Adding a 2nd Leisure Battery - Help with purchasing additional cables etc (5 Viewers)

[Ginger.Tog]

Hi

We have a Hymer Free 600 2020 on a Fiat Ducato 140 PS chassis.

We purchased a second battery "Varta LA95 Professional Dual Purpose 840 095 085 AGM Battery 95Ah" matches the other - The battery will be here on Friday but this coming Saturday I would like to fit it!

Could someone point me in the right direction of what additional cables, connectors I need so I can put in an order ready for this coming weekend!

Information I'm looking for:

Copper Cable diameter? 16mm?
Length?
Connectors?
Caps / Covers etc

Pictures or Link's would be fantastic!!

Thank you in advance for any information!

/Martin

P.S If anyone has done this to there own Vehicle please feel free to post comments on what I should look out for!

 

[Ivory55]

There is a table somewhere that tells of length to thickness needed.

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These sell cables and crimping etc

 

[Stealaway]

If price is no object have a look at your local Halfords. Don't forget to fasten the battery down and fit a breather.

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[Stealaway]

Pictures or Link's would be fantastic!!

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Thank you all for the information provided so far!

Stealaway - Looking at your image am I correct in saying the Red Positive cable remains on the first battery but then you moved the Black Negative cable to the 2nd battery and then linked them both with shorter cables?

I was told the reverse? I'm guessing it does not matter.

View attachment 460623

 

[Stealaway]

I don't think over such small battery bank its not going to make an haporth. If Burstner had supplied longer leads I would have.

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[MisterB]

I used jump leads purchased off ebay when i fitted my B2B - if you are careful when taking off the crocodile clips you are left with a crimped connection you can drill into and then connect to your battery. makes life a lot easier and you know they are rated high enough for your battery !!

they worked out a lot cheaper than buying cable separately !!

 

[Googlebot]

This thread might help.

Making the change from lead acid to lithium - a thread with pictures

So, after being lucky enough to get a lithium battery for less than half price, (thanks Jim), this thread will be the process for how I have changed over. I may be talking to myself a lot but that’s okay, I always search for rubbish like this when I do anything so I am hoping it will help in...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Lenny HB]

I wouldn't use jump leads unless you are certain of what they are made of, a lot are not pure copper better to buy the correct cable.

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[Ginger.Tog]

Just taken images of both the Negative and Positive connections..

Now, I'm puzzled as to which cable I should move across to start the connection.

Negative

Positive

2nd battery compartment.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Found this cable set on Amazon for €26 - 4 AWG - max. Load flow: 200 A (12 V)

Should be fine right?

 

[Stealaway]

Found this cable set on Amazon for €26 - 4 AWG - max. Load flow: 200 A (12 V)

Should be fine right?


View attachment 460641

Plus the price of a crimping tool?

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[Ginger.Tog]

I'm starting to think the €259 installation quote might be worth it! but then again I like doing my own modifications!

 

[autorouter]

I'm starting to think the €259 installation quote might be worth it! but then again I like doing my own modifications!

You might find that a local garage will crimp on the connectors if you take the connectors and wire. If cut to length and ready stripped, the actual crimping only takes a couple of seconds. For the price of a stein of weissbier.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Found these at work, I think they will do the job!

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[Revolvor]

Found these at work, I think they will do the job!

View attachment 460648

I'm afraid not! Ideally you need Hydraulic crimpers.

 

[Revolvor]

See this thread:

Thread 'Battery Terminal Crimping' https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/battery-terminal-crimping.234180/

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Ah ok, thank you for the info - Once I get the cables assuming they're the right ones I'll pop down to the local garage and ask them to crimp it for me.. As per autorouter comment I'm sure they'll do it for a "weissbier."

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[Kannon Fodda]

Wow that cable seems expensive. Amazon product ASIN B07KM3HWBZ
I suspect places like ebay will be able to do crimped cables of set lengths, which would be cheaper overall than buying the hydraulic crimping tool for a one off task.

Do have a look at some of the wiring diagrams available on the web. Ideally connect all charging and load from one battery positive, and all negatives to the second battery and then a further cable between the two battery positives, and two battery negatives. In theory both batteries then get used equally.

 

[autorouter]

Found these at work, I think they will do the job!

You can see the coloured dots near the crimp points. Yellow, blue and red (with a bit of imagination). These are for crimping 'pre-insulated crimp connectors', with yellow, blue or red sleeves. The colours indicate the wire size. Yellow is the largest, up to 6mm2. Your wires are 4AWG, which is 21mm2.

Look for a tool that will do a hexagon crimp. The nearest standard European sizes are 16mm2 and 25mm2. Probably best to use the 16mm2 jaws.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Ok, this is all new to me, thank you for the advice!

Looking at the image below which is the Positive Connector I should move this connector including all attached cables to the 2nd battery "Positive" - if that's how I understand it.

Then 2 shorter cables - one back to the positive and a second cable joining the negative circuit..

I suspect places like ebay will be able to do crimped cables of set lengths, which would be cheaper overall than buying the hydraulic crimping tool for a one off task.

Do have a look at some of the wiring diagrams available on the web. Ideally connect all charging and load from one battery positive, and all negatives to the second battery and then a further cable between the two battery positives, and two battery negatives. In theory both batteries then get used equally.

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[XxAnthxX]

 

[James-Alex]

Great post and very refreshing to see genuine posters here to help others. I’m trying to figure out if one leisure battery and a 100w solar will be good enough weather depending to see us over a week on no hook up in August. Just for lights and a bit of water pumping. Will follow this tread if decide to add an extra battery.

 

[XxAnthxX]

Maybe look for some cables that are already crimped.

These are only 16mm2 / Awg 6 but should suffice if the batteries are going to live side by side under the seat....

XtremeAuto® POSITIVE/LIVE Pole, Battery Lead, Strap, Cable FOR Car, Van, 4x4, Pickup, Boat etc (RED 24"/600mm) Amazon product ASIN B01LYU3RXD

If you have a mooch you’ll probably find them in different lengths and gauges.

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[Ivory55]

Great post and very refreshing to see genuine posters here to help others. I’m trying to figure out if one leisure battery and a 100w solar will be good enough weather depending to see us over a week on no hook up in August. Just for lights and a bit of water pumping. Will follow this tread if decide to add an extra battery.

You can not go wrong with an extra battery, this is the uk August doesn’t guarantee sunshine, haha.

 

[XxAnthxX]

If you do make your own, be aware that as your battery has posts, the battery terminals are different sizes on the positive and negative posts which is also different to the sizes used in some countries....ie a lot of terminal post clamps from the likes of China will be too small, don't ask me how I know

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Maybe look for some cables that are already crimped.

These are only 16mm2 / Awg 6 but should suffice if the batteries are going to live side by side under the seat....

XtremeAuto® POSITIVE/LIVE Pole, Battery Lead, Strap, Cable FOR Car, Van, 4x4, Pickup, Boat etc (RED 24"/600mm) Amazon product ASIN B01LYU3RXD

If you have a mooch you’ll probably find them in different lengths and gauges.

Was thinking the same, wanted to wait until the seat was out and cut to correct length. Thinking 20" should be long enough which are already crimped for a mere €10 "6 AWG"

Link: Here

It's a fantastic forum!

Great post and very refreshing to see genuine posters here to help others. I’m trying to figure out if one leisure battery and a 100w solar will be good enough weather depending to see us over a week on no hook up in August. Just for lights and a bit of water pumping. Will follow this tread if decide to add an extra battery.

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[XxAnthxX]

Thinking 20" should be long enough

20”’ will definitely be long enough if both batteries are living under the same seat......

Mine are mounted transverse side by side under the passenger seat of a Fiat cab.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Thank you - I understand the method for connecting the two together, am I correct in saying that the Positive cable should move including the attached 2 cables?

Hoping the existing cable is long enough!

View attachment 460683

 

[XxAnthxX]

Some will say don’t bother moving either of the original cables and simply link the batteries.....I followed what I read for creating a balanced battery bank set up.

It doesn’t matter if you move the positive terminal clamp (including all of it’s attachments) or the negative (including all of it’s attachments).

The idea is simply to have the current charge / draw diagonal across the battery bank.

I moved my negative as I fitted a Victron Smart Shunt Battery Monitor at the same time.

It‘s also best practice to keep the two links between the batteries the same length.

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