[ramair02]

Hi MPW,

I've been reading & researching on this forum and am now ready to take the plunge in upgrading the battery setup in my son's Kidz Motorz Camaro. The 12v stock battery is on its last legs and I'd like to upgrade to 18v for more power / speed.

Can y'all help me with battery recommendations? It seems my best option will be running a 12v and 6v battery, but I'm not sure what AH I should be purchasing. I also don't know where the best place to purchase / what the best brands are.

To make the upgrade safe and complete, I'll need to wire in a 30 amp fuse. Do I need two 30 amp fuses (one for each battery)?

And will I still be able to use the stock charger? If not, what's recommended?

Lastly, how much runtime is typically available with this sort of setup?

Based on my reading here, I'm thinking I need to purchase a 12v - 12AH battery and a 6v - 12AH battery. I see they're pretty cheap on Grub Power and I also found Duracell models at Batteries Plus that are more expensive, but I can pickup locally.

Thanks so much.

[wired]

Yes one 12v 12ah and one 6v 12ah battery is the normal setup (always match the ah rating for an 18v constant setup). You will need a new charger that can charge both a 6v and a 12v battery. You only need one fuse in the circuit. A 40amp fuse is recommended due to the increased voltage and resultant increased current. The fuse can be anywhere you want. Positive side, negative side or anywhere in the middle. The circuit is a loop and as long as you have a fuse in-line somewhere you're covered. I have good luck buying batteries from Ebay. They are cheaper and I have not had any issues with battery life. Just remember to charge your batteries after use and keep a charge on them at least once every three months when not in use.

Schumacher smart chargers are great. Check them out.