setting up 2 battery system

[Loc]

hi

Is there anyone out there using a second battery but not in the battery compartment?

I have an exceed with only room for one battery and am thinking of wiring in my deep cycle battery with a battery isolator but was wondering if anyone has done this before?

I have a marine battery box to strap the battery down anywhere I want.

thanks
Loc

[Wolfgang]

There are so many people talking about putting 2 new batteries in, but not much
talk about what kind of batteries and the cheapest option. Any ideas?

I currently run a Delica Exceed with only 1 battery but am thing of upgrading
to 2 for the cold alberta winter.

w.

[jessef]

I don't see a need for 2 batteries when the Delica is only a 12V system.

Only reason I would use 2 batteries (to upgrade from single battery) would be for a 2nd deep cycle RV battery for appliances/misc separate from the main battery.

I'm doing just the opposite. Going from a stock 2-battery Delica to a single battery system for the starter/engine/etc..

Better to save the space and put the $ into one solid battery and better to have one high capacity/performance battery compared to a pair of average/mediocre batteries.

[Loc]

I have an Exceed with a good single battery and am installing a deep cycle optimum battery for our air bed pump, electric blankets and device chargers. Right I charge it from the cigarette lighter plus but am installing a battery isolator. I also have a charge regulator and some solar panels I am trying to hook up and for the times I need it an AC charger.

I'll let you know how it all goes.

Loc

[marsgal42]

I treated Gumdrop to new batteries this afternoon, in preparation for the coming winter. The change in her starting behaviour is startling. Other than the much higher cranking speed (almost sounds like a modern diesel), the dash lights only dim very slightly when the glow plugs are on.

The new batteries are what they recommended at Polar Battery. Nothing particularly special, about 100 bucks each. 700 cold cranking amps each. I topped up the electrolyte (which they needed) and charged them overnight (ditto) before installing them.

Yes, you have to remove the coolant expansion tank.

You have to tilt the batteries at quite the angle to get the old ones out, and to get the new ones in.

The hardest part for me was getting the second (right-most) battery in, since I found I needed extra hands to hold the wiring harness out of the way. I burnished all the connections, and may need to replace those intermediate connectors that go from the battery to the ground cable - they are badly worn and I had difficulty getting them to cinch up properly on the battery terminals.

Mitsubishi did their homework: you can't even get at the positive terminals on the batteries until you have disconnected the negative terminals and slid the batteries part way out.

...laura