Navara (Frontier) dual battery box

[NJLDMM]

Hi All,

Long time lurker here so I though it's about time I shared something.

Here is the box I built to sit above the wheel arch in my Navara. I have a 135 amp/hr battery and a Ctec DC-DC charger inside. I'm pretty happy with the overall finish as this was my first attempt at carpeting.

Dual battery box by CloseUpCanon, on Flickr

Inside of dual battery box by CloseUpCanon, on Flickr

(Apologies if the photos don't work, it's my first time trying this from an iPhone)

As all Frontier/Navara owners would know, there really isn't anywhere to fit a secondary battery under the bonnet. I thought this was the best place and I also managed to keep a tie down point in front and behind the box. The battery is then connected to a distribution board in the back seat of the cab for the fridge and so on. Happy to hear any feedback.

Next up will probably be a set of drawers !

Thanks for looking,
Nick.

 

[Mo4130]

When I try to view them it states adult content need to sign in. Interested in seeing this.

 

[NJLDMM]

Sorry about that, I accidentally had the default photo safety level set to moderate. Hopefully it should be working now.

Nick

 

[Trikebubble]

I don't know if the Navara has the same under hood layout as a North American Frontier/Xterra, though I doubt it. I was able to install a second full size battery under the hood of my Xterra. I had to relocate the power steering reservoir and fab up a dual battery bracket, but they do both fit together in the X. It's very tight, but it works for me.

Sent from the Mountains

 

[NJLDMM]

I thought about under the bonnet, however I would have only been able install a small (around 50-60 A/H) battery and it would need relocation of other things. Also the DC-DC charger is not recommended under there due to heat (could be wrong on this).

I'm loving the bigger battery, it ran my Engel Combi for 4 days and was still reading 12.4v.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Are you worried at all about heat? That's a big battery!

 

[NJLDMM]

Yeah I was worried about heat at the start of the build which I mentioned at the battery shop. They pointed out the the DC-DC charger is only 20amp max and it has a temp probe that will reduce charging if the battery overheats.

I'll see how it all goes and if necessary I'll add a vent.

My main aim with the battery size was to be able to run the fridge/freezer for a long weekend away without needing to start the vehicle. I also bought a 150w portable tri-fold solar panel, which should extend battery life significantly. It connects to the Ctec unit via the Anderson plug inside the box. At some stage I would like to change this to a surface mounted Anderson socket (if they exist).