My Battery plans im thinking about

[CaliMobber]

Just throwing out my plans for people to see. Im always thinking of a better battery storage for when one of my optima's die. I like crown batteries so iv'e been looking and I think this might work. Their are a few post about people fitting a die hard platinum group 31 battery into the Toyota 3rd gen 4runner/tacoma engine bay stock battery location. sounds like its a very close fit but sounds like it does fit.

So I plan on getting a crown 12v 130ah battery and putting it into the stock location and separating it from the starting system and have it run all my aux systems. fridge, inverter.....

It will still charge off the alternator when running but disconnect when cars off and my second optima will be used only for starting. The solar will only charge the crown. The 130ah crown will have more ah storage then the 2 optima combined(they are 110ah). Its still in the planning and I would have to do some testing first but it might be a sweet setup if it works. What do you guys think? other better options?

The crown is just better suited for true deep cycle than the diehard and its $100 cheaper. The small crowns 95ah/110ah are just shorter same tall and wide

Crown Dimensions: 13"L x 6.75"W x 9.38"H 66 lbs 130ah____________________Diehard platinum: 13"L x 6.8"W x 9.38"H 75 lbs 100ah

http://www.solar-electric.com/batte.../crdecyinba1/repose/12voba1/cr12repose12.html



Engine bay:

 

[DiploStrat]

I'll Play

Handy Bob likes Crown batteries, so that would prejudice me in their favor.

Why limit your solar to your camper battery only? Install a Blue Sea ACR and your solar will charge your starter battery as well.

 

[CaliMobber]

Well I wont be using the starter battery for anything other than starting so It should not need solar charging. Just dont think its worth the extra cost and hassle to put the solar on the starting battery safely since I should be full anyways.

Yea handybob is the reason I looked at crown. If he approves then its god enough for me haha.

 

[DiploStrat]

Everyone is different. If your vehicle is a daily driver, then the starter battery may never risk being run down. In my case, the vehicle is a camper and may spend weeks without being driven. In my case, keeping the starter battery on solar (and shore as well) is well worth it.

There is no extra cost or work, in fact, a Blue Sea ACR is actually easier to install than a key controlled relay.

So if your vehicle is driven enough to take care of the starter battery and you already have a large enough relay installed, then upgrading to the Blue Sea is probably not worth it for you. But you did ask!

 

[CaliMobber]

Yea its its on my main vehicle so its driven once a week or ever 2 weeks.

I totally forgot ill be needing to upgrade my relay setup. since my old one broke Ive just had them directly connected. Not sure how I forgot that part lol

I guess the blue sea auto relay would be the way to go them haha. Your right, I did ask haha. Thanks!

I really like their auto relay with the manual connect option for extra large drains with the inverter if you need to keep the volts up for a short pull.

 

[DiploStrat]

If you don't already have a working relay, I recommend the Blue Sea ACR; I like it better than the combination of Magnum SBC and Blue Sea relay that I have.

Note: The manual switch is not for large inverter loads; there is a remote switch for that. (The remote also has a nice tell tale function.) The manual switch, which is probably not worth it, is only for servicing the batteries as it allows you a force a connect or disconnect.

I became a big fan of intelligent relay controllers for two reasons:

-- Friend lives in Pittsburg, known for cold. He puts his camper on shore charge - when he goes to use the camper, the camper batteries they are fine but the truck won't start. With an intelligent relay your starter battery benefits from shore or solar charge.

-- No interaction with computerized systems. Amazingly, for those of us of a certain age, getting an ignition controlled feed on a modern, computer controlled engine, is a bit more complicated than you might expect and Chevrolet, at least, warns that you have to install a diode on the relay control circuit to protect the computer. Not hard at all, but an intelligent relay obviates the need to do this.

As always, YMMV.

 

[CaliMobber]

Yea the remote function is what I was referring to. The basic model does not have it but the better one allows you to run small wire to a switch in the car to manually connect them. Which sounds like your aware of.

yea I didnt think about the solar volts keeping the 2 batteries connected until you mentioned it. I like that idea.


I started with a manual relay that i would just flip if I was camping to isolate one of the batteries but It died so a simple fix I just wired them together fully time, It worked since one optima with the fridge would drain very quickly.

 

[dwh]

I agree with Diplo - if you need a new relay anyway, why not get one that can let the solar keep both topped off. (Not all intelligent relays will do that - some only tie the batteries when the voltage rises on the engine battery side, not when it rises on either side.)

Be advised, that Crown is a flooded battery, which I, and HandyBob, both prefer, but if it ever needs equalizing (it probably won't if you regularly charge it to 14.8v the way HandyBob does), you'll have to remember to make certain that the ACR does not tie the batteries while you EQ.

Otherwise, the ACR will tie them when the voltage rises on the aux side and the sealed cranking battery might get cooked.