Front seat & leisure battery

[don simon]

Before I rip out the front seat and measure, I thought I'd ask first and save myself some hassle.
Does anyone know how much space there is under the front seats?
Is there enough room to fit a leisure battery?

 

[perelaar]

what do you mean by a leisure battery? If you put a normal car battery (acid type) you'll end up with the battery venting gas in the cabin...

 

[don simon]

Surely it'll be the same problem level as Mercedes vans that have their batteries in the cabin, no?
or the same lack of problem with the same solution that Mercedes use in the installation.

 

[solarman216]

Before I rip out the front seat and measure, I thought I'd ask first and save myself some hassle.
Does anyone know how much space there is under the front seats?
Is there enough room to fit a leisure battery?

Short answer, no if you want to refit the seat, Rick

 

[don simon]

OK, thanks. It was just a thought. There's bugger all space in the engine bay....

 

[jims-terrano]

The earlier Terranos used to have washer bottle under the os inner wing. The batteries could be fitted where your washer bottle is located.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

It's all I can do to squeeze a fold up pair of binoculars and a soft cool bag with 4 cans of drink under the passenger side, and the multi CD player takes up all the room under the drivers side.

I wonder if you could cut a hole under the rear seats, and weld in a box, so it hangs below the floor for the battery to sit in. Looking at how much space there is under there, it could be workable with out reducing any ground clearance.

 

[don simon]

I wonder if you could cut a hole under the rear seats, and weld in a box, so it hangs below the floor for the battery to sit in. Looking at how much space there is under there, it could be workable with out reducing any ground clearance.

Now there's a thought. :clap

 

[zippy656]

Maybe a lowline battery will fit under the seat?

 

[rustic]

...I wonder if you could cut a hole under the rear seats, and weld in a box, so it hangs below the floor for the battery to sit in. Looking at how much space there is under there, it could be workable with out reducing any ground clearance.

It's how the Land Rover Series IIa was adapted, ie under the front passenger seat, for a second battery, or when using two 6 volt batteries in series, or using a 24 volt system.
The Mini had a similar box that protruded through the floor in the boot.
So dooable.
So do a similar box on the other side for tools, straps etc...
As it's not structural, could it be bonded in, Pop Riveted, or bolted in ?

Re venting batteries in cars, our Picasso battery was under the passenger seat, and that had a vent pipe through the floor similar to leisure batteries.

 

[solarman216]

What is your second battery for? Rick

 

[don simon]

What is your second battery for? Rick

I'm slowly converting the truck into some sort of expedition truck and the leisure battery would be used to power whatever needs power while camping. I'm currently using one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/heavy-duty-jump-starter-700a-100psi-compressor-n26nc?gclid=CLq-6Nuj_cUCFQTHtAodhQcAbA, but am looking at a more permanent solution.

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

Would run it by insurer as members have had issues even fitting one in engine bay on old trucks where space allowed

 

[Sweety]

TBH I would go for a deep cycle dry cell battery if I was to mount one in the cab as you don't get the gas problem plus you can mount them on their sides as there is nothing to leak out:thumbs If you were thinking of making a raised boot floor with slide out draws etc batter could be mounted in the boot just behind the rear seats or by one of the rear wheel arches

 

[solarman216]

TBH I would go for a deep cycle dry cell battery if I was to mount one in the cab as you don't get the gas problem plus you can mount them on their sides as there is nothing to leak out:thumbs If you were thinking of making a raised boot floor with slide out draws etc batter could be mounted in the boot just behind the rear seats or by one of the rear wheel arches

I would of suggested that but a deep cycle gell bat that can take a high charge rate is megga expensive, like 4 times the cost of a flooded lead acid one, so for say 100 amp hours (you only get 80 Ah usable and even that is not recommended for long life) you are looking at around £400, a normal gell battery will die at car type charge rates very quickly, Rick

 

[rustic]

Gel batteries also gas under high charge or discharge currents, and also require ventilation as the combined gas, is very explosive.

The main advantage of Gel, is that they can be stored at any angle, without spillage, but again, can leak if inverted or tilted and then abused.

If the charge circuit charges at high currents, or over voltage, then the Gel cells will gas.