Dual battery, cost and other considerations...

That "other tray" you speak of is where the antilock braking crap would go if your jeep was so equipped. It is usually refered to as the "ABS Shelf". It is often used for placing random other items (like compressed air manifolds and pressure switches and the like when someone is building an OBA system), but I think you'd be hard-pressed to fit a battery there. You can get dual-battery mounting trays that make it possible to fit two batteries, stacked, right where your main one currently resides. One place I know that has them is the Kilby site, kilbyenterprises.com. I don't know what overall cost you're looking at as I have not yet done the mod myself. Check out the link Bill posted, and do a search on google for other writeups for this mod; there are quite a few out there.

Good luck. /Bob

If you have A/C in a newer Wrangler you have 2 practical choices. 1 is from Kilby Enterprises and the other is from another Company that sells product through Quadratec (I forget name). Kilby uses Optima and the other uses Hawker Odessey. The advantage of the Hawker is the batteries are smaller.. that way you do not have to install the "twisted A/C tube" provided with the Kilby solution. The A/C tube requires re-charging A/C system.

Both are pricey due to battery cost. Personally I am weary of Optima because a yellow-top failed on me and nobody (including Optima) would lift a finger to offer warranty... I.e no-warranty except for false statements from catalog and manufacturer of product (each points to each other for warranty---check Optima and popular catalogs warranty statement). Dont get cheated... buy from dealer who will deliver warranty themselves.... ask for warranty in writing from dealer...

-Jim

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Dual battery tray - $100

All rough estimates as I remember when I did mine.

After having run my Warn HS9500i MANY times over the past five years with a single Optima Yellow Top battery in my '97 TJ, with a number of hard repetitive pulls and three replacement wire ropes due to all the use my winch has had, I no longer feel a second battery is needed. Simple common-sense battery management is all you really need. :)

Jerry

Nope, there is one more option.

However, I dont have air, but what I did was use the Kilby tray and get the isolater setup from Wrangler NW, and picked up the red and yellow optimas as blems from a local parts store.

Isolator was about $90 Kilby tray was about $100 Blem batteries were around $70 and $75 I think. Plus a few small parts had to be purchased - under $20 total.

Sure...but I need the second battery to run the fridge, the radio, etc. while we are on the trail for a week. =)