Build 1995 80 Series Land Cruiser Build Thread - "Red"

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I then moved onto the dual battery installation and fridge install. This was a big undertaking and took close to two days. I went with size 27 batteries from Batteries Plus. The X2 Power is a dual purpose AGM battery with 90Ah rating. It should be more than enough for my purposes. To be honest the majority of users will never need dual batteries or a fridge. If it wasn't a combination of simple desire, trips to my hunting property, and the trips to the outer banks I wouldn't have a need either. The cost of the batteries alone was $750. Add in the weight and the added complexity of the system and there are negatives to this set up. I'm mentioning this to ensure if you decide to go this route you understand there are compromises.

I picked up the SLEE washer bottle relocation kit, the National Luna dual battery kit, a bunch of 2, 4, 8 & 10 gauge wire and terminal connectors. I also bought the aforementioned batteries and the fridge plug kit from ARB. For a couple of reasons I bought the ARB Zero 47qt fridge. Build quality and operationally it is performing great so far. I'll have a much better report after our November Portsmouth Island trip.

First, I had to rewire the main battery. I used 2 gauge wire from the positive terminal to the starter, and then from the negative to the engine block. I also rewired the ground using 8 gauge wire from the negative terminal to the body. Then, following the instructions with the NL kit I wired the house battery to the main battery. This is done through the provided "intelligent solenoid". I have nothing really to add to the group knowledge that hasn't already been mentioned in other threads. My contribution will simply be pictures that show component placement.

From the house battery I wired 4 gauge to a 80 amp fuse, through the firewall, and into my Blue Sea fuse block inside the center console that I had previously installed. You can see details on that in a previous thread. 4 gauge wire went from this fuse block under the carper and along the passenger side wheel well to a second fuse block installed inside the passenger side cubby in the back. From here I used 10 gauge wire to the ARB plug that the fridge plugs into.

The majority of my time was spent planning out wire runs then measuring out and building the cables. I constantly measured voltage as stages were completed to ensure quality of my terminal connections as well as testing the theory of voltage drop over distance. Using the 4 gauge wire I didn't experience any voltage drop at the rear fuse block.

I'm sure I will remember some things later, or if you have questions please let me know.

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And then finally the fridge itself. Next on our list of things to tackle are installing the compressor (Need cash for Wits End components) and getting the ARB drawer system for the back. I'm just not able to justify the costs of the Goose Gear stuff. If I were but a rich man...

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Here are a couple more photos I found of the transmission and the filter assembly. There is a difference in transmissions so make sure you get the kit that is correct for your transmission. I believe 1995 was the year it changes and it's possible to have a 95 with either one.
Also with regards to the fridge, it has been awesome. I had to pick up an ice cream cake for my daughter. No problem. I set it to 28 degrees F and it stayed frozen perfectly. When I go to the property I can keep drinks and lunches cold without having to worry about ice or it melting. The fridge has been the most obviously useful of the modifications I have made.

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This last weekend I had an event where the fridge was utilized. We went into the fridge several times a day for water etc. It was in the low 90s and the truck was parked in the direct sun with the windows down.

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TimeHouseMain
0​
13.07​
13.07​
13.25​
12.65​
12.87​
17.25​
12.47​
12.87​
24​
12.36​
12.83​
37.5​
12.19​
12.74​
41​
12.13​
12.79​

Attached is the graph and the data utilizing a voltmeter at 6 hour intervals (approximately). After 41 hours I was still another day from the low voltage shutoff on the fridge. As I continue to get data I will post it here.
 
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