Dual Battery - Under Bonnet/Hood

[Stoogey]

Looking for some advice on a dual battery setup under the bonnet/hood for a Ranger Raptor.

I go camping for a night or two here and there, but just wanted some comfort around using the bed outlets and being able to start the truck whenever I leave camp.

Not interested in having an expensive lithium setup in the tub or behind the seat, etc.

Thanks in advance

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[SolarWinds]

I have not seen an option with the 3.0 to mount it in the hood area. There are some options to mount one between the rear wheel well and tail light (I've seen some videos of Aussies doing this, at least), but it looks a bit sketchy to me.

I'm also interested in this for similar reasons. Mostly I'd want to power a fridge for an extended period of time, nothing crazy. The best solution I've found is a slim battery behind the rear seat, but as you mention, it's not cheap https://www.renogy.com/rego-12-8v-1...ptions":[{"optionId":"2859","value":"2543"}]}

 

[MidnightSpecial]

I would honestly just grab a jackery or anker power unit if you dont want it in the tub or behind the seat. Way cheaper and far more versatile.

 

[Stoogey]

Thanks for the replies, more that I want to utilise the PowerPoints in the bed already is all. I’ll keep hunting and let you know if I find anything.

 

[fordgt]

Thanks for the replies, more that I want to utilise the PowerPoints in the bed already is all. I’ll keep hunting and let you know if I find anything.

The key has to be on to use those, no? I left my key on and it went in to battery saver mode after about 30 minutes. It would not start, I had to shut it off and wait about 15 minutes.

 

[SolarWinds]

The key has to be on to use those, no? I left my key on and it went in to battery saver mode after about 30 minutes. It would not start, I had to shut it off and wait about 15 minutes.

I was going to just install a new 12v connection in the bed that goes to the auxiliary battery rather than the onboard battery. That way the truck can be off entirely and it just keeps running. No risk of draining the primary

 

[fordgt]

I was going to just install a new 12v connection in the bed that goes to the auxiliary battery rather than the onboard battery. That way the truck can be off entirely and it just keeps running. No risk of draining the primary

I think then you have to get involved with isolators and switches so that you can recharge it. I put a system in my 74 Pantera using a deep cycle sealed unit from an auto stereo store. The battery was $225 in the late 90’s but it was small 10x10x10 maybe. It had an automatic switch that allowed for recharging from the alternator and an isolation switch to run everything hooked up to it.

 

[Halbarad]

The key has to be on to use those, no? I left my key on and it went in to battery saver mode after about 30 minutes. It would not start, I had to shut it off and wait about 15 minutes.

Seems like there is a FORScan setting to disable the battery saver (Powerpoint Timeout Configuration). not sure I'd want to, but an option...

 

[SolarWinds]

I think then you have to get involved with isolators and switches so that you can recharge it. I put a system in my 74 Pantera using a deep cycle sealed unit from an auto stereo store. The battery was $225 in the late 90’s but it was small 10x10x10 maybe. It had an automatic switch that allowed for recharging from the alternator and an isolation switch to run everything hooked up to it.

Yeah, I would pair any auxiliary battery with a Redarc or Victron system.

One bonus at least with Redarc is that you can use your secondary battery to recharge your starter battery if it dies

 

[fordgt]

Haha, great be stuck out in the woods with 2 dead batteries.

But this just popped up in my email feed. Be great if you could incorporate one of these somehow.

 

[SurfRanger]

I second the simple option of just getting a jackery or eco flow battery. seems like it would be a fit for what you are looking for and you can just leave it plugged into the bed power 12v or AC with the power adapter that comes with it. that way its charging while you drive around and you can think of it as just being an extension cord for your outlets. as an added point that many have mentioned in other threads and ive experienced first hand, the AC power from the truck is not a very ideal waveform. some/many electronics dont work well with it whereas this is the main selling point on these portable batteries, bunch of ports and easy to use. I have had an eco flow for a couple years now and it's been great but I also have an auxiliary "house" battery setup in my RR today. pros and cons to both.

 

[fordgt]

Curious where you could mount a second battery under the hood? It seems like maybe you could fit a small one under the washer refill. If you don’t have bedside steps, there is space (maybe) behind the rear wheel up on the frame.

 

[Stoogey]

The key has to be on to use those, no? I left my key on and it went in to battery saver mode after about 30 minutes. It would not start, I had to shut it off and wait about 15 minutes.

You can use Forscan to adjust the timeout, I’ve set the PowerPoints to run for 4 hours after the ignition gets switched off.

So would be ideal to have another battery to keep the juice going.

 

[ozraptor]

To my knowledge, the Raptor doesn't support a second battery in the engine bay (regular rangers do behind the airbox since it's smaller). Most solutions I've seen for this are slimline lithium behind the rear seat or in the tub.

I went the Ecoflow route in the tub with their alternator charger. You can reverse charge the starter battery that way if needed, and while driving the Ecoflow charges much faster than you can get from the standard 12v sockets. (If you go this route, let me know, there's some tips/suggestions that might be useful.)

A cheaper starter battery backup option is probably one of those backup lithium jump starters. I went with a Noco but haven't had to use it yet.

 

[Stoogey]

To my knowledge, the Raptor doesn't support a second battery in the engine bay (regular rangers do behind the airbox since it's smaller). Most solutions I've seen for this are slimline lithium behind the rear seat or in the tub.

I went the Ecoflow route in the tub with their alternator charger. You can reverse charge the starter battery that way if needed, and while driving the Ecoflow charges much faster than you can get from the standard 12v sockets. (If you go this route, let me know, there's some tips/suggestions that might be useful.)

A cheaper starter battery backup option is probably one of those backup lithium jump starters. I went with a Noco but haven't had to use it yet.

Thanks mate, I have one of them Noco batteries, they’re really good!

so with that lithium pack, do you need separate outlets or does it “plug in” to the existing trucks wiring - giving you more juice to use from the existing outlets?

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