Dual Battery Installation in LR3
- Thread starter jerdog53
- Start date
charactorclub
New member
Hi, I went through the entire thread and there wasn’t anything on actual performance, mainly installation questions/comments. I wanted to follow up and see how the Traxide kit performed? Is it still in operation and would you buy it again? Would using it with the Interstate Megatron and a Deka AGM work? Thanks in advance!
jerdog53
Explorer
I guess I don't understand your question. But let me try. It performs as advertised. It provides power to the second battery once the start battery is topped off. It protects the start battery from being drained and always allows the vehicle to be started.
I replaced the yellow top Optima that failed after two years with an Odyssey AGM battery. Your battery choice should be fine as long as their not deep cycle batteries as those take power differently the non deep cycle.
I know far more about batteries and duel set ups now than when I did this install and would now do it differently with less money spent. This system is very smart and very protective of the circuits and is designed for this vehicle which is extremely helpful for those that do not know.
Doing it over I would wire in a 3 minute electronic timer into a relay that would connect the two batteries. The timer would be wired into the start circuit. Once the engine had been running for three minutes the the relay would connect the two allowing the alternator to charge the house battery.
Oddly enough I went through this system yesterday and fully functioned it and found no faults. My 1600 watt inverter will run my 1500 watt heat gun indefinitely with the engine running. Or for about 4 minutes without.
I replaced the yellow top Optima that failed after two years with an Odyssey AGM battery. Your battery choice should be fine as long as their not deep cycle batteries as those take power differently the non deep cycle.
I know far more about batteries and duel set ups now than when I did this install and would now do it differently with less money spent. This system is very smart and very protective of the circuits and is designed for this vehicle which is extremely helpful for those that do not know.
Doing it over I would wire in a 3 minute electronic timer into a relay that would connect the two batteries. The timer would be wired into the start circuit. Once the engine had been running for three minutes the the relay would connect the two allowing the alternator to charge the house battery.
Oddly enough I went through this system yesterday and fully functioned it and found no faults. My 1600 watt inverter will run my 1500 watt heat gun indefinitely with the engine running. Or for about 4 minutes without.
DiscoNels
Adventurer
I've had my system for 3 1/2 years now and love it. I've called and spoke with Tim at Traxide a couple of times now. That guy knows a ton about batteries and has really helped me with my basic knowledge of these systems. I've got the USI-160 set up with the switch in the cab which allows you to use different features like shared mode and winch mode on demand. Oh, and I LOVE that the Traxide system is plug and play with all the wires pre cut to length and terminated. Yes, one could do it yourself but it takes time to research and procure all of the needed supplies. If you've never done it, the kit is the way to go, if you're a DIY type then buy the proper isolator and have at it.
I recently installed a permanent solar panel on my roof and have it wired in through the back of my LR3 which leads straight to my AUX battery (Yellow Top D34). My power demands are low as I only have a fridge but when it's running for days on end at camp it's nice having the dual battery system to ensure that I will always have enough juice to start up and drive away. With the addition of the solar panel I've installed a Blue Sea fuse box, relay for a flood light, and manual reset circuit breaker. I spent well over 30 hours running wire and terminating wire ends, and drilling holes for the solar controller, adding USB ports, and a couple extra cig lighter plugs.
I'm not sure which isolator you have SC80 or USI-160 but the latter has the switch which allows you to control how the isolator works as it does/can connect both batteries before/at startup. Normally the USI-160 charges the main battery first then once it gets to a stable voltage opens up and begins also charging the AUX battery. I'm sure you already know this and I don't mean to preach to the choir, I just don't understand what your statement really means about adding the 3 minute timer.
To all, there is a plethora of information on the traxide website, and I highly recommend reading the individual pages for the individual isolators.