Would like to know what any one is using for a dual battery set up in a Ford ranger 2016 I have never had one before and have been told so many things,
Not sure what is right or wrong it will be in the tub and only for a fridge, hoping some one can help that has a ranger
Got a 2016 bt50 is that close enough for you ? . bit depends on size of fridge you are going to use and how . say for instance you are going to run a small fridge just to keep the beer cold between caravan parks then a 100 ah battery wired from the start battery with a Voltage Control Relay ( so you dont flatten your start battery ) relay will be fine . in my case more heavy duty use i have 2x 135 ah agms charged from the alternator through a dc/dc charger with a 160 amp solar panel permanently mounted on the canopy and running through the dc/dc charger .
Hi outlaw40
thanks for your reply it has been very helpful what brand off dc/dc charger do have as I will probably head down that track as the ranger has a smart alternator on it so it may be worth the extra dollars to make sure the 100 ah battery gets a full charge.
thanks again and safe travels
Phil b
Hi Phil b, I have a Ranger Extra cab, i made up a battery box and fitted it behind the passenger seat inside the cab with a Red arc 12volt - 12 volt charger on the side of the box
with all the outlets (anderson plugs) also on the side. Battery is a 120 amp.
Pomme.
We have an 80AH battery mounted under the tray of a BT50 extra cab ute. Inter connected to the main battery with a "InterVolt DCC pro" DC-Dc charger. All of the extra electrics come off this battery, so hopefully will never get a flat starting battery from leaving anything on when coupled to the van, and the vehicle computer is unaffected. Also the vehicle can power the van if the van house batteries get too low.
The Ford Ranger has a 'Smart' battery charging system, which only charges the battery to a preset level to maximise efficiency and extend battery life. Unfortunately this also means that the 'reserve' in the battery is minimal. Ford dealers, for a cost, can reprogram the charging system so that the 'smart system' is turned off and the charging system works like 'traditional' charging system. Extremely useful if you have dual batteries fitted. I have lifted this off another site but when i had my second battery fitted the sparkie advised me to take my ute to the ford dealer and have them modify the alternator
Your cheapest and best way out with your Ford Ranger is to have the smarts turned off in the ECU by your Ford service person so that your alternator will push out a constant high charge. If you fit a deep cycle battery,AGM or Flooded in the tub, under the bonnet or under the tray and control it with a voltage sensitive relay with the appropriate wiring your problem will be solved economically and efficiently.
Phil b sorry for the late reply. My dcdc charger is the projecta icd25 with solar input and ignition trigger for the smart alternator. Set up with the 135 amp agm in conjunction with a 160 amp solar panel on the canopy it works very will . Have had it set up that way for over 12 months running 2 x 40 litre engels ,one as fridge and 1 as freezer .
I have a Ford Everest same motor/battery I have a 120 amp/hr battery and a fridge running in the caravan . I have a SB112 Redarc Voltage Sensitive Relay fitted and two pair of 10mm sq cables to the van . The alternator charges the house battery and runs the fridge, I DO NOT have the smart alternator off . I feel the "smart" alternator senses the load and charges accordingly . I have been away three times like this all seems to work OK.
I would set it up first with the VSR and some heavy cables to the fridge and try it, then if you need the DC/DC charger fit it then.
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