Dual Battery Location in the Rear......

[lump-dog]

I want to move my dual battery setup to the bed up my 2001 supercrew. I don't want to give up bedspace by simply throwing them in the bed. Does anybody have any suggestions before I waste time reinventing the wheel? I though about tucking them away neatly under the bedsides, but not sure if there's enough room. Also thought about removing the OEM spare tire bracing between the frame rails and placing them under the bed, as far back as I can put them. Or possibly hiding them under the spare tires if I decide to lay them flat. Has anybody been down this road? Post pics if you got 'em.

[la2baja]

I have seen a pretty clean set up. If you aren't against cutting into the bed, you can cut out a small piece of the bed on the pasenger side front corner. Then make (or have made) a battery case that can slide right into the rectangular hole in the bed. The battery tops end up flush or just below the bed floor. You have complete use of the bed space and the side wall of the bed body should easily cover the battery box from view outside the truck. You'll have you batteries in the bed. You'll have all your bed space, and you can easily access the batteries for mtce. or changing later.
I would not suggest moving them much farther from the cab. The spare tire space at the rear of the truck is to far away from the altenator and running systems. You will lose voltage over that length of cable.

[lump-dog]

Thanks for the reply, I'll explore that option tomorrow.

Anyone else?

[ntsqd]

I would not suggest moving them much farther from the cab. The spare tire space at the rear of the truck is to far away from the altenator and running systems. You will lose voltage over that length of cable.
That would depend on the cable size and how you've run the ground. Over that length the frame is NOT a good enough ground conductor and that is where most people get into trouble. Not with the size of the positive cable. The various welds in the frame rails of modern trucks are all points of resistance and they can & do add up to a potentially significant voltage drop. Even from the front of the bed I would highly recommend that you run a same size ground cable from the battery/ies to the engine block. From the spare tire area it would be a requirement.