Dual Battery Mod

Hi All,
I am in the final stages of my dual battery install for our FJ Cruiser.

Once it is finished I will move onto the Tacoma and do the same mod.
We like to camp and having an auxillary battery isolated from the starting battery is good insurance. I mostly will use if for running our 12-Volt Engel Fridge but eventually will wire offroad lights to the second fuse box.

My question is has anyone done this with their Tacoma and if so where did you mount the second battery?

If you want to check out my install you can see it here.
Happy Friday everyone.

 

sweet so post pics when you're done, i am very curious about it :0)

 

Sure will.
It has been high on my list of must do mods.
Even before my lift kit.

 

Sorry for the late reply but hers is my FJ Cruiser Dual Battery install blog I put together.
Now I need to start the research on the Tacoma.
Should be a lot quicker now that I have done it once

http://www.sandiegoracers.com/newblog/pt/blog/default.aspx?id=9&t=FJ-Cruiser-Dual-battery-Install

 

looking forward to it surf

 

Interesting. My first thought was....why do you need another battery? The additional "juice" while camping makes sense...I still have to ask, how much do you use this additional power, what do you have connected and what is the "normal" drainage (I know that is hard to answer unless you have only one item your using on a regular basis). Reason for the questions? I'm trying to justify whether I need to make this mod. Thanks....good link with details.

 

I, too, am VERY interested in this mod...

 

I think with the 2.7 liter I-4 I may have to but a dual tray in the stock battery location.
Otherwise it looks like I will have to move some things around which I am trying to avoid.

Bob

 

More peace of mind than anything.
We do a lot of Desert and Baja camping (once a month or so) and it is nice to know that if you accidentally drain your starting battery you are not stranded.

What is also nice is that the 12-volt plugs I installed that run off the auxillary fuse box are always hot so you do not need to have the key in the ignition.

Bob

 

I am hoping next month to get this started. I may go with a cheaper kit like the Painless kit but I am looking into it.
Will make sure to post plenty of pictures.

Bob

 

If you get the URD intake then you'll open up some good space on the passengers side for a battery.

 

You should probably also upgrade your alternator charging wire and add some bigger grounding wires. Adding a 2nd battery increases the load on your alternator. Good wiring will help.

 

Thanks for the advice.
Definetley will upgrade the charging wire.

 

I will have to look under the hood again since our Tacoma has the 4-banger. I think the layout is a little different.

Interesting that your engine layout is pretty much dead on the same as my FJ Cruiser. Only thing that looks different is that module you have sitting on the passenger side firewall.

 

I had to take my questions to another thread that pb2themax will have to take a look at, but I am interested in seeing what you do with this.

pb2themax, can you checkout that other thread? Thanks!

 

Hi all, first post here...

surfponto, how is that Pwer-Gate isolator working for you, and what did you pay? I will probably be using that isolator as well, but I think they quoted me over $300.00 for it.

I think I am going to do this dual battery setup, which will place the larger battery near my inverter, which is going under the access cab bench seat.

http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/0803or_dual_battery_setup_seamless_switching/index.html

Here's a thread about my upcoming project...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=254983

Thanks.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Hey, thanks Smokey Joe!

Pierced Tiger summoned me here, but during the sign-up process it didn't like his name, or his tatoo's or whatever...

 

surfponto, did you ever do the second battery mod?

 

Hey first sorry for the late reply. Haven't been on the forum for a few months.

Anyway the Powergate worked well for me in the FJ Cruiser. It was around $300 for me also.

I think if I do the Tacoma I will go a cheaper route.