alternate to second battery???

Peter,
Check out the site below.

http://www.fridgeshop.com.au/remotearea.html

Waeco - Monsoon
Product Code RAPS400
Voltage 48 amp Hour
Price $699.00
Weight 16.4 kg
Capacity 1200 amp cranking capacity
Quality Features Full LED Display, 2 x 15 amps Hella Outputs, 1 cross over switch 24-48 amp hours.
Appox Running Times 55 watt spot light 10.5 Hrs, 12 volt fridge 45 hrs,1 versalite 48 hrs
Warranty 1 Year

Maybe check out Battery World or someone like that. These things are mostly Sealed Leadacid Batteries in an expensive, but convenient box with all sorts of connectors on it. BWorld might be able to supply the batteries and a charger much cheaper without the fancy box. Of course, there would be cheaper places than battery world too. I probably don't need to remind you to make sure whatever you get is tied down very securely if it's in the cabin, even behind a cargo barrier.

Cheers

Peter,

I have used a similar set up for several years and am a 'happy camper'.

I have a GU Patrol petrol, and know that after running lights & fridge off the remote battery, there will be enough oomph to start the vehicle in the following morning, should it be necessary. Of course, the battery is recharged by the next day's travel, or it can easily run lights etc for several nights if not recharged.

And the ability to take the battery to the campsite, (portability in your vernacular) away from the vehicle, was a major deciding factor for me. Having 12 V fluoro lights at the cooking/campsite, without having the vehicle within 6 metres, is a significant enhancement for our way of camping & touring.

Another reason I went this way is price; that is, I did not have to pay for all the switches/relays/installation/battery trayetc. And I can retain the air compressor under the bonnett - this space would be sacrificed if I had a second battery under there.

Do it - buy it - but first calculate your draw (radios, fridges, lights, efficiency loss factor, etc) so that you can establish what amp hours are needed, and hence the model you need.

Cheers

Rick

The Thumpers are OK but you are paying top dollar. There are other alternatives which are better value for your hard earned dollar.

I'm with Rick, sort of.

But i have two batteries, one a 33amp hour AGM battery i use for lights and music.

I then have an optima deep cycle yellow top i wire directly to the fridge. I like the optima for that fact that due to its construction i can recharge it at up to 45amps per hour which means i don't have to drive around all day to recharge it and i have other ways to do that anyhow.

I just love the portability. I also have my collection of inverters and connectors and plugs, kind of low grade hobby.

Peter
Make your own and save the $. I have just finished wiring a solenoid from the battery in the engine bay to a 50A Anderson plug under the front seat. I then put a sealed deep cycle battery into a battery box with a small lead on it and the other end of the Anderson plug, the battery box also has 2 female hella plugs mounted on top via seperate fuses 1 for the fridge and 1 for the lights. The system work like this most days the battery box sits in the garage but when going bush I strap it behind the front seat and plug it in . All up it cost about $300 or so including the battery which is 75A /hr compared to the 24a Waeco.The good thing about this set up is I have the best of both worlds ie dual battery system plus a portable power pack.
Cheers
AK

Another battery worth a look at is an "Odyssey":

http://www.odysseybatteries.com.au/odyssey/technical.htm

Just the battery so you would have to organise a way of connecting it all up but the most expensive (77Ah) is around the $400 mark I beieve.