Adding a 2nd Leisure Battery - Help with purchasing additional cables etc

[ldillon]

Curious here, i want to do the same thing, connect additional battery next to one under the seat, i saw another post saying you should add a fuse like this http://www.motts.org/second leisiure battery.htm. Thoughts?

 

[Hymerbrittany]

I've found this schematic very useful as a guide...a lot of the inside electrics are simply logical. Don't over think or stress with your issues and you will be fine...honestly.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

I've not added a fuse but if this forum tells me I should then I will

Curious here, i want to do the same thing, connect additional battery next to one under the seat, i saw another post saying you should add a fuse like this http://www.motts.org/second leisiure battery.htm. Thoughts?

 

[autorouter]

Personally if the batteries are right next to each other I would not add a fuse to the link wire. You already have a fuse on the main positive output, close to the battery. However I'm sure others on here would disagree. If the batteries were widely separated that's a different matter, a fuse at each end of the link wire is required.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Personally if the batteries are right next to each other I would not add a fuse to the link wire. You already have a fuse on the main positive output, close to the battery. However I'm sure others on here would disagree. If the batteries were widely separated that's a different matter, a fuse at each end of the link wire is required.

Thanks for that, that's this weekends possible job, I have the cable, and did buy an in-line blade fuse holder, but was pondering it's use. My logic was, I cannot recall seeing a fuse in between terminal links on banks of batteries in fork lift trucks ect.
Mike

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[Landy Andy]

The fuse would only protect the wire after the fuse, which in a scenario where the batteries are next to each other is pointless due to the wire being so short. It would be different if the batteries were a greater distance apart.

 

[Trout bum]

There is a table somewhere that tells of length to thickness needed.

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These sell cables and crimping etc

Very expensive

 

[ldillon]

Thought it might be useful to list where i got the parts for this job
battery >> https://www.tayna.co.uk/ (also bought vent hose from these guys, fast delivery. Dont forget to break off air vent plug from terminal cover and put in one side of the battery, air hose goes in the other side.)
cables >> <Broken link removed> (fast service)
T air hose connector >> to connect vent from new battery to existing hose <Broken link removed> (make sure you get the right size!, not the fastest 4-5 days)

(I didn't disconnect the cab battery, and didn't get any seatbelt warning once i reconnected the seatbelt warning cable).

 

[WoldsSunlight]

My efforts over the last 2 days. Identical Varta 95Ah AGM battery to the one already under the driver's seat installed. I thought it might be possible to remove the seat and swivel mechanism together, but it isn't - you have to remove the seat first, then the swivel plate, as the swivel locking mechanism 'capstan' has to be removed using a 20mm or 13/16 socket once the seat is removed. Once this is done, the battery housing is accessible, although you also have to take off the seat plinth side covers (certainly the one nearest the driver's door,) to access the battery breather /vent tube, which appears to be glued into position. I cut this (see photo,) and installed a 'Y' piece to allow both batteries to vent via the same fixed floor vent tube. The +ve connection on the original battery is routed underneath the battery tray, so I had to take out the battery in order to get enough flex/reach on the +ve loom to allow it to reach the 2nd (additional) battery +ve terminal.
After that, it's relatively straightforward to connect up the 2 batteries in parallel. (I disconnected the vehicle battery prior to doing this.) Having reconnected the vehicle battery, nothing worked initially, until I connected 240V mains via the EHU external socket, so presumably(?) there is a relay or similar that resets the 12V leisure circuit once 240V is applied?? Anyway, it all works, the job (so far - I have yet to reinstall the seat, and reconnect the seat belt warning socket) is a little fiddly, but quite easy once you understand the order of doing things.

 

[WoldsSunlight]

Driver's seat finally back in, (I took my time connecting a +ve and -ve lead to the battery terminals, including a 15A inline fuse on the +ve side, to make connecting up a solar panel easier [my next project....]) The photos hopefully show why it is not possible to take the seat and rotating unit out together - the black circled hole is the access hole in the rotation plate to secure the bottom fixed plate to the seat frame. The photo shows the plate rotated by approx. 90 degrees anti-clockwise, which then allows access to the 'capstan' bolt previously mentioned.

The seat belt warning plug reconnection stumped me initially, as the easy access via the battery box is no longer there once you've fitted the 2nd battery! Luckily, there's enough room to feed the plug down the side of the batteries on the inboard side, but it's still quite a contortionist act! If you have a Phd in either escapology or gynaecology, then it's no problem!!

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