Ideas on how to Mount Dual Batteries in a 4runner

[GRM]

Let me start out by saying that I perfer the battery to be mounted under the hood.

I currently run very large trolling motor batteries from Wal Mart in my '85 4runner. I have been wanting to do a dual battery setup in my truck for some time now, but I have no idea where I could put another battery.

My top ideas thus far:

1)Drivers side inner fender well.

Downsides:
•Need to relocate the factory air box. I do not want a different air filter setup due to ease, and cost of replacment air filters. This is harder than finding a place to mount the battery

2)Drivers side rear fender, behind the interrior panel.

Downsides:

•Does not completely fit behind the panel
•Hydrogen discharge to inside the vehicle

Does anyone have any other ideas on how and where to mount dual batteries?

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Under?

Depending on what kind of stuff you get up front, you could modify (cut and box something in) the front pass inner fender....

 

[KLF]

Hydrogen discharge to inside the vehicle

This isn't a problem with the Optima batteries.

 

[fourwd1]

Put both batteries underneath where the spare tire used to be.

 

[GRM]

This isn't a problem with the Optima batteries.

If I could get an optima battery to last me more than 6 months, it would be an option. I have been through 7 in 4 different vehicles, and am not doing that again. So due to poor experiences, I am keeping with my wal-mart battery.

I am kind of liking that box under the truck idea. My worry is that I want to put a large storage box under the floor, and thus, the battery would be in the truck again.

 

[89BlueToy]

I've been thinking about this for awhile aswell and if your engine bay looks anything like mine in an 89 then this might help.

If you relocate the PS resevoir and the thing right next to it(can't remeber what, has to do with ignition) then your stock air box can move back some and you fit a battery where the air box was. Just an thought and my prblem is I can't figure out where to put PS resevior. For fresh air for the airbox was just gonna cut a hole in the inner fender and feed into air box.

 

[beatdown83fj60]

Let me start out by saying that I perfer the battery to be mounted under the hood.

I currently run very large trolling motor batteries from Wal Mart in my '85 4runner. I have been wanting to do a dual battery setup in my truck for some time now, but I have no idea where I could put another battery.

My top ideas thus far:

1)Drivers side inner fender well.

Downsides:
•Need to relocate the factory air box. I do not want a different air filter setup due to ease, and cost of replacment air filters. This is harder than finding a place to mount the battery

2)Drivers side rear fender, behind the interrior panel.

Downsides:

•Does not completely fit behind the panel
•Hydrogen discharge to inside the vehicle

Does anyone have any other ideas on how and where to mount dual batteries?

Why not ditch the factory airbox? You buy a K&N intake once and you are done with it aside from cleaning etc. Very easy to make on your own if you only buy a cone filter and have basic metalworking skills and a welder. The drivers side fender is a perfect place, it already has holes for a battery tray.

 

[GRM]

Why not ditch the factory airbox? You buy a K&N intake once and you are done with it aside from cleaning etc. Very easy to make on your own if you only buy a cone filter and have basic metalworking skills and a welder. The drivers side fender is a perfect place, it already has holes for a battery tray.

I dirty an air filter every 3-6 months. If its an open element, it will dity faster. Plus, I'm lazy, and dont want to take the energy to clean a K+N. Plus, without a CARB#, it isnt smog legal.

 

[CSA]

If I could get an optima battery to last me more than 6 months, it would be an option. I have been through 7 in 4 different vehicles, and am not doing that again. So due to poor experiences, I am keeping with my wal-mart battery.

Word. They don't seem to do well in trucks that are not daily drivers. Red tops in my mini truck and my 62 didn't last and a yellow top in my 62 is on its way out, too. I'm fawking done with Optima.

 

[GRM]

Word. They don't seem to do well in trucks that are not daily drivers. Red tops in my mini truck and my 62 didn't last and a yellow top in my 62 is on its way out, too. I'm fawking done with Optima.

Try the trolling motor batterys from walmart. $65ish each, and I have yet to have an issue with one.

 

[pappy]

What I Did

You didn't say why you need two batterys. My needs were to have a battery isolated from the starting battery to mostly run my Engel fridge. When camping, mostly in Baja I was always concerned about running down my battery in the boonies. It was not installed as a backup to fire the truck.

I have an Optima Red Top and have not had any problems. In fact, because the battery was seven years old I pulled it and installed it, for now, in my FJ40 project. It still works fine and was replaced with another RedTop. For the second battery I picked an Odyssey 925 which has the power I need in a compact package. It's mounted on the passanger-side fender on a homemade mount. I used a RV-type isolater (blue in the pic). You can also see one of two aux fuse blocks. The one pictured is hot all the time and runs the fridge and the 12v sockets on the dash. There is a second block that is switched and runs other non-factory items like the gauges, ARB, Ox sensor heater, etc. It's mounted on the drivers fender in the same place.

I just spent a week in Utah camping and this work flawlessly. The Odyssey never dropped below 11v and that was after not running the truck for a day and a half.

 

[GRM]

I like that setup!

I'll have to see when I get home if I can fit an odyssey there with my long travel shock hoops.