Since I can't take my camper to the Simpson I need an auxiliary battery for the kJ to power the fridge, camp lighting, etc. To keep it simple I designed a standalone system (independent of the KJ start battery) which will be charged via my Cetek when power is available every couple of days. It could also be charged via a solar panel and regulator but I didn't want to carry that stuff with me (keeping the wieght down).
I built a battery box to sit in the rear passenger side footwell (as low in the kj as I could get the weight). This space is normally wasted in my camping configuration (with the seats down). Here is the battery box,
the base is the same size as the carpet mat so the mat comes out and it fits in nicely. The saddles are used to tie the box down to the seat frame in the front and back so it's never going anywhere. The black bracket is the holder for a fire extinguisher.
Inside the battery box is my 55amp/hr gel battery (which I picked up second hand (only one year old and hardly used) from a SJC member).
When the rear seat is folded down and the passenger seat in its normal pushed back position the box just clears everything.
The battery is fused in the box, and feeds a rear mounted distribution panel attached to the cargo barrier. I have a double adaptor if required.
The fridge sits just below and to the left of the outlet. During normal daytime running the fridge will be powered by the KJ rear powerpoint on that right side (or by my Jumpstart pack which can be charged by the KJ on the go). At night the auxiliary battery will run the fridge and the camp lighting. I can also recharge my LED worklight from the auxiliary battery if required.
Why not just lay it on its side and stick it on top of my storage unit? I wanted to keep that area free for all the other stuff I am carrying: food box, stove, etc and since I have a roof load I wanted to get the weight down as low as possible to try an offset the centre of gravity shift.
After the Desert Trip the battery will move into the camper (there's a empty dinette seat box ready for it), until the next trip where the camper can't go.
