Anderson plug on a 2006 Turbo diesel cruiser

Hi Ian, for the basic minimal set up, you would need to run 6B&S Twin ( 13.5mm2 x 2 ) or 16mm2 Twin from either one of your cranking batteries but if possible, try to make the connection to the battery the alternator is connected too, to minimise voltage drop.

You will need to fit a 50 amp auto resetting circuit breaker or 100 amp fuse on the positive cable, as close to the cranking battery as possible.

While running the cable to the rear can be done under the vehicle, but if you are planning to do any off roading, it is recommended to run the cable inside the cab. This is a bigger job but it’s much safer for the cable.

At the rear of the vehicle, fit your Anderson plug and mount it where it’s convenient to get at but out of harms way.

A little tip, save yourself a lot of problems and use genuine Anderson plugs, the Asian copies are grossly inferior and just don’t carry the same currents that the real Anderson plugs do.

On your van, run the same size cable and again fit a circuit breaker or fuse as close to the house batteries as possible.

With this set up, you can probably sit over night without any problems but if your planning to stop longer, you need to disconnect the Anderson plugs to remove the risk of flattening your cranking batteries.

A simple solution to avoid disconnecting the Anderson plugs is to install an isolator in the engine bay, on the beginning of the cable run to the van.

As "Drivesafe" has advised I have a similar set up with my 100 series with the adition of a low voltage cut out switch in the circuit. I run a fridge in the back of the cruiser and it is pluged in at all times. Have never failed to start even after parked all day.
Cheers, Nev.

Firstly if the Cruiser has the original batteries they are linked as one and are only 400cca each.

This was done for cold countries
If you MM me i can give you instructions on how to split them as I have done and have installed 2 650cca N70zz batteries with a Redarc controller THis gives much more capacity as one N70 will start it no trouble

If you hook up to the original setup it may not start next morning if running a fridge off them.
Much better to split them and have one as an auxilary and one to start.

I think your all missing the point.

With Ian’s two cranking batteries, two house batteries and two 130w solar panels, he could set up camp for a few days and not go anywhere near draining his cranking batteries down to a point of not being able to start his 4x4.

Unless he plans on sitting in one spot for more than two days, without turning the motor over, he can stay with a basic set and it will easily and safely meet his needs.

Furthermore, by drawing current from four batteries at the same time, the batteries themselves will not be worked as hard so should have a better life span plus if he does set up somewhere for more than a few days, if he decides to top the batteries up by running his motor, if he runs the motor for just 30 minute, because he is recharging 4 batteries at once, he will replace the equivalent of 2 hours of charge.