Dual Battery Setups

[RangerAl87]

This may be a bit out of your budget, but I am running a Renogy 50Ah LiFePo battery installed under the rear seat on the passenger side. I use a Redarc 25 amp DCDC charger that is mounted behind the back seat. Right now I’m only running a fridge and my GMRS radio off of it. But it is pretty easy to expand to add more outlets.

The length of time I can run the fridge without recharging varies with the weather. When it was over 100 degrees for weeks on end, it would only last a little over a day if it was parked. But with temps in the 80s and 90s and it lasts over 2 days. I also use solar to help charge when it is parked. 2 hours of driving will fully charge the battery from dead.

The setup has worked great for me. I decided to leave the fridge in the truck bed pretty much 100% of the time (except when I need to haul stuff). It has been really nice to always have some cold drinks on hand no matter where I go.

Can you share a PIC of your setup please. Thanks

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[AzScorpion]

Has anyone installed a dual battery system under the hood of their Ford Ranger? I’m looking for a solution that won’t cost a fortune, but I want to make sure it’s done right. For reference, I run four 160W lights and two 60W ditch lights (though never all at once and not at idle). Ideally, I’d like to run the four 160W lights while the engine is idling without risking my alternator or main battery. I’d love to see any setups, pictures, or advice on how to do this safely and effectively.

I merged this with another older thread so you can check out the results.

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

I merged this with another older thread so you can check out the results.

thank you!

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

I did a non-permanent dual bettery setup on my Raptor.
( not planning on doing it for the Ranger...yet)

I used a Trolling motor battery case, a size 34 AGM battery,
a battery charger/ isolator and a cicrcuit breaker to and from source battery(hood) and 2nd battery(bed). Run the 7awg from the charger/Isolator kit, under chassis frame, then into the bed.

(Its important to add circuit breakers to and from, for safety reasons, in case the wire gets damaged you dont want it to turn into an arc welder, remember you now have 2 batteries, not one)

No issues, for the year that I had the truck...running inverter, power saw, tools, Arb twin comp, etc...

Its not the prettiest setup, but it worked.
And its Not permanent, so I was able to remove the whole thing before trading my Raptor.?

this is so awesome. do you think i could fit a dual battery setup in the hood or maybe in the backseat some where to run lights or would i need the big power inverter and all of that?

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

Where we camp generators are a big no-no.
So I built a battery box with DC-DC charger on it that lived in the bed. It had a canopy on it, I think in the USA yiu call it a topper?
I ran wires to the back (fused at the positive terminal) and the cables ended in a plug that matched the input for my battery box. The DC-DC charger automatically switched on and off by sensing the voltage from the engine battery. In essence it was a smart isolator.
I put a myriad of power points on it for the fridge/lights etc.
It was a 90ah battery and we could easily run our fridge for a weekend on it.

If I do it again I'll put the fridge behind the seats (my extended cab doesn't have extra seats) and the battery next to it.

The old school overlanders always put the second battery in the engine bay, with an isolator relay between the batteries, and then ran a cab to wherever to power whatever. This makes a lot of sense as the current draw is a lot lower for something like a fridge than for charging a battery in the bed, so the cable can be thinner As there is less voltage drop.

do you have any pics of when you did this or can you explain how you did this in more detail?

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

This may be a bit out of your budget, but I am running a Renogy 50Ah LiFePo battery installed under the rear seat on the passenger side. I use a Redarc 25 amp DCDC charger that is mounted behind the back seat. Right now I’m only running a fridge and my GMRS radio off of it. But it is pretty easy to expand to add more outlets.

The length of time I can run the fridge without recharging varies with the weather. When it was over 100 degrees for weeks on end, it would only last a little over a day if it was parked. But with temps in the 80s and 90s and it lasts over 2 days. I also use solar to help charge when it is parked. 2 hours of driving will fully charge the battery from dead.

The setup has worked great for me. I decided to leave the fridge in the truck bed pretty much 100% of the time (except when I need to haul stuff). It has been really nice to always have some cold drinks on hand no matter where I go.

i know this thread is super old but im with hksocal on almost all those requiments. Can you send pics of your setup? im trying to run 4 160w lights off of the stock set up and it is not going well lol.

 

[JetEngr19]

i know this thread is super old but im with hksocal on almost all those requiments. Can you send pics of your setup? im trying to run 4 160w lights off of the stock set up and it is not going well lol.

Sorry, I don’t have the truck anymore. I didn’t take pictures of the setup before I removed it.

 

[The_Stranger_Ranger]

Sorry, I don’t have the truck anymore. I didn’t take pictures of the setup before I removed it.

ah dang

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