Dual battery trays ?

[Poppy Joe Member Find all posts View Profile Close Poppy Joe]

Why does everyone rush out and buy a dual battery tray @ $140 plus Take out the start battery and apart from a plastic tray the other side is a mirror image including hold downs lugs all thats needed are the hold downs.

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

The reason is the aux is most likely going to be considerably heavier
than the cranking battery, and there has been an issue with the inner mud guards
cracking from the weight of the aux. So any bracket that can help redistribute
the weight and prevent cracking is a good idea!

Cheers
LeighW

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

To purchase an original Toyota plastic tray and clamps costs about $70. You still would have to make some modifications to the aircon pipe in the diesel or the power steering in the petrol. If you a generic plastic or metal tray you have to modify it to make it fit. Because I have a diesel I went the ARB tray at $142 as it sits higher off the platform and only a gentle push on the AC pipe to clear the battery. It also comes with a net mounting position on the side for a Redarc SBi isolator. The ABR Sidewinder tray has a soluion for the AC pipe as well but for the V6 petrol also has a mounting position for the power steering reservoir. When used in conduction with his isolator would make for a neat installation. These mounting solutions included in these trays make moving components easy as well as making fitting an isolator easy and bead without the need to drill holes into the vehicle.

[waz2011 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waz2011]

Dual Battery Trays

I have just made up my own tray, and installed an Allrounder MRV50 (80AH) battery, if anyone would like a copy of the drawing they are quite welcome to PM me, and I'll see if I can send it to you. I am unsure of the cost of the material as I had purchased material for 2 different jobs and it cost me $45.00, I think the basic tray material including bending would come in around the $30.00 mark, plus a few bolts and washers plus the hold down clamp from Ashdown-Ingrams. If you are handy with a welder and a jigsaw I think you could make this for under $80.00. I stand to be corrected, but as I had a lot of the gear on hand incl the hold down, so I am not sure of the current prices.
Waz

[Poppy Joe Member Find all posts View Profile Close Poppy Joe]

I'm with Waz.
A bit of DIY The aux location size is limited by the ac pipe so the battery is going to be smaller than the original so much for the weight tojo think the inner guards are strong enough. As for the plastic tray the sides aren't high enough to catch any spillage a piece of rubber mat for vibration would be of more value and a $10 hold down clamp job done.

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Apart from some of the battery trays have a tab to hold the redarc, i really cant understand anyone spending $180 on a battery tray. I have had the supercheap one in my 120 for nearly 5 years with no problems/corrosion and fitted a similar supercheap to my 150, only this time the platform is there and so are the hold down bracket holes. Its really is a no brainer, mount the redarc behind the air filter and spend the cash saved on a really good AGM. Yeah theres going to be some that justify the cash spent on the tray but i would rather spend it on something else for the car, as you know by now the list is endless

[starbuck76 Member Find all posts View Profile Close starbuck76]

Buy a plastic tray from Malz, do a few minor mods, make your own bracket to shift the aircon pipe and you have saved enough money to buy a decent 80AH AGM battery. Then you have enough room - and change - to buy a Blue Seas isolator which will fit between the battery and inner guard.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Geez its $142 on a $60,000 vehicle! I plan to keep mine for a few years so $142 is really not a lot to pay for a laser cut, folded and painted battery tray. I suppose you could also just leave the plastic bar and don't bother about putting on a bull bar so that you can spend that money on something else or even buy a cheaper vehicle. I guess for me the tray fits perfectly and looks like a factory fit. It is extremely neat and would easily meet Toyota scrutiny. I wanted to keep the engine bay as clean as possible without the clutter of everything screwed to the inner guards so being able to mount the redarc to the tray was a bonus. If I keep my car 6 years it equates to less than 50 cents a week so keeping it three years $1 a week. A small price , I'm sure many of us pay $3-$4 for a coffee everyday.

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Brains i hear you.... but if you want to pay $150 more for every mod fair play to you. Theres a shit load of bits we hang off these cars and if you walk in to the shop with your wallet open and throw your cash on the desk they will take it. Nobody is being a miserable git not fitting a laser cut folded and painted tray ..... look at your HEAVIER main battery on the car you plan to keep for a few years. FFS its not about the $150 saved, its about the $150 wasted !

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

This forum is all about ideas and helping people save costs on gearing their vehicle up, i can tell you that the supercheap trays last 5 years.... probably many more.

[Poppy Joe Member Find all posts View Profile Close Poppy Joe]

Wow, looks like I started something! Cold climate cars have 2 batteries mounted in these spots so Toyota must think they're adequate. Yes I probably will keep my front bar, can't see the point of putting a bullbar on to hang spot lights off. If I'm unfortunate to have an accident the money I've saved will cover the excess costs for the insurance that I have to pay. My last vehicle was a 105 Cruiser that was fully optioned, bars front and rear, suspension, rear wheel carrier, dual battery mounted in the original mounts that Toyota supplied etc. 10 years and 200k kms later, the book price on the car was no more than the standard so my view now is only put on what you really need and keep the weight down. As soon as the capped price services are finished I will be back to servicing the car myself which I have always done. Don't be a Paris Hilton get your hands dirty and get to know your car as when it breaks down in the sticks you'll be the one to fix it.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Poppy Joe,

What Ironman suspension set up did you get?