Dual Battery Set-ups
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: South Dakota
Originally Posted by oldhalftons
If you wanted to go cheap, cable them together in parallel, and use a blade switch to disconnect one battery when you need to use the winch or stuff when the engine is off, that way you'd have a fresh battery to start the truck with. when your running the engine use them both. basicly its an isolator, but your doing it manually.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
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From: Brentwood,CA
i picked up a isolator for 25.00 at kragen and some 6' lengths of cable in 4ga at walmart also got the battery there. the entire thing cost 82.00
Last edited by ford390gashog; Jan 14, 2006 at 11:28 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: brooks a.b.
you can also use a relay to cut down on costs. wire the relay so that it only comes on when the engine is running and wire it so that it joins the batteries to charge the aux battery. 1 run one battery for the truck and two for my aux, i run dual alts with one alt for each battery group, i have been unable to get pics into my gallery, if i can figure it out i will posts pics of my set for you.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
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From: Spokane, WA
Originally Posted by ford390gashog
a battery relay is about 15.00 and for 10.00 you can get a isolator.
FWIW I currently have the isolator pulled from my truck and am just running parallel wired dual optimas. I nee d a higher amp isolator and then I will reinstall it. Go to www.12voltguy.com for some cool dual battery options. His will allow you to use backup battery power to stsrt your truck.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
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From: Brentwood,CA
but ivan you are actually pulling the load from the battery not through the isolator itself. the rep from powermaster i spoke to said you need to size the isolator to the alternator output. the above one i mentioned is only good for a 70 max alternator which would be fine if you are running the stock small case alternator. there is bigger ones to handle the big 100,140 and 200 amp alternators those run 130-160.00 from summit racing. or another option if you have access to a heavy duty truck junkyard is to grab the isolator from a 83-91 mack or a 89-97 freightliner they will have a heavy duty isolator which also will allow you to start the truck from the reserve battery should the main go dead. they are good for 12-50 volts .they run new about 600.00. a good one will go for 100-200.00.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
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From: Spokane, WA
Yeah, PAC also sells the continuous duty relays which you can hook up between batteries and operate either by switch or just wire it to the ignition so you can use the backup battery to start. It's a good backup system.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 8,238
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From: Oregon
Originally Posted by ivanribic
For $10 you can get a little wussy isolator that won't handle the amps that most offroad vehicles need. The higher amp isolators (150-200 amp) will run you about $100 and up. Isolators are ths shizzle but you need one that can handle the amppload if you have a lot of accessories.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Oregon
Summit Racing...they usually have good prices and their shipping is fast. Ebay is good for stuff but sometimes the vendors are a crap shoot. I actually recently pulled mine when I was streamlining my electronics. I haven't decided if I'm going to reinstall it or sell it yet, but eitherway I can heartily recomend the painless setup.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
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From: Elkhart IN
Originally Posted by proeliator
I actually recently pulled mine when I was streamlining my electronics. I haven't decided if I'm going to reinstall it or sell it yet, but eitherway I can heartily recomend the painless setup.
back on subject, ill probly go the cheap way, and use a motor starter, and rig it up that way.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
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From: Spokane, WA
He took one look under my dash and it brought him to tears. To avoid a spaghetti wiring adventure like I had he cut out a bunch of old stock wiring he didn't need. There was an evil 12 volt gremlin causing shorts in his system so he got rid of EVERYTHING he could. Now it's my civic duty to lure him into adding more electronics, but just a little at a time. Heated seats are next!
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 8,238
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From: Oregon
Originally Posted by ivanribic
He took one look under my dash and it brought him to tears.
Ivan's not joking about me going on a wiring rampage; I stripped everything out that was non-essential including the lighter and radio. Pulled the dash out and cleaned up the whole harness. You look under the dash and its hard to see any wiring now. Which, keeps it simple for my pea-brain.
Yea, Ivan enjoys returing the favor of being a bad influence. I keep calling him a sissy for putting in heated seats but riding with him at the last mudbog I kept thinking....."hmmmm, these heated seats are friggin sweet!" Let the wussification begin
Last edited by proeliator; Jan 16, 2006 at 12:35 PM.