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DIY 12V dual battery system

Your DIY dual battery setup, installed in as easy as 3 steps.

The Centerfire CF100 and Long Range carry their DC-DC charger inside the unit. The vehicle side of the install is two wires from the starter battery and one blue plug.

See the 3 stepsCall 08 9457 7809

Prefer it fitted for you? Contact us to see if there’s a recommended Topo installer near you, or call 08 9457 7809.

The Topo Centerfire CF100 with blue, red and grey Anderson plugs in front of it
The Centerfire CF100 and the colour-coded Anderson plugs it takes.

First, choose where it lives

The wiring is the straightforward part. Placement is the decision that matters. The unit is narrow enough to stand on its side behind a rear seat, sit under a seat, or ride raised off the floor in a canopy. Choose the position that suits how you pack, then route the wires to it.

A view from above of an SUV and a ute showing the Topo unit in turn under the rear seat, behind the rear seat on its side, in the canopy off the floor, in the boot, between drawers and above the wheel arch. The red and black wires from the starter battery stay connected and follow the unit each time.

How to install a dual battery system in 3 steps

For the Centerfire CF100 and Long Range. The vehicle connection is two wires from the starter battery to one blue plug, and the DC-DC charger is already inside the unit.

Canopy, boot or under the back seat. It goes where it suits the vehicle.

A view from above of a ute with a canopy, with a toggle to switch to an SUV. A red positive wire with an inline fuse near the terminal and a black negative wire run from the starter battery in the engine bay, along the chassis, to a blue plug that connects to the blue input on the Topo unit. The unit can be shown in the canopy, the boot or under the back seat.Positive and negative, clipped along the chassis13Positive and negative, clipped along the chassis13Positive and negative, clipped along the chassis13Positive and negative, clipped along the chassis132Inline fusePositive (red)Starter batteryNegative (black)Blue plugTopo unitCenterfire CF100

Select a step to see it on the drawing.

Run the wires

Run rated automotive cable, positive (red) and negative (black), from the engine bay to where the unit will sit. Follow the chassis rail, secure it along the way, and keep it clear of heat and moving parts. Leave the battery end disconnected for now.

Ensure 100% correct polarity and quality terminations at every connection. Use quality, correctly rated cable, fuses and connectors. If you’re unsure at any step, have an auto electrician complete the install.

Charging from solar and mains

The drive isn’t the only way to charge it.

The Centerfire CF100 from the front. A folding solar panel plugs into the red input, and the Topo mains charger, plugged into a power point, connects to the yellow input. The vehicle lead stays on the blue input, so all three charge the unit at the same time.Solar panelPower pointTopo mains chargerFrom the vehicle

The unit accepts vehicle, solar and mains charging at the same time. Solar and mains share a 25A combined maximum. The vehicle DC-DC charger is separate.

Built for this install

Guides

See all setup guides

Keep it simple

The install is designed to stay this small. Follow the steps in order. If your vehicle looks like it needs more than they describe, call us before adding to it.

Not sure? Stop and ask

Call us on 08 9457 7809, or have a qualified auto-electrician fit it.

Call 08 9457 7809See the Centerfire CF100

Tinny Mate charges from the vehicle through its plug-and-play DC-DC charger. Ask us how it connects in your vehicle.

DIY dual battery questions

Can I install a dual battery system myself?

Yes, with a working knowledge of 12V vehicle wiring. On the Centerfire CF100 and Long Range the DC-DC charger is built into the unit, so the install is two wires from the starter battery to the blue plug on the unit: a fused positive (red) and a negative (black). If you are unsure at any point, call us or have a qualified auto-electrician fit it.

Do I need a separate DC-DC charger?

Not with the Centerfire CF100 or Long Range. The DC-DC charger is built into the unit. Tinny Mate charges from the vehicle through its plug-and-play DC-DC charger.

Will it drain my starter battery?

No. The built-in DC-DC charger charges the unit from the vehicle as you drive and keeps the starter battery out of it.

Can I charge it without driving?

Yes. Plug a solar panel into the red input, or the Topo mains charger into the yellow input. Both controllers are built into the unit. Solar and mains share a 25A combined maximum.

Where does the unit go in my vehicle?

Wherever suits the vehicle and how you use it. In our own fitments it sits in the canopy of a Toyota HiLux and under the rear seat of an INEOS Grenadier. Find your vehicle below, or send us its make, model and year.

Can I move it to another vehicle?

Yes. The DC-DC charger lives inside the unit, so it moves with you. The next vehicle only needs one charge connection fitted.

DIY dual battery install by vehicle

Where the unit sits and how it connects, vehicle by vehicle.