Hi guys, Briohny here from Accelerate Auto Electrics and Air Conditioning on the Sunshine Coast. Today I’m going to run you through a 200 series Toyota Landcruiser dual battery set up and accessory install job.

Under the Bonnet:

So, first up is under the bonnet. We’ve removed the two existing smaller starting batteries that come standard with the 200 series. So they’re usually here and here, and instead, we’ve put a bigger starting battery. We’ve used the RACQ lead acid cranking battery.

The reason that we love the RACQ batteries is that they come with a two-year roadside assistance warranty. Then over here, we’ve put in an auxiliary battery or the dual battery system. So, that’s where the second starting battery used to be. Because the battery is under the bonnet we cannot use AGM battery due to heat reasons. So we’ve used the Supercharged MRV70 All-Rounder which is the 105 amp power.

Between the two batteries, we’ve put in a REDARC SBI12 smart battery isolator. That’ll keep the auxiliary battery fully charged and ensure that the new starting battery is isolated. So it won’t be drained when the 12 volt accessories and fridges are running off the auxiliary battery.

On the Dash:

The customer went with a smart battery isolator so that way we could install a jump start, or push button. It’s just basically here on the dash. What that means that if the starting battery runs flat, and it doesn’t have enough power to start the car, we can jump start it off the auxiliary battery. Simply by using this push button under the dash.

The customer tows a caravan, so we’ve installed the REDARC TowPro Elite electronic brake controller. Here is the dash-mounted knob which is nice and tidy and small compared to other brake controllers on the market.

The customer’s caravan already has a camera installed on the rear of it which is great for seeing behind the caravan when you’re reversing into a tight spot. They just need a screen in the car to view the camera output, so we’ve put this rear vision mirror which has got a 4.3 inch LCD screen in it. So, that goes over the top of their existing mirror. So, when it’s plugged into the caravan, the output from the camera on the caravan is displayed instead of the mirror.

We’ve also installed a UHF radio down under here for communication with other vehicles when they’re on the road.

In The Back:

So, in the rear of the car here we’ve put in some sockets to keep all the devices charged. At the top, we’ve got a dual USB socket, so it’s got two USB plugs. We’ve then got a cigarette socket below that, and also an Engel fridge socket. We can set up a combination, whatever sockets you would like in the back, allowing you to keep all your devices charged up. It runs off the auxiliary battery which has been installed under the bonnet. Then we’ve got a little reading here that tells us the voltage of that auxiliary battery so you know when it’s running low.

Then on the back of the car, we have a seven pin large trailer plug with a power feed. This will run the fridge in the caravan while they are driving to ensure everything stays nice and cold. The power feed has a heavy duty six millimetre cable linking it from the auxiliary battery. There’s also an Anderson plug, and this will charge the batteries in the caravan while driving. So, when they arrive at the campsite, they’re fully charged up to run all the 12 volt accessories and lights in the caravan. They’ve also got their camera cable here which just hooks up to the back of the caravan so they can see behind it.

There are many ways we can set up 4WDs and caravans for dual batteries and towing solutions. We customise each job to the customers and their needs.

If you’d like a quote on getting your 4WD set up for towing or with a dual battery system, give us a call on 1300 227 353, comment below, or email us at info@amae.net.au.