2nd battery fitment.

[don simon]

I'm pretty sure that I've now decided where the leisure battery is going and looking for a few thought, opinions and approval.
65storage by Simon Carter, en Flickr
Bed is on the left with head at tailgate end. The lower section on the right now houses the fridge and the bottom end of the (butted up to rear seat) is where the current battery/charger sits.
Thought is to run cable under the vehicle along the chassis with a single hole drilled throught the floorpan behind rear seats. Strap the battery down to the floor, house it in a box and have a breather pipe back through the floor.
Thoughts on potential problems.

I've found that the rear seat stays in position whether I use the bed or not. Next stage of the build is likely to see more storage being built over the fridge. Fridge on the right as per photo below, plenty of room to go up.
20170706_084223 by Simon Carter, en Flickr
Cheers.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

If you go over the fridge, how will you open the top?

How are you controlling the condensation from the fridge? Wwe have a Mobicool freezer that looks the same as yours, and I found using it for 3 weeks in Wales, that the mat under the cooler was very wet. Luckily most of it sits on a rubber boot mat, but when I removed the tool box, the water had run down the boot mat, and collected in a puddle at the bottom edge, just behind the seats. Luckily we had silly hot weather, and a day of leaving the windows and boot open soon dried it out, but it was soon back when the cool weather arrived.

 

[don simon]

If you go over the fridge, how will you open the top?

Sliders, it'll pull out.
No condensation issues yet, but I'll consider it and possibly build it into a tray.
I bought it on your recommendation.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Sliders, it'll pull out.
No condensation issues yet, but I'll consider it and possibly build it into a tray.
I bought it on your recommendation.

Ahhh... We are very pleased with ours, we went away for just over 3 weeks, and it was full of frozen ferret food.

While out on the road, it ran from the second battery, and even parked up on a very hot day in Tenby, we got back after 6 hours, and it was still running from the battery, and the temperature had just risen a few degrees from minus 12 to minus 7, even though the car was like opening an oven door. Whenever we were back at the site, I plugged the car into the electric hook up, so the freezer was then running on mains, and the battery charger topped the second battery back up.

As the ferret food ran down, we refilled it with Magnums, so if we were out walking, we could have a nice cold ice cream when we got back to the car... Yum...

A drip tray would be a good idea, you don't want the great woodwork you have done, getting damp and expanding/warping.

 

[zippy656]

Remember, battery needs venting to out side.

Also needs to be in proper battery box.

 

[don simon]

Remember, battery needs venting to out side.

Also needs to be in proper battery box.

It'll be isolated from the interior and vented back through the floorpan.
What constitutes a proper battery box?
This?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2817303528...=1006626&device=c&campaignid=856327663&crdt=0
For this battery.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Xplor...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[zippy656]

It'll be isolated from the interior and vented back through the floorpan.
What constitutes a proper battery box?
This?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2817303528...=1006626&device=c&campaignid=856327663&crdt=0
For this battery.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Xplor...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Yup, I'd be happy with them, as long as it fits, I didn't check sizes

Or you could fit under bonnet in front of air box

 

[don simon]

Yup, I'd be happy with them, as long as it fits, I didn't check sizes

Or you could fit under bonnet in front of air box

Absolutely no chance there. In front of the air box is the washer bottle. If the washer bottle weren't there, the space would be taken by the gubbins for a snorkel.
2015-06-06 20.01.58 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/96036923@N05/

 

[jims-terrano]

What about fitting a different washer bottle in a different location like this one? The air filter housing has been moved on this one but you get the idea.

 

[don simon]

I saw picture that, Jim, and even had a look at the Navara water bottle which sits in the wing. It's still a no, no. At the moment.
I don't think that there will be an problem in installing the battery inside the cab, I think that Mercedes vans have batteries under the passenger seat and gasses are only given off when charging. Space wise, behind the rear passenger seat is a) easy to access and b) the best location given that there will be times I want to use the vehicle as a 4 seater.
It can be bolted to the floorpan, so isn't going to fly anywhere in a hurry.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

I saw picture that, Jim, and even had a look at the Navara water bottle which sits in the wing. It's still a no, no. At the moment.
I don't think that there will be an problem in installing the battery inside the cab, I think that Mercedes vans have batteries under the passenger seat and gasses are only given off when charging. Space wise, behind the rear passenger seat is a) easy to access and b) the best location given that there will be times I want to use the vehicle as a 4 seater.
It can be bolted to the floorpan, so isn't going to fly anywhere in a hurry.

Many vehicles have the battery inside, the dreaded older LR, and of course the Prius has the batteries exactly where you are thinking of putting yours... They use a 1/2" vent pipe.

 

[jims-terrano]

I've just had a look under the bonnet of the 3litre and there still wouldn't be enough room for a battery and to be honest with the air filter in original location there isn't enough room for a washer bottle.

 

[Blocky10]

Citroen Xsara Picasso has the battery under the passenger seat

 

[jims-terrano]

I can beat the lot of you, my mg has two batteries under the back seat :lol

 

[don simon]

And we're in.
2017-10-07_03-29-51 by Simon Carter, en Flickr

2017-10-07_03-30-07 by Simon Carter, en Flickr
A box will be built to house it and mount the switches. It'll be the spot where any other electic will be connected to keep the satrter battery nice and safe.

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Good lad :thumbs

 

[jims-terrano]

Great stuff:thumbs

 

[Banshee]

POWERRRRRRR :clap

 

[kitchenman]

The vent will be full of Hydrogen gas, lighter than air so I would think venting down will not work, a small PC fan should work to pull the gas out
Just a thought

 

[zippy656]

I can beat the lot of you, my mg has two batteries under the back seat :lol

Ah yes, 2 6v total pain to change.. I

My dads mgbgt was the same