Need Ideas for Second Battery Installation

[Exeter]

Greetings all!

I am running a 2015 RAM 1500. I had a rough experience with a dead battery at my last camp site, and want to ensure that won't happen again. I am not very savvy when it comes to electrical, so need some help. I want to install a second battery to run auxiliary items at camp (camp lights, fridge). I also want to run a solar charge into both the main and secondary battery to keep them topped off when stationary for a few days. The downside of the RAM 1500 with the Hemi is I cannot install the second battery in the engine bay without relocating the air intake which I do not want to do. I have a Rhino Rack roof rack and the Leitner rack in the back. My plan would be to put a 100 watt panel on one side of the roof rack, and have the camp lights on the roof rack and Leitner rack, with the fridge in the bed of the truck. I also know that CTek and RedArc make all the components I need and have them, as well as an sPod.

What I need ideas around is where and how to install the second battery so that I can still tie it to the main battery with the isolator and monitoring gear, have both connected via solar, etc. What have y'all done that cannot run the second battery in the engine bay, but still want it to charge while driving? My best thought is build something in the bed.

Appreciate your insight and recommendations! Truck pics for fun!

 

[Coolhand297]

Following as I have a 2016 and need help with the same.

 

[brokenhorn]

I put the battery in a truck toolbox in the bed. If you do not want the larger box use a plastic battery box in the corner of the bed.

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[Airranger84]

EXETER - I feel your battery issue pain. For me, the best place to install a secondary battery for my 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 was under the rear second row seat. I have installed a second battery and dc to dc CTEK charger there. That location will offer you plenty of room. You will sacrifice that storage area, but it is a small sacrifice to not get stuck in the woods!

 

[brokenhorn]

EXETER - I feel your battery issue pain. For me, the best place to install a secondary battery for my 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 was under the rear second row seat. I have installed a second battery and dc to dc CTEK charger there. That location will offer you plenty of room. You will sacrifice that storage area, but it is a small sacrifice to not get stuck in the woods!

You have a picture of your setup?


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[Airranger84]

Pictures of the CTEK 140A and 125 AGM battery under second row seats of my 2018 Dodge Ram 1500. I am showing this to demonstrate that a second battery and a location besides the engine compartment can be done on these vehicles. Where you feel comfortable placing your batteries is your deal. I am not getting into that. This works for me and many other people with similar setups in other brand vehicles. Good luck!

 

[Adventurous]

Keep in mind that should you choose to put a battery in the passenger compartment, an AGM battery should be used as traditional lead acid batteries offgas hydrogen which could go boom.

 

[rayra]

huge detailed inexpensive and easy to follow topic about this in the 12v subforum -

https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...eap-isolated-dual-battery-setup-for-50.77503/


most full size pickups and SUVs come with a factory option mounting tray for a 2nd battery, search for that as it makes things much easier. The simplest method is a solenoid that acts to combine the batteries for recharging by the vehicle's alternator when the key i son / engine is running. And when the key is off / keyed circuit is dead, the solenoid opens and breaks contact between the batteries and you can use the Aux / House battery without discharging the Starting battery.

Another option is a portable / folding solar panel kit that can prolong the use of a single battery.

 

[rayra]

Keep in mind that should you choose to put a battery in the passenger compartment, an AGM battery should be used as traditional lead acid batteries offgas hydrogen which could go boom.

Please stop repeating this lore. The odds are microscopic. There have been a lot of factory production vehicles with batteries in passenger spaces, under seats or in trunks without any hydrogen explosions.. Hydrogen is incredibly hard to trap in an automotive environment.

 

[chet6.7]

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

Under 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

 

[chet6.7]

Another option.

 

[rayra]

That's a nice albeit costly setup. What happens if you submerge that setup?

And pics of what exactly. Someone actually claiming a hydrogen fire? The really ironic part is you have to TRY to create the conditions where that's possible. As in trying to seal a regular battery up in a box. It's the only way you can even drive the gas mix to a dangerous ratio. Hydrogen is a slippery little devil. Actual rocket scientists even have trouble trying to contain it. It's not going to build up in a vehicle passenger compartment unless you make every Bubba-Engineering attempt to ensure that it does.

Somebody better alert BMW that what a major automotive company noted for their engineering skills and with potentially billions of dollars in legal exposure that they're doing it wrong.

Or maybe VW

"it's not the odds,it's the stakes "

That's as bad as that 'buy once, cry once' justification crapola.

 

[Scoutman]

I mounted mine to the inside of the frame rail on the drivers side and could mount another forward of that if needed. Dodge ram 3500 long bed. My aux system starts on post #100 in my bed rack thread.

 

[Martinjmpr]

most full size pickups and SUVs come with a factory option mounting tray for a 2nd battery, search for that as it makes things much easier.

I'm pretty sure this is not true. In fact, AFAIK only GM vehicles have a dedicated space under the hood for a 2nd battery. And I'm not even sure they still do since I haven't looked under the hood of a modern (2015+) GM truck.

Look under the hood of most modern trucks and the engine compartment is stuffed full of crap. The only way to make room for a 2nd battery is to either move something else to a different location (like the air intake as the OP mentioned) or use a pair of smaller batteries in the factory location (which means the batteries are smaller in capacity and that kind of defeats the whole purpose of dual battery installation.

IMO the No 1. most difficult part of any dual battery installation is "where to put the 2nd battery." Everything else is relatively easy by comparison.

 

[bdog1]

You could look under the hood of a 15 Ram diesel. See how they factory mount the dual battery’s.


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