Dual Battery?

[wheelman55]

What battery do you use to run the compressors? I use a BB LiFeP04 for the fridges...not certain if the BB would handle the compressors...

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

i have always ran optima yellow tops

 

[adllewis42]

Yes and no. The issue is that you need to be driving the vehicle at least a couple of hours a day to keep up the charge. If I drove every day, like more than 100 highway miles, I could just plug the fridge into a 12v port without need for a second battery. I go out camping for several days to a week at a time...the second battery works for me, along with a folding solar panel set up.

I have the fridge in the bed, which requires heavier wires due to voltage drop (I ran 8awg). In hotter weather the fridge works harder in the bed than it does in the cab, since the ambient temp in the cab is lower than it is in the bed...at least for me.

There’s more than one solution to this

Thanks for the reply. I totally get what you're saying but, as I said, I ran an ARB fridge in the back of my 4Runner (with a thick fused wire running straight from the battery) for over a year on just the single battery. It would sit in the hot sun all day and still be fine. Some times I'd let it sit for a day and it still never had a problem. All that being said, I'll admit I had a problem when I was on the stock lead-acid battery but then the fridge just turned off when the voltage was too low. With the AGM replacement (simple drop-in) though, I never had a problem. I was presuming that the AGM battery in Raptor could handle a fridge.

I guess well see ...

 

[wheelman55]

Adllewis...of course the Raptor battery can run an ARB. The question is for how long...and only you can tell us that

The original post asks about adding a dual battery, hence the responses.

My needs changed. I happily ran an ARB fridge for two years in a Volvo XC90. When i started staying out for multi days, I moved to a dual battery in a ‘93 F250. Now I stay put for long periods and am running two ARB fridges off one battery. I’ve hooked the second battery to a ZAMP folding panel and it works great.

As a side note...I discovered that even with the ARB shutoff set to medium or low, that the battery voltage got too low for battery health and long life. Meaning that I was sending my battery to an early grave. I was using high end AGM batteries.

So yes, the Raptor battery will work just fine, if the truck get’s run every other day. For longer stays you’ll need another solution. Could be a second battery, could be a solar panel hooked to the starting battery, could be AAA...have fun!

 

[adllewis42]

Adllewis...of course the Raptor battery can run an ARB. The question is for how long...and only you can tell us that

The original post asks about adding a dual battery, hence the responses.

My needs changed. I happily ran an ARB fridge for two years in a Volvo XC90. When i started staying out for multi days, I moved to a dual battery in a ‘93 F250. Now I stay put for long periods and am running two ARB fridges off one battery. I’ve hooked the second battery to a ZAMP folding panel and it works great.

As a side note...I discovered that even with the ARB shutoff set to medium or low, that the battery voltage got too low for battery health and long life. Meaning that I was sending my battery to an early grave. I was using high end AGM batteries.

So yes, the Raptor battery will work just fine, if the truck get’s run every other day. For longer stays you’ll need another solution. Could be a second battery, could be a solar panel hooked to the starting battery, could be AAA...have fun!

Haha all fair points. I think for how I use it, the stock will likely be fine. I daily drive the car and it never sits for long periods of time.

 

[adllewis42]

Haha all fair points. I think for how I use it, the stock will likely be fine. I daily drive the car and it never sits for long periods of time.

Coming way back to this, it looks like the stock battery is not enough to reliably run a Dometic CXF-75DZ. This is one of the big boys though that has two compartments which I've been using both. I've never had an issue but I've noticed now that the truck is sitting more (COVID-19), the fridge has shut itself off a few times due to low voltage. Probably never an issue with a smaller fridge and it was never an issue when I was driving every day but looks like it does eventually drain the stock battery to a low enough voltage to shut off the fridge.

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

Coming way back to this, it looks like the stock battery is not enough to reliably run a Dometic CXF-75DZ. This is one of the big boys though that has two compartments which I've been using both. I've never had an issue but I've noticed now that the truck is sitting more (COVID-19), the fridge has shut itself off a few times due to low voltage. Probably never an issue with a smaller fridge and it was never an issue when I was driving every day but looks like it does eventually drain the stock battery to a low enough voltage to shut off the fridge.

well isnt this his is the case with any battery? its just a matter of how long it takes. you could always go get some 6v golf cart batteries and use them. get a bit more capacity with them. but heavy and big.

 

[adllewis42]

well isnt this his is the case with any battery? its just a matter of how long it takes. you could always go get some 6v golf cart batteries and use them. get a bit more capacity with them. but heavy and big.

Sure - I was just coming back to this thread. When I originally installed the fridge, the stock battery was fine and the fridge never cut off even during the summer months. Now that the car sits for a few days at a time, it's started to shut off every now and then due to low voltage. Still not a major issue and the truck always starts but, just sharing with other people out there.

 

[TRMFAM]

I have a 2020 and was surprised when I went to find a dual battery kit and none was available. I keep checking to see if someone has came up with a bracket. Hopefully in the near future.

I do not want to lose any bed space and run lights and ARB fridge camping and hunting.


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[wheelman55]

There really is no room in the engine compartment. Options are to hang a battery underneath on the frame, put one in the bed, or in the back seat.

Let us know how you work it out.

For me putting the battery in the bed was the best option. As far as kits go, use the Hellroaring SS Isolator.