Just another thought, question: My auto electrician quoted nearly $900 to put in dual battery set up. He only charged me $140 to put in an always on 12v outlet with 30amp fuse and thicker wire to back of ute. So where does $800 come from to run a few wires to a battery installed in back of ute. Not trying to crash in on your topic here Vic but think its related to what you are asking. What components and what cost? Seems a high price quoted for setting up a system.

Well from memory the auto electrician quote  was everything, box, battery, wire, isolator.

The 12v socket on the arkpak I just read only has a 10amp fuse which seems a bit small, my car has 30amp fuses in all 12v outlets. I don't really know much more than you. I know my box cost $120 on special, has a smart charger, apparently 1.5amp which is considered slow  or low. 

 

So by my calculations: A box with smart charger and 12v socket: $120

                                Isolator: from jaycar about $120

                                Battery 110ah:?????????????? $200 to whatever you want to pay!

                                 wire and clamps; minimal

                                  volt meter; $20 jaycar

So by my calculations the labor charge was anywhere between $400 -$500 unless I'm missing something.

                                

Thanks for the info Baute, I can't do much with mine until I take the seats out but will keep you posted on what happens.  A friend has offered to help me with the fitting if I buy the right components, a bit beyond my capacity... 

CC, someone in our neighbourhood paid a "tradesman" upfront to build a patio for him, the "tradie" said he needed the money up front to buy the materials.   His job has not been done and he has since found out he is a gambler so I don't like his chances of getting his job done or money.   Yes he had a wife and kids too but in his case it was the gee gees I think...

I'd go with the Redarc over a simple solenoid as per the link above, simply because the Redarc is a "smart" isolator that will only connect the Auxilliary battery once the Start battery has reached a certain voltage (13.2VDC), and disconnects the Aux battery when the Start battery voltage drops down to a predertimed level (12.7VDC).

This is usefull if you happen to have a flat AUX battery and a low Start battery. If you use the simple solenoid you'll suck charge from your Start battery to the AUX battery as soon as your ignition is turned on (if that's what you're using to energise the solenoid), which is likely to prevent you from starting your vehicle.

The Redarc SBI12 also has the ability to override the isolator and connect both batteries in parallel manually, via an override switch, if you have a flat Start battery, but your AUX battery is charged, to enable you to jump start from the AUX battery.

There are other brands of smart isolators around also, but the Redarc is the only one I have fitted (to countless mining support vehicles) that has the manual override function. Available from Ebay for under $100.00

I have no afilliation with Redarc, other than having used their products at work, fitting out mine service vehicles.

Hi,   From what I can see all these would be suitable for setting up a dual battery system. Dead easy to connect. Should charge your battery OK. Doesn't matter then what you connect  you should not flatten your starter battery no matter what.

To connect your fridge get whoever is wiring it up to make up a short lead with one end connected to the battery with a fuse (+ wire) & an Anderson plug the other. Replace your ciggy plug with an Anderson plug. Cigarette plugs are in my opinion the worst thing possible for running a fridge for any length of time. They vibrate loose, make poor connection & overheat & melt. Merritt plugs are a little better but not much. Anderson plugs are cheap & effective.

You can use a genuine Engel socket. Fridge plug screws in. Comes complete fused & ready to connect to battery. Not cheap $70 I think. Your Engel plug should screw in two with a tab to align correctly & screw together.

     Hope this helps    Bill

         

 

 

Hiya Vic..

Look No matter what they charge..

You need to Look at the length of the cable run's you have...

Now if it was me I would Double up the cable length. run a Neutral[sorry -ve] as well as a Positive..

Make the Cable over size so it is not affected by Voltage drop in the cable..

for example..
Take a Falcon Panel Van.. From Front to Back it's about 6m long.. Add an extra 2m to the Length..

so make the Run 8m..
- Is the secondary battery ever going to be used as an emergency start battery..? Say yes..
- For a 12v system @140A max Draw they recommend 70mm2 cable..

When Starting the Drew is only for a second or 2..


I know I'm going to be jumped on here.. But this is how I would do it..

The Battery Path..

Battery >> 200A fuse >> Battery Isolator system[Switch system ] >> Cable >> Isolation Switch/Point[+ve lead only] >> Second Battery
The Isolation Switch/point at the Battery is to make sure that you can Isolate the second Battery Close to the Battery in the case that you need to work on it.. Better to Isolate here than to have a LIVE cable Loose..

The Isolation point could be a short Piece of busbar that you disconnect from.. No Live end Flapping around..

Hey that is me..

Psst if you need to get Cable for the Project Go "" A Welding supply shop "" and get the cable from there.. By far the cheapest supplier of cable I have come across..

Juergen

Thanks for the detailed info and advice Juergen it will come in handy.

Also yours baute and your experience, never thought of the swapping vehicle or horizontal mount for sockets bit.

I am thinking now for my 95 amp aux battery a Projecta 125 amp dual battery kit and like Juergen said if mounted at the rear of my vehicle (Hyundai Imax Van with seats removed) would buy the extra cable, also a double plug set into the top of the battery case, one for the 30l Eva Kool Traveller fridge and the other possibly for a 12V fan when needed.

See pic of kit attached (the 125amp one).   The 75amp one is on special at $129 at Supercheap, don't know if they have stock or the price of the 125amp one, will have to check.   Sorry about the size of the pic's, I did reduce them but not enough.

 

 

SnowT wrote:

---

If you have a Connection point get hot, it is because the connection point either

1 - Is not making a Proper connection..
2 - Has some corrosion at that point.. The corrosion causes a Resistance at the point, and as they say P[W] = [IxI]/R R= Resistance.. so any resistance at that point will cause the connection to radiate P[Watt's]

So All connections need to be such that there is No Resistance at all..

Another factor if their is a change of cable size that will cause an issue.. Most 12/240v Fridge's do not have the correct size cables for low voltage..

Juergen

---

 I think that you meant P = I² x R rather than P = I² / R

Troopy, I have the same set up in my Avan Applause. The bouse battery is connected dc to dc with the electrobloc. The fridge is 12v/240v so it draws very little power unlike a 3 way fridge on 12v.

My solar run independently and is connected via a c-tek dc to dc (D250S). Don't ask me why but that's how I asked the person who fitted it to do it. I think at that stage I wanted another dc to dc on board as I knew zilch about the Elektrobloc. I've since learnt that it's a good unit

Bryan wrote:

---

Troopy, I have the same set up in my Avan Applause. The bouse battery is connected dc to dc with the electrobloc. The fridge is 12v/240v so it draws very little power unlike a 3 way fridge on 12v.

My solar run independently and is connected via a c-tek dc to dc (D250S). Don't ask me why but that's how I asked the person who fitted it to do it. I think at that stage I wanted another dc to dc on board as I knew zilch about the Elektrobloc. I've since learnt that it's a good unit

---

 Hi Bryan. My Avan Ray wasn't even using the DC-DC function to charge the battery, the Electrobloc was only used in the 240VAC to 12VDC mode to charge the battery. I changed that but haven't bothered with solar on the Avan as yet. To be honest, I prefer to use the camper trailer, to which I fitted a Redarc BCDC1225 with DC from ALT and solar input. I don't even bother with 240VAC charging on it because I use it more for scrub camping. The Avan really doesn't inspire me that much, but I had to buy it more for "Her Indoors" so she could have a bit more comfort...

Wouldn't you have been better off just getting a decent solar reg/controller and feeding that into the Electrobloc? would have been cheaper, and you already had 240VAC charging with the BlueBloc.

Thanks Troopy, I was only a lowly Gp 4, so wasn't allowed to use big words, LOL

Thanks Happy Jack, I ended up having this Redarc system installed with a 95amp battery.

http://www.redarc.com.au/products/product/smart-start-sbi_12v_100a/

I only need mine for a 30l fridge/freezer and a small personal fan, but the auto electrician told me that for my needs and battery I wouldn't need a CTech, I did ask about it.

 

 

Thanks blaze, I don't want to embarrass a GN members here unless he gives me the green light, but he kindly gave me 95 amp deep cycle battery and offered to install a dual battery system for me, but he is up to his armpits with work and his own projects so I declined as I didn't want to impose on his time, although he would have willingly done it.

I thank you too for your kind offer (eye and all) I just hope your recovery goes well.

Thanks for the heads up on the Redarc too, funny in the link they look so big, but when they are actually installed they are tiny in comparison, a bit like the Macca's ads, LOL !

03_troopy wrote:

---

Good to see the auto sparky used an existing threaded hole to mount the isolator instead of bashing in a couple of tech screws like a lot do these days. We install heaps of these, but in the 24V version, in Mine Service Trucks and have never had a complaint yet.

---

Thanks for the feedback troopy, it was fitted by an auto electronics mob called Deering Autronics in Balcatta WA, they have a few stores in WA.   As for me, I know zip about techo stuff, however decided to use this company due to being happy with their work in the past.

They also give either RAC or Seniors Discount on labour, and are RAC recommended.