Hi all,

First, I would like to wish everyone on this great site a prosperous and “engine-heat-free” new year, and add my gratitude and true appreciation to those who have diligently been managing, maintaining and contributing to this BOK and it’s sister site the ACE Answers. Keep up the good work, we really appreciate it.

After having been stuck, a couple of times, far away from help due to a flat battery, IIRC the same happened to someone else during the last Ace jam :>) and will probably happen to you, I decided to have a second battery installed in my townie. It’s been my humble belief that a high grade equipment vehicle, such as the townace, should have been designed with a dual battery system, to take care of the many extras, the parasitic loads or high power consumption with engine off, which is compounded by the fact of usually being an auto box- is there a push start for an auto?

I am interested to find out whether anyone townie fellow owner, does have a dual battery system, and in what kind of implementation. IIRC, in a previous post (I guess before the BOK was wiped out) David Miller mentioned something about running AC powered tools in the townie. David, would you mind sharing whether you do this from a second battery (and if yes, is it a stand alone or did you implement any type of permanent/parallel connection?)

In short, my townie is a Super Extra 89 2.0 EFI (petrol) with a Cool & Hot box, which I have added a high power stereo (with an external AUX input jack for CDs, DVD, MP3s), a towbar, a stainless steel bulbar, spot lights, a table - a copy of the one ingeniously designed and manufactured by John Davis, check it at http://freespace.virgin.net/steve.ford_elliott/towniepics.htm, (BTW and IMVHO, this is probably the best add-on for a family ambiance in the townie, many thanks John; I am awaiting your posted details, and will get it right or closer to your design which in my view, and that of my family, is simply great!), a modified TV/laptop stand, just behind the center console, and a 300 watt DC/AC inverter (for all the AC gadgets and loads). As you may guess there is a lot of battery drainage, specially when the engine is off, and my kids will always make sure this is the case!).
My first “solution” was to carry a second battery, but this proved quite primitive and unreliable, then, after some research and dummie’s education on batteries, solenoids, relays, diodes, solid state, battery paralleling, isolating methods, etc, etc, I chose to permanently install a second battery (I built a cage, just behind the main battery), plus a battery isolator/combiner box (a product by Hellroaring Technologies <http://www.hellroaring.com>). For simplicity and to avoid fiddling with the wiring, I went for what they call a Basic Backup Battery Setup, i.e., all the loads regardless of engine running or off, are supplied by the main battery, obviously with alternator included in the ecuation (which must be a good deep cycle type, as it is likely to be discharged over and over), while the backup battery (a simple SLI) is always there, fully charged and ready to crank the engine out of trouble, by a simple switch with nothing else required!. I have had this installation for a couple of months, I have ventured into lost places and long journeys (last one being a 10 days/3000 Km trip spanning over South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique) and it never failed me, no matter what I (or my kids) leave ON or playing in the townie.

Most of everything about this subject, is well documented on the net (e.g. www.Google.com search for <battery combiner isolator> or <dual battery system> for a good start), but anyone willing to implement a dual battery system, please email me direct if preferred and I will be glad to share, whatever I have learned, from a layman’s perspective.

Regards,
Manecas
- (#6766) Manecas, 15 Jan 03

My requirement for AC through an inverter is with the engine running, for power tools etc.
You're lucky with the 2.0 petrol engine, it doesn't take as much oomf to turn it over as the diesel. Big difference in power requirements. We'd have trouble getting a small backup battery with enough CCA's to safely turn over a 2C-T in cold weather without damage.
Standard battery in the diesel is like 90Ah.

Sounds like your system is spot-on for your application, tho!

- (#6767) david miller, 15 Jan 03

Quite right, David, for a 2.0L diesel engine the isolator/combiner will have to be rated at almost double that of a petrol engine, and the minimum CCAs of the backup battery have to be the OEM's. This translates into installing a second battery of an equal physical size--as massive as the 90Ah, which is a task on it's own, but can be done for those in real need.

Thanks,
Manecas
- (#6768) Manecas, 15 Jan 03

how about a split charger to charge 2nd bat and run all extra thing off it that way you donr wast and main power from main batt

- (#7179) andy in kent, 11 Feb 03

Why just get a battery booster. (see http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=010310400&r=2058&g=107) Handy things, they have a cig lighter socket for running ancillaries. You can recarge them via your cig lighter when not in use and you driving and if you battery goes falt, They have built in jump leads. The link I gave, they also do one with a compressor built in too to blow up ya tyres and air beds etc. All for less than the price of a decent diesel-spec battery

- (#7180) Dave B, 11 Feb 03

I repair those boosterpacks for a living, and while they are handy, they do take a lot of TLC to keep 100%. They have a small sealed battery (as used in burglar alarms etc) of about 20Ah. Pack a good punch for starting an engine, but if you want to run an inverter or other high drain loads it'll not last very long. Plus they need to be kept charged but not overcharged...

Second full size battery and split charge setup is the best option, though a lot od hassle.

Jim Adgo is working on fitting a second OEM battery box somewhere for this very purpose. Jim...

- (#7181) david miller, 12 Feb 03

yes daves right i am fitting a second battery for camping .. im going to try anf fit it close to the first one , i have decided to use the old split charge method to ensure the alternator does not get too overloaded and i can leave the second battery on all year then... cant tell you all how it works til its tested
jim

- (#7182) j adgo, 12 Feb 03

DM (where's Penfold BTW?), I get the impression you're not over-impresed with them. I must confess I was considering just such a purchase. Recently had the flat-baterry blues and had to invest in a new one. After that I've been looking at them as the principal sounds great, emergency cover with the added bonus of various use, great for the days out etc, now you've burst my bubble I'm not so sure.

- (#7261) Dave B, 14 Feb 03

it's not that i'm unimpressed, just that i see what happens when they're abused. the instructions tend to leave a lot to be desired.
if one was kept in the house, given a trickle charge occasionally, it'd be super. but don't expect a £40 wonder out of argos to happily start a townie...(that clarke is also in argos at £44.99, might save carriage)
using it to zap some life into the duffer for 10mins first is more likely to succeed
the worst thing you can do is keep one in a cold car or even worse on a cold garage floor.
the pros buy a unit at least twice the size of the "domestic" versions so popular, to ensure that it'll start a lumpy diesel.

so choose wisely, grasshopper. the 400a that is quoted on the likes of the hilka unit is a fully charged, warm battery, connected to a load tester. my experience is that you'll get about half that in the real world. remember that the townie's starter is about 120a off load! and 20ah won't run a tv for very long.

hth

- (#7262) david miller, 15 Feb 03

If you are serious about having such a heavy drainage of the electrical system, then I would sugest that you invest in an uprated alternator. Use this to power a proper dual charge system, so the engine and basics run off one, and the goodies run off another.

To see this done properly, I sugest you go visit an audio specialist, they will explain it better, they have beenb doing this sort of thing for years. And trust me, they deal with some SERIOUSLY large loads on the system.

- (#7263) Steve, 15 Feb 03