I have some questions on power from second battery because I adding a dump bed with electric over hydraulics. My diesel has two batteries and I am wondering if I should just tap onto the second battery to run power to the dump bed or install a third battery inside the bed to isolate the power for dump bed insert? If I do that I will need to supply charging power to keep that third battery charged.

Oh! I also have a 7 prong RV plug that need to provide charging power to my aux. + power pin to power my winch battery on my trailer. Where should I tap into to generate positive charging power as my 97 F150 does?

I am open to any suggestions.

hugger94

 

I would just tap into the second battery or the 1st battery, whatever is more convienent. You will always have the truck running during dumping(more than likely), and it's not a continuous long term draw, so it should be fine.

For the charge power for the trailer, I would go and buy a bosch type foglamp relay, and use a 30 amp circuit breaker, and also tie it into the battery like the dump bed. Run out of the relay to the rear with a 10 gauge wire.

Then ground one side of the coil for the relay, and tie the other side of the coil to a key-on spot in the fuse box. You can use a fuse tap for this, something like the radio fuse would work. Then the trailer battery will only be charged when the truck is running, and not run down the battery with the truck off.

 

Franklin: I was following you 'til your statement

"Then ground one side of the coil for the relay, and tie the other side of the coil to a key-on spot in the fuse box." What coil are you referring to? I really didn't think my diesel had a coil but I will start looking for it if you say it has one. Any hints as to where it might be on a 84 F250 6.9L diesel?

I really do appreciate you ideas and wonder if you could draw a simple diagram of you example for wiring the charging power to the Aux pin on my 7 pin RV plug.

hugger94

 

The coil I was talking about is inside the new added relay. It's what activates the contacts inside the relay. That way all the power goes from the battery, through the new circuit breaker and relay, and not through your keyswitch in the truck. All the keyswitch has to do is activate the coil inside the new relay, which takes very little current.

Here's a diagram.

 

Thanks for diagram... I should be able to handle it since I'm pretty much a visual type person. I do appreciate your input, and I had thought about using the second battery for the dump bed. I just wasn't sure whether or not the second battery was only needed to provide cranking power to start the diesel.

My biggest problem now is getting the bed bolts loose to anchor the dump bed frame. Someone had tried to loosen them before as they were somewhat loose but they turn completely around.

I will get it done! Evenually

Thanks, Hugger94

 

When I took the bed off mine, I had to take a 4 inch hand grinder and get inside the bed and grind the heads off the bolts. After the bed is off I then had to take a sawsall and cut them the rest of the way off(they have a weird shoulder that won't let them fall through the hole in the frame).

The way your batteries are hooked up, they are really just one large battery. So it doesn't matter which one you use.

 

I have tried drilling out the head of the carriage bolt and beating it with a heavy punch, with no luck... I was thinking that I would have to resort to a 4 inch hand grinder or cutoff tool. I didn't want to try and cut them out with the torch because of the plastic fuel lines on the frame from the front tank.

Looks like I was heading in the right direction working on the heads in the bed.

Thanks again for the info. Hugger94