2nd battery inside DC Tacoma

If you have mounted a spare/dual/backup battery inside the cab of your dual-cab 2nd gen Tacoma, could you please reply here with:

1. Battery model
2. Specific location
3. Where your cabling enters/exits the cab

I'm looking at dual battery setups now and don't want to have to relocate a ton of stuff in the engine bay to get another 31M battery in there. I'm considering adding one behind the rear passenger seat, but I'm looking for ideas on what batteries would fit.

Thanks in advance!

 

With the off gassing from the battery being charged and a potential explosion risk, I would look elsewhere to mount it.

 

agreed.

To be honest i have a standard deep cycle battery that i just strap in the back of my truck when i go on trips... much more versatile that way.

 

have you looked into the optimas not sure how you spell it but there much smaller perhaps 2 can fit under hood

 

I have a Diehard Platinum 31M AGM battery now and was looking for something similar. Sealed, with no venting.

I'm not opposed to that, but I worry about having to disconnect/reconnect the dual battery system, as well as keeping dirt/mud/water/stuff away when using the bed for hauling crap.

I already have a large 31M installed (see above) leaving me no room for a second battery of any kind without relocating stock engine HW. Really want to avoid doing that.

 

No, mounting that battery in the cab is a bad idea. AGM and gel batteries are valve regulated but they produce hydrogen gas just like flooded batteries. Difference is that under normal conditions the AGM/gel VLRAs recombine the gas. But if they overcharge, charge too quickly, or develop a fault the gas builds quicker than it can be recombined and the valve vents the gas pressure to the atmosphere.

 

Many vehicles have batteries inside the cabin, corvette for example has it's battery stashed behind the drivers seat. Instead of having the battery inside the cabin you could use the ATO dual battery tray http://www.armortechoffroad.com/2005-Tacoma-Dual-Battery-Tray_p_2.html or a similar set up. You could also find space on the passenger side of the engine compartment between the intake tube and the ABS block as well. I'm sure there are plenty of other spots to hide a second battery as well, and a gel battery can be put in to any position to accomplish having it out of site.

 

You've gotten my curiosity up with why you need a second battery when you already have a G31 and have no winch, Off Road lights, etc. Why do you feel the need to add that much more weight?

G31's are available with a "nipple" in the case vent to allow for mounting inside cab with an external vent hose attached. Mounting 3 or 4 group 31s under the passenger seat is a fairly common option on commercial trucks, and thus the external venting capability.

As far as mounting, have you considered removing the plastic panel behind the rear seat (probably the driver's side would be best) and measuring to see if you could mount one there?

 

Ugh, that does sound like a problem.

I have a winch, its not mounted yet as I'm deciding on a front bumper. I also have an ARB fridge I'll need to run for extended camping trips. I have one LED bar and will add another once the bumper is installed.

I didn't think about removing the plastic "storage shelf" behind the rear seats to make more space. I'll take a look.

Do you know where the nipple is typically located on the 31M batteries? I can't seem to find it, although I have not pulled it from the engine bay.

 

AGM and gel cell batteries are listed as safe to install in the interior of a vehicle. They are only of any form of potential danger if overcharged at excessive voltages, or exposed to extreme heat. I have had several customers over the years install them in different interior locations with no ill effect. That being said I still prefer my batteries on the outside, but in some applications that just isn't possible.

 

There are much better places to put batteries than inside of the passengers compartment. If it is factory done you can bet that it's well vented can you just hear the lawyers now with just one battery explosion. If it is a lead acid battery they also off gas corrosives along with hydrogen gas.

 

I have placed 3 optima batteries under the hood with no real problems other than having to get fancy installing the snorkel. 2 batteries are where the stock battery was and the other is between the washer fluid and the master cylinder. 2 are yellow tops for auxiliary equipment and the other is a red for the main which powers only the truck and the security system everything else runs on the other 2.

 

Damn, that's a good gadget there! This caught my eye at Bass Pro a few weeks back, but the above I think is a better / more versatile option: http://www.basspro.com/Coleman-6Watt-Solar-Battery-Trickle-Charger/product/1402121517/

 

This might be better than the Clore and Coleman. http://antigravitybatteries.com/microstart/ Read some of the reviews before dismissing it because of size

 

Those microstarts are pretty cool. Read some good reviews and its defiantly on my "to buy" list.

 

Gotcha. That fridge is going to be the biggest overall load on a battery as it will be drawing power when the engine is off, obviously. The other loads would be fine used reasonably with a 130A alternator keeping your existing G31. Probably nothing you didn't know already, right?

The vent nipple I refer to is not present on most G31 batteries, but some are available with the external venting nipple. If you can't see it on yours, it probably isn't equipped. Its usually at the top edge facing outward between the 3rd and 4th cell, or thereabouts. As said, with the AGM, you'd be OK for internal mounting anyway if you choose and find it fits the space. I'd be looking to contain it in a case if you do mount it internally.

 

Remember, the op is not looking simply for a second battery for jump starting, but for a deep cycle battery that will be capable of handling the extreme loads of a winch, as well as high powered audio amplifier. Jump boxes are great and all, but they won't help with winching a truck out.

 

True deep cycle batteries would actually be a poor choice for winching, as they do not handle high amperage draws well at all, they are built to withstand repeated deep discharge. But, OP already has a G31M (marine, AKA combination starting/deep cycle) with 1150CCa / 205 minutes RC, way more than enough to start a 1GR in any weather and keep a 8-10,000 lb winch powered long past its overheating point. If the winch is operated within its duty cycle, there won't be any issue. Heck, warn's recommendation is minimum 650 CCA for the M8000, though I wouldn't recommend anything that small in parts of the world that experience cold weather.

So, all that said, I'd keep the existing battery, and add a second, isolated deep cycle battery for "truck off" loads like the fridge. I would use 4awg wire with a constant duty 100A magnetic switch to isolate the second battery, with the control side of the mag switch fed from ignition power.

 

I replaced my stock battery with 2 Die Hard Platinums side by side strapped in an ATO tray in the stock location. Tight but it fits. I will try and dig up a picture tomorrow when I am near a computer.

 

Found the picture.