Dual Batteries

[Donner]

At what point is it necessary to add a second battery to the vehicle? And, is it a good idea to have one battery for the vehicle and the other to run the additional lights and audio? How does it work? Both run off the same alt?

Is there already a link? Thanks!

 

[Charlie]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194271
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192177
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167430
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78480

I have to say, I have been considering running dual batteries myself, but never got around to it.

 

[JMan689]

http://www.explorer4x4.com/tips.htm#battery

Kinda funny, we were doing this to a Silverado earlier tonight... still don't know why though.

 

[Stic-o]

I've been seriously think about this..

Let see..

Normal Factory System (lights and such)
2 100w off road lights
3 55w roof lights
5 55w rock lights
10k lbs winch
1500 watt power inverter
cb
fridge
7" screen


mmmmm I think this is long over do.

 

[Donner]

Alright! Thank you all! JMan, you do offroading... would a single battery be able to regularly handle, lets say, heaters on, overhead lights, engine running, stereo, cb and using the winch? (Nice Avatar!)

I'll go through the links too... thanks!

 

[Burns]

Fridge??? oh nice stic



I think there is a lot of people that could use it but the stock system does well. I know i can run my winch, air/heat on, lights on, secondary lights on, and radio on with the stock system. It does have to stay running at idle to keep the batt charged but that cant be good for the system

 

[Donner]

wow!

I've been seriously think about this..

Let see..

Normal Factory System (lights and such)
2 100w off road lights
3 55w roof lights
5 55w rock lights
10k lbs winch
1500 watt power inverter
cb
fridge
7" screen


mmmmm I think this is long over do.

I guess these things too... a fridge? Nice! What's an inverter?

 

[JMan689]

Alright! Thank you both! JMan, you do offroading... would a single battery be able to regularly handle, lets say, heaters on, overhead lights, engine running, stereo, cb and using the winch? (Nice Avatar!)

Thanks about the avatar.

As far as i think it would be fine. I'm sure plently of the guys on here using winches only run a single battery.

I plan on duals simply because i'll have a winch, air compressor, a sub and ALOT of lighting... Yah i like lights i really need some on the 92

 

[Donner]

For spacing...

Could you add a CAI (cold air intake) and use this space for the 2nd battery? Move that casing behind it (or add a very small container instead - a link suggested)?

 

[JMan689]

I'd have no clue about the spacing on a 3rd gen.

But i think your idea could work. If you did a true CAI since it'd go down into the fenderwell you could make it work easily depending on where you make the tube go down.

 

[Donner]

Thank you! This seems like a good mod to add for safety, and to keep everything available - we're adding all these things to the Ex, it hit me about the power for these things - no source, or back up source. This one will happen... thanks!

 

[Stic-o]

I guess these things too... a fridge? Nice! What's an inverter?

Inverter? It changes the power from DC to AC so I can use power tools


Fridge? Yeah I don't do coolers, or ice chests

I bought this Coleman Powerchill about Oh...7 or 8 years ago and it still works great It's a Thermoeletric Cooler, so basicly it only keeep stuff 40* colder then outside of it. So if It's 80* outside it's 40* in the cooler, which is good enough for a weekend of cold beverages and luchables It dosn't take to much juice, after about 10hrs of not starting the truck you'll need a jump though I paid about $75 for it then, but I think they are about $100 now or so.

 

[JMan689]

Preparing it for offroading?

 

[Donner]

Going back home soon...

Inverter? It changes the power from DC to AC so I can use power tools


Fridge? Yeah I don't do coolers, or ice chests

I bought this Coleman Powerchill about Oh...7 or 8 years ago and it still works great It's a Thermoeletric Cooler, so basicly it only keeep stuff 40* colder then outside of it. So if It's 80* outside it's 40* in the cooler, which is good enough for a weekend of cold beverages and luchables It dosn't take to much juice, after about 10hrs of not starting the truck you'll need a jump though I paid about $75 for it then, but I think they are about $100 now or so.

Consider these ideas "borrowed" :shifty_ey

Preparing it for offroading?

In 5 months +/- we'll be back in No CA... Going back to the hidden lakes off the 80 and the hwys between the 50 and 80...

 

[JMan689]

Awesome i'd love to live on some hidden lake.... long as i had a huge garage, internet, cable and was like 30 - 60 min outside a major city lol.

 

[Donner]

Between Reno, Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe; Truckee... not all majors, but man! Those are places you can't leave... If there's a Taco Bell near by, I'm good.

 

[brianjwilson]

I had dual batteries in a previous vehicle. I used a battery isolator, and a standard starter battery (only because it was cheaper than a deep cycle). The install was very strait forward once I decided where to put the battery and how to mount the isolator.
The isolator takes the current from the alternator and decides which battery to send it to (whichever has lower voltage). As long as you don't cross any wires, you can run all of your extra lights, power outlets, radios, stereo (if rewired) from the aux battery, and can literally run that battery dead without worry of losing your starter battery (not that you would want to). The setup worked real well. I could run the stereo all night long with a couple of lights and a radio with no problem. I also had the exact same Coleman cooler and used it a lot. I turned it off when I parked for more than a couple hours though.

I've been contemplating running an aux battery on my sport trac since I bought it since I never did on my ranger. I believe I can stuff a full size battery in between/under the right bedside and bumper in the very back. I can fab up a bracket to mount the isolator in the engine compartment somewhere. The only disadvantage is that the wire will have a long distance to go, but my other vehicle was the same and it never posed a problem.
I'm also going to run all of my accessory power to one main box behind the rear seat. It will contain all of the relays and fuses for everything I add, with one power wire going in to it. No more wires running all over from the battery with inline fuses everywhere, lol. That way it will be easy to run it all from the aux battery when I do add one later on too.

 

[Donner]

this is very good...

in your area, it can get pretty dark and cold... you could actually wind up with a dead battery and the middle of the woods there...

so your set up would be completely independent of the other set of fuses? this sounds very creative...

 

[aldive]

Dual batteries with proper isolation, can be a real lifesaver. However, consider the extra weight involved.

On my boat, I have three batteries ( Optima ), one each for only cranking the motors and one for the electronics ( 2 VHF radios, color fathometer, radar, chart ploter, loud hailer ) and lights.

 

[Gator Jeff]

yeah, I'm considering the dual battery route as well. she's paid off in august, so I'll have a few extra benjamins each month, some of which I can put towards mods, to play with.