Tacoma Dual Battery System

Dual Battery System (cont')

	As you can see, the group-31 battery (approx. 60 lbs.) is considerably larger than the group-34 (approx. 38 lbs.)
	In order to mount the larger group-31 battery in the stock location, a new top bracket had to be fabricated. The OEM bracket was actually the correct width, but when it was placed on top of the battery, the mounting tabs were too high. I also thought that the OEM bracket would not clamp to enough of the battery surface to create a very solid mount. My friend Mark Longfield helped me out and we created a bracket that utilizes two straps across the top of the battery instead of a single strap like the OEM bracket.
We also built a tray for the starting battery and mounted it on the passenger wheel well. We had to weld some custom "feet" to the inboard side to compensate for the slope of the wheel well, and provided all mounts with rubber washers to reduce friction and vibration.
The Xantrex Pathmaker 100 came with both the controller and the solenoid (isolator) mounted to a black metal panel. This panel had mounting holes so that it could be fastened to a flat surface. These units are typically used in marine or RV motor home applications where such space may be adequate and plentiful. Not so for my Tacoma. I contacted Xantrex to determine if there was any problem with removing the components from the panel, and mounting them in separate locations. They said this would be fine, and that the controller should not be exposed to weather.