POWER PLUS

OUR MU-X GETS AN AUXILIARY BATTERY SYSTEM WITH A LITHIUM SECOND BATTERY

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

WE HAVE set up the back of our MU-X wagon with an MSA fridge slide to mount a 12V fridge in for camping trips. While a fridge will run off your vehicle’s main battery when you are driving and the alternator is keeping the battery charged, the battery won’t last long once you have stopped in camp for the night or longer.

Add in a few other electrical accessories such as camp lights and music players to the power draw on the car fridge and you’ll probably wake up to a flat battery after the first night.

This is why we fit dual-battery systems to our 4x4s, to provide a second battery in the car that is used exclusively to power accessories. The second, or auxiliary battery is also charged off the car’s alternator when the engine is running but is isolated from your main starting battery, so that any accessories being used do not drain the main battery and you are able to start the car when it’s time to move on.

SMART CHARGING

FOR many years these dual-battery systems were relatively simple, but as our vehicles have become more complicated and loaded with computers and so-called smart charging systems, fitting a dual-battery system has also become more complex.

DC-DC chargers have become the standard practice for dual-battery setups in recent times. Not only do they work with modern vehicles’ complex charging systems, but allow smart charging of your auxiliary battery via staged charging as required.

Modern DC-DC chargers are also compatible with lithium batteries which have their own specific requirements, so you need a specific charger for them. Lithium batteries are becoming more popular in 4x4 battery systems as their prices come down and they’re suitable to use as an auxiliary battery.