Installing AUX Battery into a 2000 Ford Ranger

[medic71]

Hi, Im looking for some advice I have a 2000 Ford Ranger Ext cab with a camper shell. Im looking to install a aux battery to run all my radio's and aux lights. I just dont know if it is possible with this truck and i dont know if a 2nd battery would fit under the hood so im trying to think of were i can put it maybe in the bed of the truck. But with the camper shell on would'nt it fill up with gases fumes. also how would i run cables from the main battery to the rear if i did put one in the back. What i want to be able to do is charge up my 2nd battery and also be able to use that battery to jump start myself if my main battery dies. Also i want to have the ability to have the battery protected from being drained when the ignition is off so if i left a radio on it would shut it off after a couple of minutes. i know it is possible to have the battery cut the power to a device if it sense a drain on the battery because on my Ambulance after about 5 minutes of us shutting the ignition off it cuts the power to the two mobile radios and the Patient dome lights. I just dont know how that is setup to do that are what is used.



Thanks

['Doc]

medic71,
I think you've pretty well covered the 'biggies', now all you have to do is figure out how and where to put all that stuff (which can be a bigger PITA than all the rest).
Where to put that battery. That depends on a couple of things. Wide/narrow bed, any 'side compartments', how much trouble are you willing to go to, and/or throw money at? If it's a wide bed, the typical camper leaves four places that seldom get used, in fornt/back of the wheel wells on each side. Those two places at the rear of the bed usually have some outside means of access, the ones in front -might- have access from inside the camper. Since I'm spending your money, I'd suggest a spray in bed liner to help with protection from fumes. Sealed batteries, battery boxes, and forced venting, especially for anything that has access from inside the camper. (Wouldn't the sealed batteries take care of that? In most cases, probably, but they are your lungs.)
A battery isolator is a very good idea. So is an on-board battery charger with a accessible shore jack (got one'a them on your ambulance? ). Primary wiring for connection to the truck's systems should be huge. How huge? Guess that just depends on how much redundancy you want, take another look at that ambulance, and the longer the run the huger it gets. Secondary wiring doesn't have to be huge, but it ought'a be 'big', if that makes sense. Think one size larger than any house wiring, that'll get you close. (This is all DC, not AC, and that makes more of a difference than you might think.) If whatever you want to power draws lots of current, bigger is always better.
Automatic shut off? Typically built into the newer cars/trucks, not on the 'older' ones. It's basically just a simple timing circuit turning a relay on/off, defaults to off. I can't believe someone doesn't sell one, but no idea where to find them. And while you're at it, one'a them big black master cut off switches (bet you've seen one'a them too).
One good source of information if you happen to have one nearby are camper/trailer sales places. Go 'pick' their brains... or look at thier wiring if they will let you.
- 'Doc

[MECHMAN]

Just bolt it underneat the bed.

We carry AGM (sealed) battteries in various shapes and sizes the will fit perfectly in the bed, underneath the bed, or even behind the seat. There are no fumes or acid to leak out, so they are perfectly safe to mount inside or outside the cab. We have inexpensive brackets ($35) that allow you to bolt them to any flat surface with 4 simple bolts:

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The battery I would reccomend is the D925, and it is on sale for only $139 shipped. You could easily bolt it "hanging" from the underside of the bed, and you would never know it was there. Just run the battery cables from the front battery, down the bottom of the engine compartment and along the frame rails, that way you don't have to worry about getting big cables into the cab or bed. This compact AGM battery will double your current battery capacity, even if you just run it in parralel for now.

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I can help you wire your isolator as well, but you have to be careful how you set that up. Isolators can be very hard on alternators if used incorrectly.
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