156 http://www.4X4australia.com.auI
F YOU keep your food and drinks in
an ice box or light your campsite with
a kerosene lantern, then this article is
definitely not for you. However, if your
4x4 is fitted with all manner of mod cons
(whether gimmicky or necessary), then
setting up a complete 12-volt power system
needs careful consideration.
A dual-battery system should be one
of the first must-have items to fit to any
touring 4x4. Sure, there’s the obvious
powering of the fridge, but a second
battery has many more uses. Plus there are
new charging options to consider.
For my Troopy I initiated the project
with a second battery tray from Piranha
Off Road Products that accepts a standard
N70Z-sized battery carcass. It would have
been nice to go larger-capacity, but that’s
all that would fit under the bonnet of
the Cruiser – plus the larger they get the
heavier they become. The tray arrived with
all mounting hardware and instructions,
and it easily fit on the passenger side
directly behind the standard battery (just
in front of the firewall).
I’ve had a good run from Fullriver
AGM batteries before, so decided to stick
with the brand. This time I opted for a
DC Series and a 105-12B model rated at105Ah. It weighs in at a hefty 30.2kg and
incorporates M6-bolt-style terminals.POWER IN
THE strength of the tray and the quality
and longevity of the battery are important
factors, but the big decision was which
charging system to implement. For this,
I chose a recently released Projecta
Intelli-Charge 25A DC/Solar Battery
Charger, which incorporates a ‘solar in’
wire to allow efficient battery charging
from a solar panel.
The charging unit is suitable for ‘smart’,
‘dumb’ and traditional alternators, it
has a 25-amp, three-stage switch mode, a
simultaneous automatic charge system
for solar and alternator, and the ability to
choose the correct charging profile to suit
your chosen battery type (AGM, wet cell,
calcium or gel).
I thought I wouldn’t take advantage of
the auto selecting mode for alternator
and/or solar charging, as I don’t have a
solar panel fitted permanently on the roof,
but it has come in handy as I’ve mounted
an Anderson plug on the bullbar. So the
under-bonnet system doesn’t need to be
touched when I plug or unplug the solar
panel, which is out in the sun while I’mparked in the shade – beauty! The charger
unit incorporates tiny LED lights to
indicate which charging source is being
used, which puts my mind at ease knowing
it’s working as it should.
Other than setting the battery type on
the front panel, there’s nothing else to this
smart charging system – set it and forget it.
While I opted for under-bonnet
mounting (it can take the higher heat), the
unit can be fixed pretty much anywhere
within your 4x4, plus it’s IP67-rated as well
as shock- and vibration-proof. For what it’s
worth, I’ve fabricated a small bracket to
fit the unit between the secondary battery
and the inner mud guard. It’s a tight
squeeze, but I can still preview the lights
on the face if need be.POWER OUT
WITH the power source and power
management taken care of, the next job
was to work out how to expend all that
energy via 12- and 240-volt outlets. Given
the expansive use my Troopy has to take on- charging the kids’ electronic toys on the
run, charging work cameras and computer
gear, and running all manner of 12-volt
gear for testing – I picked through the
Narva catalogue for all I needed, under the
gear
PRODUCT TEST –DUAL BATTERY SYSTEMPOWER TO THE PEOPLE
WORDS AND PHOTOS MARK ALLEN
WE CONVERT A TROOPY INTO A PORTABLE CHARGING STATI
AVAILABLE FROM:
http://www.piranhaoffroad.com.au
http://www.projecta.com.au
http://www.fullriver.com.au
http://www.narva.com.au
WE SAY: A must-have to
power accessories.RATED