spare parts laying around (my battery cables alone were $35 at a welding supply store.) My total cost for my dual battery was probably close to $500 (although the battery itself was more than half of that.)
Knowing what I know now, if I were to do it over again, I might go a simpler route with either a big jump pack, or an Ark-Pak or something similar.
So these are your actual requirements. And really, they are pretty similar to mine as well.
. I am fortunate to own a GMT-800 Chevy which has a dedicated space for the 2nd battery, so doing a dual battery setup was easy for me because as I said above, the question of "where to put the battery" is the most difficult part of any dual battery setup and on the Chevy there was a simple and inexpensive factory solution at hand. HOWEVER, if I am to be honest, I did a dual battery because I saw there were a couple of good write-ups (that I pretty much copied directly) and because I wanted to see if I could do it. Contrary to the link about "making a cheap dual battery system for $50" I don't think you can actually do one that inexpensively unless you have a lot of spare parts laying around (my battery cables alone were $35 at a welding supply store.) My total cost for my dual battery was probably close to $500 (although the battery itself was more than half of that.)
Knowing what I know now, if I were to do it over again, I might go a simpler route with either a big jump pack, or an Ark-Pak or something similar.
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
Buy a "jump box" = problem solved
Oilbrnr
Active member
I put 250 watts on the rack to power my fridge, inverter and lights on the rack. Via a Bogart Engineering charge controller and monitor they charge a AGM that is mounted in the bed, additionally a Red Arc BCDC does the necessary charging while underway and plays nicely with the AGM's different charging profile.
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Oilbrnr
Active member
Possible but not cheap and some customization would be needed to route to the throttle body. I looked into it briefly.
brokenhorn
Member
A lot of good ideas out there. Never thought about mounting my batteries on the frame. Here is a picture of my battery setup in my toolbox.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
I appreciate it and like the idea. Unfortunately the fold flat floor is important as we keep the dogs back there. I also have the Alpine system with the sub under one of the seats. Could do it and isolate it to one, but looks like the fold flat flooring has to come out to support that battery.
I prefer batteries to be outside of the passenger area,I have seen enough pictures to make me wary,it's not the odds,it's the stakes.There are pictures on this forum of batteries placed where the spare tire was located, as rigs running large tires can't use that location for the spare tire.A frame mount is an option,like the picture below, another option ,https://www.torklift.com/automotive/hiddenpower
View attachment 512962Under Vehicle Battery Mount - HiddenPower | Torklift International
The Torklift International HiddenPower is a unique and convenient auxiliary under vehicle battery mount for all types of Group 24 or 27 twelve volt batteries such as lead acid, AGM, sealed, gel cell etc. Engineered as a no drill installation with quick disconnect electrical connectors this...
I like the idea of the TorkLift hidden battery tray. Here is my only question. I am not well versed in the electrical side, so please pardon my ignorance in asking this. What is the risk of fording deeper water and having the battery get heavily wet or submerged at the frame level for a short period of time?
Love the PW! Nice setup as well. Where do you sleep with that rig? Are you using a ground tent setup? I initially had a camper shell, but first it leaked, and second my wife, two dogs and I couldn't get comfortable in a 5'7" bed, so we went with the RTT!
Are those also white knuckle sliders? Like them?
Wilco hitchgate offset? God...you've got all the things I want to get!
Do you have a build thread for your PW?
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
The first under-cab frame-mount pic that Chet6.7 posted is my 3G Power Wagon. In the 3G (and probably the 4+G) Rams, there is no place in the engine compartment to mount a second battery without ditching the factory airbox. When I did my battery upgrades, there were no CAI kits that would allow mounting the second battery box from a Cummins truck and still be smog-legal in California. One could fabricate an air box to fit around the the second battery but then the truck would not be smog-legal here because it would not have a CARB sticker. My solution was to adapt and reinforce steel battery boxes from Summit Racing and hang my batteries under the cab, per the pic. I started with a single battery and then realized that was not enough capacity for a fridge in the desert so added a third battery. My batteries have been submerged several times with no issues, and they are up high enough that I would have to destroy the skid plates before the batteries were damaged on rocks or logs. I have buried the truck up to the rockers in sand without damaging the batteries. Also dropped the front end into an unseen hole and the truck was resting on the frame rails without hitting the batteries.
If you are uncomfortable hanging batteries under the cab, the next best option (on the 3G and probably on the 4G) is to fab a cradle to carry one or more batteries between the grill and the radiator, above the winch if it's a PW. I have a large compressor mounted in that space on my 3G, but I did test fit three Grp 34 batteries end-to-end across that space before I bolted in the compressor. The 3G has the advantage of a grill that raises with the hood, but I think you could do the same type of installation on a 4G if you are willing to remove the grill for the installation. Engine and trans cooling have never been an issue in my truck, even at 120+F and low speeds. The cooling system in these trucks is pretty robust. Pics to follow if I can find them.
Another alternative is to find a drag-race battery box for relocating the battery to the inside of the rear fender. You could stick one battery inside each rear fender, but might have to do some exhaust mods.
Or, you could put batteries in the RamBox if you have them.
To the OP, you should be able to stuff a quality Grp 31 battery into the stock box to give you some additional capacity. You may have to shoehorn it, but easily doable, although I had to extend one of my ground cables.
If you are uncomfortable hanging batteries under the cab, the next best option (on the 3G and probably on the 4G) is to fab a cradle to carry one or more batteries between the grill and the radiator, above the winch if it's a PW. I have a large compressor mounted in that space on my 3G, but I did test fit three Grp 34 batteries end-to-end across that space before I bolted in the compressor. The 3G has the advantage of a grill that raises with the hood, but I think you could do the same type of installation on a 4G if you are willing to remove the grill for the installation. Engine and trans cooling have never been an issue in my truck, even at 120+F and low speeds. The cooling system in these trucks is pretty robust. Pics to follow if I can find them.
Another alternative is to find a drag-race battery box for relocating the battery to the inside of the rear fender. You could stick one battery inside each rear fender, but might have to do some exhaust mods.
Or, you could put batteries in the RamBox if you have them.
To the OP, you should be able to stuff a quality Grp 31 battery into the stock box to give you some additional capacity. You may have to shoehorn it, but easily doable, although I had to extend one of my ground cables.
I have mine mounted there in a custom setup with the terminals on top. I just measured and it is 26" to the top of my battery. That is almost all the way to dipping my dangly bits in the water. You have a little bit of leeway due to the bow wave and associated water dip behind the tire. Are you really fording crotch deep water regularly?
I can take some pics later when it dries up some. It was incredibly easy and cost about $50 in parts for the mount.
chet6.7
Explorer
Do you have any more pictures of the batteries? I would like to copy it.
I had a box built for 2 group 31's,it is where my spare would have been if it fit,I want to put an aux fuel tank there now.Moving the batteries would also be good for weight distribution.