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More progress this past weekend. Re-arranged the battery to make room for the compressor. I had to buy new fittings for the compressor and tank (push-in fittings for plastic pneumatic hose) and a new air hose connector that has the 1/4" NPT thread. Biggest challenge was getting a cable from the rear compartment to the main battery. I used a wire fishing tool and was able to pull the cable under the rear flooring. I circled where the wire fish tool came out in green, since it is difficult to see in the pic. I did have to take out the passenger side rear seat bottom and a couple pieces under them to get access, but it was just a bunch of torx bolts. No cutting was needed and the battery hatch lid fit perfectly with the cable coming under the floor. Wired up the compressor and was happy to find that the cheap amazon fittings didn't leak. In my LR4 I used an ignition trigger for the redarc bcdc, but I left it off for a first test and it worked fine. Second battery was getting around 14.8 volts of charge with the vehicle running. Also added a piece of L-track to secure the fridge and any other cargo.
Really impressive and it gives us a good many ideas. I have been pondering how to have a safe below the floor level so this is a great series of pictures. Thanks
Looks great! I want to do something similar with a lithium battery underneath. I have a RedArc Manager30 for my old Defender that I haven't wired in yet. What are you going to use as an ignition source for the New Defender? I plan to purchase the cheaper BCDC for the new defender.
There is a fuse box on the passenger side of the cargo area. I didn't have a fuse tap small enough for the fuses. Without an ignition source, the BCDC still sent charge to the second battery when the car was running. Although I doubt the alternator is always charging, so the BCDC may stop pulling a charge when it detects the voltage drop. I plan to add the ignition source once I find the right parts.
There is a fuse box on the passenger side of the cargo area. I didn't have a fuse tap small enough for the fuses. Without an ignition source, the BCDC still sent charge to the second battery when the car was running. Although I doubt the alternator is always charging, so the BCDC may stop pulling a charge when it detects the voltage drop. I plan to add the ignition source once I find the right parts.
Would you send me in the right direction to understand the purpose and wiring integration of an "ignition source"? An explanation similar to what you would tell an 8 year old child is sufficient.
Would you send me in the right direction to understand the purpose and wiring integration of an "ignition source"? An explanation similar to what you would tell an 8 year old child is sufficient.
Learning, learning ... = fun.
Thanks
I'd check out the installation instructions for the redarc bcdc, since it varies by configuration. Its basically a switch to tell the bcdc that the vehicle is on. When it detects 12v from the ignition source, it knows it can pull a charge from your primary battery. That way, it only pulls a charge when the alternator can re-charge the primary battery.
And...driving in my neighborhood earlier I found a tacoma with a very nicely fabricated solar 'sticker' on its hood. It's from a company called cascadia4x4 and they happen to have one for an LR3/LR4. Going to see if it'll work on the Defender hood.
02-08-2021, 05:26 PM
