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Originally Posted by SnoRnR
I am in the process of purchasing the parts for my dual battery install next month. I have already installed the Shrockworks Dual battery kit.
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Thanks for posting and updating this! I recently did a dual-battery setup, and found your journey helpful. I'll add a bit (which I hope may help others).
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Odyssey PC34R-1500 68AH (34Ah usable for 50% SOC)
Redarc BCDC 1225D
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I went cheaper (although I have used and like Odyssey), opting for a Costco Energizer AGM. Delivered to my door (thanks, COVID-delivery guys!).
Helpful, and it's great that you figured out your loads. When you plan and prepare like this, it's almost just simple accounting. I say "almost" because many devices are sensitive to depth-of-discharge and may stop working. And some folks will use battery boosters to maintain voltage to the device even as the battery terminal-voltage drops. My own rule-of-thumb is to only figure on 1/2 the listed battery-capacity, both for life, and reliability.
In my case, I enjoy ham-radio operation, and wanted my AUX battery to carry me through evenings and weekends of radio-operation. I also have future dreams of a winch.
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1) Redarc states 6AWG wire for our cable lengths. So, going with 8 AWG
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For my Redarc hookups, I used 6AWG. I felt like it. It's more than what is necessary.
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8) Is it ok to earth the AUX battery to the chassis/frame?
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I did this. I actually chose to use
TWO ground-cables, one attached to the inner-fenderwell up by the air-box and the other down lower behind the headlight (both were 6mmx1.0 bolts, where 5/16" ring-terminals work nicely). For my future dream winch, it will have it's NEG attached to the same bolt behind the headlight, and my ham-radio NEG will pick up from the bolt by the airbox. I changed both these bolts to stainless, and added nickel-anti-seize everywhere to guard against corrosion. I also neatly scraped paint off the horn so it's a reliable member of the conduction team.
Each Ground was made from 2/0 welding cable, with hydraulically-crimped ends, which were also soldered and heat-shrunk.
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Trying to streamline the cable buying.
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This was a weakness for me - I was slow and piece-meal. I kept asking myself, at each step: What is
The Best? Then I would buy. I had no urgency, and this is more than half-hobby for me, so i enjoyed the journey.
Extras:
I am in Canada, and got the Comfort+ Complete package from Toyota. This includes an AC battery-maintainer which is pretty small. It would have made the Redarc turn on, draw too much, shutdown, turn-back-on, Redarc restart, shutdown, etc. So, I had to use a relay to only connect the Redarc to my Main Battery when the
IGNition is
RUNning.
Further, over the past decades, I've been in the boonies for a several days, and like the peace-of-mind of being able to jump-start my Main Battery. So I added a Cole-Hersee continuous-duty solenoid (200A cont, 600A intermittent) to let me "combine" the batteries in circumstances where I need to jump-start myself, or when I may wish to have the Main battery assist the Aux in prolonged winching.