Second Battery Installed in LR4

[Expat93]

Sorry to jack the thread, but I notice you list a sump protector and air compressor guard. Where did you get these and do you have pics? Also, how are those 275s working out for you? I pulled mine off because of the excessive rubbing.

 

[aesopian]

I've been happy with both and the best part is less worry. I have felt the sump protector scrape once over dirt. I haven't gone over anything to affect the compressor protection since it was installed. Everything was purchased and installed through Flatirons Land Rover in Colorado. I don't recall the price, but I recall not experiencing sticker shock.

The photos are not the best, but it gives you an idea of how everything looks. The compressor protector sits below the sliders about 2 inches. A little ground clearance is lost, but it is fine.

I popped open the hood this weekend and eye balled where the Traxide would sit and tried envisioning how everything would look. Decisions, decisions on what to purchase next.

 

[ndrenfro]

Joe,
Did you ever work on installing some inverters? I've seen some pretty sweet setups in other trucks. Now I'm thinking about connecting an aux fuse block to my second battery and mounting the fuse block under the dash inside to run some accessories hardwired to it. Also thinking of adding a small inverter to it. Just wanted to see if you had any new ideas about your inverter plans?

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Nathan,

BLUF: no. This is partially due to my own ineptitude, but largely out of finances. My idea of installing the second battery is tied to several other accessories I want to wire into that battery (as an old fashioned “uncomputerized” second circuit), and when one adds up the cost of the battery, TRAXIDE kit, accessory lighting, power inverter and…. I just haven’t “gotten around to it.” So…now I feel pretty low. The TRAXIDE kit is slowly working its way up my list, however.

I have done a lot of homework in the meantime however, but more on lighting and some electrical versus the inverter. Which fuse block are you referring to…the one in the glove compartment or on the driver’s side? I haven’t figured out how to hard wire into the factory fuse blocks in order to use the existing vehicle infrastructure for other accessories (if that is even a possibility).

Currently, my plans are to use a radio shack accessory box and mount it in the engine compartment (next to the ground cabling, passenger side) and put the accessory relays, fuse panel, and wiring in that. That keeps the fuses and the relays out front near the accessories (in this case lights, I am partial to the Light Force Genesis HIDs to mount directly onto the plastic not-so “protection bar”) and prevents me from running more junk into the cockpit and drilling or stuffing more cabling through the firewall grommets.

My plans for the Power inverter were to place the inverter into the passenger compartment (so forget what I just said about not running anything through the firewall!) and hard wire a plug into the passenger side kick plate or even glove box. Some disassembly and then reassembly will be required. If I felt really frisky, then I could hard wire another plug all the way to the back so one could plug in the passenger side or in the back. I planned on using the area in the back where all the plumbing for the air shocks is located to mount the various gear (another fuse panel in a radio shack accessory box with (potentially) another relay for an accessory light to be mounted on the roof rack, backwards); Land Rover Genuine Parts Work lamp, see http://www.expeditionexchange.com/cart/search.php?mode=search&page=1 .

One question since we are talking about inverters: any input from your research? Right now, I am partial to the PROwatt 1750 for $500 available at www.OKOFFROAD.com (see electrical section). If I hard wire and mount something in the LR4…I want to make sure I am not going to have any other problems with it so I am looking for a quality product.

So-a lot of talk…and no action. Thoughts from anyone? What are some ideas you have seen from "other sweet setups in other trucks?" I haven't seen anything in LR4's. But, of course, mine is the only LR4 in this country...

In good news, I did recently get my ARB off-road tire fix-it kit, High Lift Handle-All, and black plastic Hi-Lift “Jack-Guard” (which I will mount to my roof rack as one of the last additions to my roof rack).

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

 

[ndrenfro]

Joe,
Thanks for your answer and some of the research you have done on this. You're right, i haven't been able to find an LR4 with this kind of work done to it, so i am hoping that my plans are doable.

Here are my plans. I already have the traxide dual battery kit installed. It works great and gives me two additional 12V plugs in the rear to power fridge, etc.

Now i would like to add a fuse block, this one, http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=11684 , to the interior of the LR4, under the driver footwell somewhere, to power interior accessories - GPS, CB radio, radar detector, and a small inverter.

I got the idea for this from this post, http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37333-Blue-Sea-aux-fuse-block-install . Except i plan on placing the fuse block inside the cab. If i needed to add another block under the hood to power lights, etc, i could add that later, but the interior one is what i need now.

Because the fuse block is limited to 30Amp fuses, I would basically be limited to a 300W inverter, which would cover my needs - phone charger, laptops, iPad. So i would connect the inverter to the fuse block instead of directly to the battery. Then I would probably take apart the inverter as you mentioned and hook up one plug in the front and one for the second row passengers. I am looking at this inverter (I know its 400W but i would limit it to 300W), https://www.cobra.com/detail/cpi-480-400-watt-power-inverter.cfm

I would connect a 100Amp fuse between the battery and the fuse block and use 8 AWG wiring.

So this is the plan. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get the wires through the firewall. The traxide wires took up one grommet and last night I think i found another one that might work, its just a really tight area to work in.

So i am still looking but this seems like the best plan for me so far...

 

[drivesafe]

Hi ndrenfro, I’ll keep this short and excuse my abruptness as I am flat-out at the moment.

8B&S cable is too thin for an inverter of 400w and the 100 amp fuse is too big for 8B&S cable.

A better and safer set up would be 6B&S with a 50 to around 75 amp fuse.

Hi Joe and why the high capacity inverter?

That sort of current load is a battery killer and is best only used when there is a bank of batteries, like 3 or 4 unless you are happy to replace batteries on a regular basis.

Cheers and again sorry for the blunt reply.

 

[ndrenfro]

Thanks for the info drivesafe. Safety is my top concern so i want to be sure i do this right.

I was originally planning to use 4AWG from the second battery to the fuse block with the 100Amp fuse, but I'm not sure i can get the 4AWG cables to fit through the firewall.

If i ditched the inverter, and just used the fuse block to power light accessories - GPS, CB, radar - what wiring and fuse would you suggest?

You've been very helpful with my traxide kit and other random questions I've had and i greatly appreciate it.

 

[drivesafe]

Hi again ndrenfro, and if you take the inverter out of the equation, then you can use the easily use the 8B&S.

In your last post, the 8B&S size was not a safety issue, it’s size would just cause a large voltage drop if you were to use the inverter with any decent output load.

On the other hand, the 100 amp fuse was a safety issue. If you use 8B&S a 40 amp fuse is still as big as you should go as it would be highly unlikely that you would pull that sort of current in normal use, without the inverter.

Even if you are planning to have a number of outlets connected to the 8B&S, like in my kit, it is still unlikely that you would be using them all, at maximum power, at the same time.

Cheers.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Nathan,

Again-hats off to you and Drivesafe for my favorite thread. Still going…

As I indicated in one of my previous recent postings-I am not worried about electrical at the moment…but underbody protection (and then bumper protection). Electrical is still on the list. In the meantime, a lot of time spent cleaning up the LR4 wiring to include cleaning sensors, adding a lot of additional split loom protection (particularly underbody), etc.

That said, if I were to get the heavy front bumper, before getting a winch I will definitely install accessory lighting. Very needed where I am at, and with my window tinting and number of people-animals-things which go bump in the night, this is a safety issue. The accessory lighting power supply is the second “old fashioned” circuit I was going to start hard-wiring into where I wanted to use the accessory battery.

Drivesafe,

No worries about the blunt reply: it is a simple question.

I chose the high-capacity inverter because I didn’t want to blow an inverter if I had a high load, even for a short duration. I do not intend on using a heavy-load device, but I wanted to capability in the event I would need it. True: a battery killer. I am not running with a trailer, so I don’t have a bank of batteries to power from (that would be the obvious choice, I believe: wire and install everything in the trailer and don’t mess with it in the very limited space of the truck). Recommendations?

I am still toying with a lot of different wiring ideas. Whenever I do make the move, however, I will let you know. I will buy the TRAXIDE kit and drop you a note with my ideas and which install you recommend. I will probably buy all the switches, additional wiring and such through you to keep my acquisition simple (but when did the Australian dollar start doing so well!?!?!)

One question regarding switches: are there any power switches you would recommend I could wire into the cabin? I want to keep the layout as clean as possible and in-line with the LR4 styling (sort of automated minimalism). Thus-I don’t want huge switch panels poking out everywhere with Christmas tree colored lighting. I have looked at the OEM Disco 1 and 2 accessory switches, but fitting them would be interesting-I do have one idea for this. Many thanks-

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

 

[drivesafe]

One question regarding switches: are there any power switches you would recommend I could wire into the cabin? I want to keep the layout as clean as possible and in-line with the LR4 styling (sort of automated minimalism). Thus-I don’t want huge switch panels poking out everywhere with Christmas tree colored lighting. I have looked at the OEM Disco 1 and 2 accessory switches, but fitting them would be interesting-I do have one idea for this. Many thanks-

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

Hi nathan, and the easiest way to keep the appearance with out the need of large capacity switches is to use the switches to control relays.

There is a whole host of advantages to setting up this way.

First off, you only need light ( read thin ) wiring to connect the switches between power and the relays. You need less than 200ma ( 0.2 amps ) via a switch to power up to an 80 amp spade terminal type relay.

This allows you to use any switch available, and there are many wiring advantages as well.