How To - Dual Battery Install Setup and Install - Australian Direct Kick Ass - Easy! DIY

[@KickAssProducts]

Thanks for the awesome video mate! Its great to see our products in use and hear our customers thoughts. Take care!

[@TheWandererAUS]

Thanks for the comment folks! Appreciate it! The battery and all accessories are all still going great and constantly recommend you guys to everyone I speak to about camping! Have also picked up your premium lighting bar kit too and WOW! That kit is fantastic too! Love the Aussie Direct stuff! Keep up the good work guys and look forward to continuing to purchase your wicked products!

[@lachlanbrown7042]

Thanks for the video mate. Answered a lot of my questions on this set up.

[@TheWandererAUS]

Not a problem mate. Glad it helped you out! Will be adding more over the coming weeks as the upgrades continue! Thanks for taking the time to comment... very much appreciated :)

[@AlanLarkin5063]

Nice video and thanks for posting. Thinking about getting the same

[@TheWandererAUS]

hey mate! A few years old this clip now, but can still vouch for this setup mate! Am still rocking the exact same setup with that same battery still in that box... going a treat!

[@allanpower8041]

Good video Rob. With regards to the voltage metre, doesn't lithium keep full volts until it's capacity is almost zero unlike AGM where the volts will constantly drop over time with usage?

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day Allan, thanks for the kind words and the question mate.... with Lithium, you are correct... the voltage remains high, and then will just cut out when depleted (if that makes sense), whereas AGM will deplete like a standard battery. A lot of people get caught out by this with Lithium, as the voltage stats stay high, but the actual battery could be nearly flat... whereas AGM, the volage meter is a true indication of how flat your battery actually is! Hope this helps mate. Cheers, Rob 😎

[@geoffgbad1576]

Nice mate, I’m almost ready to get the exact set up for my BT 50 freestyle cab. Reckon I’ll get a solar panel as well for topping up during days off grid. My biggest fear is running the cables from under the bonnet back into the tray. Seems ok now after watching this, thanks 👍

[@TheWandererAUS]

Yeah no worries mate! I too was concerned about the cable from the front to the back, but you will find it's alot easier than you think :) The solar panels are a definite must if you are going to be camped up and stopped for a few days. I run a 160W Panel at the moment, and as long as you get at least 3-4 hours of sun, it will keep the 120AH battery charged up if you are running a fridge and some lights. Glad you enjoyed the clip mate!

[@geoffgbad1576]

The Wanderer no worries, I’m not sure if I should go for the 150w or 200w super thin panel.

[@TheWandererAUS]

General rule of thumb is to go with the highest Wattage panel you can afford. Solar is something where too much is never enough. :) I run a 160W Panel with mine, and as soon as I have the funds, will be going to a 200 or 250W panel.

[@TheWandererAUS]

@Forged -Ez Hey mate, yeah Super Cheap is where I got mine, but Bunnings also sell it :) You will be fine mate, and you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

[@allanedmondson7111]

Hey mate, Is there an ignition wire that needs to be wired up to turn on the battery charger when you turn on the car?

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day Allan, thanks for the question mate. Yeah if you are wanting to hook the ignition wire up, the easiest way will be to tap off the positive wire behind the cig socket in the tub. I didn't bother wiring it in, as I only drive for a day or 2 before I am camped up and running solar and I don't keep the battery in the tub full time, so didn't bother. If you have a smart alternator, and are wanting to keep in permanently installed or are doing long consecutive days of driving, then definitely put in the ignition wire 👍 it's super easy to do, just unscrew the cig socket in the tub and use a wire tap to connect the positive to the ignition wire 😊 thanks again for taking the time to comment mate... appreciate it. Hope it helped 🙂 cheers, Rob

[@themachine9999]

Hey Allan don’t do that tap the ignition wire in to fuse 28 engine bay you will need a fuse tap with 10 amp fuse

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day Hawkeye... That is a great tip, and shortly after putting this together, I was informed of that fuse under the bonnet 👍 and yes... Always with a fuse! Thanks mate 😊

[@tristaneast8625]

So you didn't put an extra battery under the bonnet, you put it your tray?

[@TheWandererAUS]

Hi mate! Yeah that's right... Ranger engine bays are jammed packed as it is... so there was no room for me to fit it in there if I tried 😂 I also do prefer the ability to take it out easily if I need too... doesn't happen often, but does happen. The battery is still going strong today and has no issues powering the fridge and lights etc. A great bit of kit! 👍 Thanks for the question mate... hope the vid helped you out!

[@tristaneast8625]

@TheWandererAUS hi. Thanks I've got a hilux. Was looking at under bonnet options or a battery box option.

[@chrisminas9097]

Hi Mate, I went to ford and asked to disable the smart alternator and Ford suggested that if I do that it will play with the sensors and vehicle won’t run as supposed to. I ran a blue wire from the positive from the tub socket with a 10amp fuse hidden in the back of the socket with an Anderson single power pole connection and drilled a whole next to it , very easy to do so every time I plug the kit in the car I plug the blue wire as well from the box. Just letting you know to check with Ford and Warranty prior to you disabling the smart system on alternator.

[@TheWandererAUS]

Hi Chris! That's a great bit of info about the smart alternator. I have been hesitant about doing that, and that seems to confirm my hesitation was warranted. Thank you for passing on that information. Running the blue ignition wire to the 12v socket in the tub is also the option I will go with. Was the 10amp fuse for the socket or did you install one inline? So glad you got it up and running mate! Will follow suit :)

[@chrisminas9097]

@@TheWandererAUS Hi Mate, I run a 10amp inline fuse on the blue wire just when it meets the positive wire that the original socket uses and piggy backed with a scotch lock , then packed it all away behind the socket so as if it wasn't their. So the fuse is completely separate that the socket uses. Know every time the car starts and stops or increases or decreases in voltage the blue wire does its job as suppose to. Again many thanks for the video as I couldn't do without it …..

[@78wikk]

Hey mate, great vid. Does this setup come as a complete package? Been on the kick ass website, but can't seem to find it?

[@jackharman9675]

Hey Mate, what size is wired in between your main battery and 2nd battery? Cheers

[@TheWandererAUS]

Thanks for the question mate, the positive and negative cable run from the main starter battery through to the second battery, there is a 50amp fuse coming off the positive that you can just see the underside of in the clip. 🙂 Hope that answers your question? Cheers, Rob

[@TheWandererAUS]

Apologies, it's an 80amp fuse... With twin core 8B&S cabling

[@kman6482]

Hi,did you fit any cable protection at the starter battery side?

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day Kevin, there is the fuse at the starter battery end that is already in place in the wiring. It's hard to see in the clip as I tucked it away facing down, but it is there, and is included in the pack when you buy it 👍 the split tubing protection I had to purchase from Supercheap, but that isn't essential, I just like all my wiring to have some sort of layered protection 😊 hope this helps mate 👍 Rob.

[@kman6482]

@@TheWandererAUS Thanks for that, I just watched another duel battery install(kickass) and did notice one so thanks anyhow.

[@TheWandererAUS]

@@kman6482 no worries at all mate 👍 hope it helped 🙂

[@bazradventures]

Great video mate, this is very helpful as I’m looking to run the same setup in a camping trailer. How is the kit going now after a few months? Also is the 240v charger still going ok despite the heat production

[@TheWandererAUS]

Thanks for the comment mate, greatly appreciated! - Yeah the 240v Charger is going great guns! Highly recommend! Whenever I am not camping, the battery is on the 240v Charger 24 hours a day, and goes into 'Maintain Mode' after 10 days straight on the charger, which just trickle charges small amounts to keep the battery in top condition. Can't fault it mate, and am glad I payed the little bit extra and got it.

[@jmginthent651]

I have Installed this system in my Pajaro and it works great. However, if I have the override switched to off, which is what is recommended, then my console fridge does not stay on if the car is not on. I had thought that the fridge would stay on and charge off the auxiliary battery. But this is not what happens. What have I got wrong

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day mate! Thanks for tuning in, and the question too mate! Hmm... interesting. I'm wondering if the override switch is actually turning off the feed to the console fridge as well somehow. Is the console fridge coming directly from the auxiliary battery? Also, does the console fridge have a safe battery setting where it will turn itself off if it notices the battery it is running off drops below a certain voltage level. It may need to be adjusted... let me know how you go mate! Cheers, Rob

[@chrisminas9097]

Hi Mate , I have the same car and ordered the same setup , but I was told to also connect the blue wire if the battery is to get a full charge because of the smart alternator , what did you do with the blue wire from the dcdc charger.

[@TheWandererAUS]

Thanks for the question mate! You are correct about the blue wire. It is for the Ignition switch on the car. You are correct about the smart alternator. I haven't connected the blue wire in my setup as I plan to have Ford disable the "smart" element of the alternator. The smart alternator doesn't provide enough voltage (above 13.8) to keep charging the second battery and you will notice over a short drive, that the DCDC Charger will stop charging, but the Alternator light will stay on. You can connect the blue wire to the ignition source and this should fix the problem, however as I mentioned, at the next service I am just going to get Ford to disable the "smart" feature. I tend to camp in places for several days at a time, so run solar panels when camp is setup, therefore I don't mind if the battery drops a little whilst I am driving and it is running my fridge as I know the solar will charge me back up, until I get the function turned off by Ford. Hope this helps mate! Glad to hear from a fellow Supercab driver! Rob

[@chrisminas9097]

The Wanderer Thank you for replying , I will run a 2nd lead next to the Anderson coming off the battery and every time I plug the battery box I will plug the blue wire with a single Anderson power pole , that should fix it all up until I too go to ford to disable.

[@TheWandererAUS]

@@chrisminas9097 not a problem. If you have a fused 12V ignition source nearby where you have your battery, you can connect it to that. Another reason I didn't tap into the 12v positive line of the cig socket in the tub for that ignition wire, is, as I mentioned in the video, I take my battery setup out of the tray when I am not camping. If yours is living in its installed position the whole time, you could potentially do this. Would save you running a line all the way back potentially...

[@chrisminas9097]

@@TheWandererAUS Even if you want to take the box out and use next to fridge while camping , I guess all you have to do is disconnect the blue cable ( Anderson single pole hanging off battery Box ) the same way you would disconnect the Anderson plug from the battery that's charging the box when hooked up , again thank you for your response. Chris

[@paulscott6854]

Cheers mate good video!

[@TheWandererAUS]

Thanks for the comment mate and positive feedback! Greatly appreciated!

[@michaelpetruccelli9494]

Hey mate does the single Anderson plug work with the dcdc charger? I’m about to buy a battery box but I’m confused between the two

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day Michael, thanks for the question mate! The DCDC charger is wired into the battery box already for you 👍 there are 2 Anderson inputs labelled on the top of the box, one for the alternator connection via Anderson and the other for unregulated solar panels via an Anderson connection. The box is great and makes it super easy 😎 Cheers mate, Rob

[@michaelpetruccelli9494]

@@TheWandererAUS thanks for the quick reply mate. So I don’t need the triple Anderson plug ? because I orderd the normal one and the videos on the website say to plug in the triple Anderson into the battery box

[@TheWandererAUS]

No dramas mate. If you bought the model with the triple Anderson connector on the dc DC charger, than yeah, grab the triple Anderson. The model I have was before they released that version. I quite like the look for eh triple one

[@esp5434]

Can somebody for the life of me please answer one question not even kickass can answer for me on their DC charger and that is how do you tell when the charger has disconnected the start battery from the auxiliary??

[@TheWandererAUS]

G'day mate! Thanks for the question... yeah some info can be harder to find than others on this topic. - If you mean how to tell when the start battery has started charging from the alternator... about 120 seconds after you start your car, the DCDC charger will go solid on the Alternator light... meaning that charge is coming from your battery. If you have a smart alternator installed, you will need to connect the ancillary cable to a constant 12v source (eg: positive line of a cig socket port), if you don't do this, and you have a smart alternator, the battery will stop charging once the car battery drops below around 13.3v (i think it is), which does happen after driving for some time. If you mean, how to tell when you have turned off your car, that the battery is no longer charging your battery, the Alternator light on the DCDC charger will just blink as it see's it connected, although not pulling charge (if that makes sense). if you are stopping and plugging in solar, once your DCDC sees the solar input is higher than the car battery input, it will automatically move to that solar input for charging, and again, after about 120 seconds, the solar light will go solid. Hope this helps and is what answer you were chasing mate?? Rob.

[@esp5434]

@@TheWandererAUS hi mate thanks for your reply but kindo if no. My question to kick ass was how do I know when the dc-dc charger has disconnected the start battery from the auxiliary and they told me that all the lights on the DC charger would go out the problem is after the car has been sitting for even 6 to 8 hours not all the lights Go out, the AGM light stays on and the CHARGING light blinks On and Off battery then another person told me not to worry about the charging light blinking that it won't hurt and that would be just residual charge but I'm not convinced. So I wanted to ask other people who have a kickass DC charger what theirs display after the car has been off for a long time.

[@TheWandererAUS]

@@esp5434 Hey mate, yeah, the blinking light shouldn't cause a problem with the car off. Another option could be to put a isolator switch in the line between your car battery and your agm battery... I know it seems like you shouldn't have to with the DCDC charger... and you shouldn't have to... but if you want complete assurance that it won't drain your car battery, the isolator is the best option mate, a switch you physically turn on an off yourself... could be an option if you want proper assurance?

[@esp5434]

@@TheWandererAUS ok thanks

[@camtwo1466]

I see all you guys give the proper way to organize the battery bank but the truth is you guys need to put solar panel diodes or battery isolators between each battery because even 1 weak cell and the balance of the system gets thrown off,,,Its expensive but the only way to properly recharge and not overcook r/v batteries or inverters as when you turn an inverter off its supposed to stop reverse voltage flow but after the vehicle is jumpstarted wrong the diode fails and should be used as a redundancy not a defense......... First thing to know is ABOUT FLYBACK!!!..Its more deadly than you realize for electronics and solis state devices....Recall city here we come......!!!!!!!!!!!! Flyback has an effect on switch panels too look up switchpanel diodes they sell at Jegs. You must totally protect the whole RV from Flyback...Look it up..You heard it first from The Godfather to Understanding Flyback & The Way It Afflicts Vehicles..Take care

[@canklemedkits3772]

Why cant you Aussies just talk about and show the install? EVERY single video on this product is from Australia and EVERY video goes on and on about things not related to the product. “And heyah is my roll bar and this is a brake like heyah and oh, I making another video about my window right heyah. This is my blah, blah, blah.” You aussies don’t know how to youtube.