Dual Battery Setup

[RDavisinVA]

Spoke to Bob Raffensperger last night.
Bob had a dual battery setup that was overcharging his deep cycle battery and kept ruining it.
He has one of the automatic dual batter charger boxes in his Dormobile.

Think he's now going with the idea of diverting his alternator output like I did.

 

[DefendersNW]

I have been researching systems as well, and defendersnorthwest has come up with a system, has anybody used it? https://www.defendersnorthwest.com/collections/2-5-na/products/dual-battery-kit?variant=32926081350

I have, for the last 2-years, but then again I am biased...

100amp alternator, one deep cycle Odyssey for the house battery to run the refrigerator, lighting, and electric blanket; and one small starter Odyssey to start and run the truck - redundant power works for me since I prefer to travel solo (no other vehicles)

 

[RDavisinVA]

I have, for the last 2-years, but then again I am biased...

100amp alternator, one deep cycle Odyssey for the house battery to run the refrigerator, lighting, and electric blanket; and one small starter Odyssey to start and run the truck - redundant power works for me since I prefer to travel solo (no other vehicles)

I have been looking at 12V electric blankets.
What brand do you have and how well does it work?

 

[DefendersNW]

I have been looking at 12V electric blankets.
What brand do you have and how well does it work?

All are low quality imports so any brand at this point seems to work the same (tried 3) - I like the ones with the built-in timer (Sojoy - or similar) so I don't melt or leave it on. 30 minute timer means I click it on when I open the roof tent - bed is warm when I crawl in, click it back on when I go to sleep, wake up ~3-4-am a little cold and click it on again sleep till 6am, click it on again like a snooze button and wake up warm. It does make it difficult to get out of bed in the AM though...

First try in real cold was lows in the teens at elevation in the Sierras Monday night - I slept without thermals and a hat and was very comfortable overnight. Power draw was less than refrigerator at moderate daytime temps.

 

[rovercolorado]

No wonder you guys need dual batteries with George Foreman grills, heated showers and electric blankets. What next blow dryers and curling irons?

 

[RDavisinVA]

No wonder you guys need dual batteries with George Foreman grills, heated showers and electric blankets. What next blow dryers and curling irons?

My wife doesn't always camp.
But when she does, she uses blow dryers and curling irons.

 

[rovercolorado]

My wife doesn't always camp.
But when she does, she uses blow dryers and curling irons.

I thought it was crazy that my wife uses an electric toothbrush when we camp. I will not tell her we could use a blow dryer and curling iron.

 

[Jeff B]

My wife doesn't always camp.
But when she does, she uses blow dryers and curling irons.

And you should see Robert's lighted make-up mirror...


.

 

[RDavisinVA]

And you should see Robert's lighted make-up mirror...


.

My wife swings out a side view mirror and adjusts the position.
Then every time we drive somewhere, it requires being re-positioned.

 

[RBBailey]

I can't remember if this is the thread where I was talking about the problems I've had in using a deep cell battery (single) in my trucks. I like using it because it lasts longer in camp, but I started running into a few problems. First, it started looking like it was fully charged, but wasn't. Second, I seemed to kill a few of these batteries quickly, being used as the single battery on the truck. After some research, I think I figured out that the alternators we use just don't charge deep cell batteries correctly. So for the last year or so, I've been using deep cell batteries in my two trucks, and I've been making sure that about once per month, I hook that battery up to a digital deep cell charger. Since then, I've not had any issues with using a single deep cell on my trucks. I rarely sit in camp and use current, so I'm not going to worry about a second battery.

This video is long, but it talks about this issue with the deep cells. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6poRPUMKTI

 

[BarryO]

Odyssey recommends several hours of charging at 14.7 volts to fully charge their products.

I'm just going with a single big battery. Nice and simple. If I run it down so the engine won't start, I have jumper cables.

 

[Napalm00]

I ran a massive Sears DieHard Platinum deep cycle for 7 years. at the beginning of its work in my truck I had the stock alternator wiring (twin 12gauge charge wires) and I would sometimes run the battery dead. it was just because the truck wasn't physically capable of charging the battery enough.

I later switch to a higher output alternator and a single 8 gauge charging cable from the engine to the hot lug of the starter. Everything was golden

 

[RDavisinVA]

Odyssey recommends several hours of charging at 14.7 volts to fully charge their products.

I'm just going with a single big battery. Nice and simple. If I run it down so the engine won't start, I have jumper cables.

Research a dual battery setup.
Jumper cables are not a sustainable solution, only a workaround of an unsolved problem.

 

[chris snell]

I've never once been left stranded by a single Odyssey PC2150. You can't go wrong with that setup.

Sears Diehard Platinum is no longer the battery it once was. Get the real deal.

 

[Napalm00]

I finally retired my Sears diehard a few months back , I replaced it with a duracell marine due to cost.

 

[BarryO]

I've never once been left stranded by a single Odyssey PC2150. You can't go wrong with that setup.

That's my plan. Together with an Odyssey-approved charger for ensuring it's 100% topped off before heading out. I don't ever plan on running any type of electric heating equipment, either (isobutane, propane, white gas, etc. are much higher density fuel sources for that type of thing). But for running lights, frig, electronics, and the winch when needed, it should be fine.

I rarely venture out by myself, so jumper cables are a backup option. With lithium battery technology having gotten so good now that small starter packs are now available, I'm thinking that may be another option.

 

[WreckITFrank]

That's my plan. Together with an Odyssey-approved charger for ensuring it's 100% topped off before heading out.

Check out the Noco Genius chargers, Amazon has them. Not too many batteries they can't charge, discharge, maintain. Even brought some back from the dead. Lots of mounting and wiring options.

Bought one for when I needed to keep a constant voltage on my LR3 while upgrading the computers using the IID tool.

 

[chris snell]

Lithium chargers are good but don't leave home without cables. I bought a high quality set of cables for my diesel Ram 2500 but throw them in the 110 for trips.

 

[nas90tdi]

I can't agree with Chris enough here. Buy the Odyssey. It is a nut to swallow to buy them, but they won't disappoint. I won't put anything else in any of my vehicles.


I have owned countless batteries over the years in all kinds of trucks, boats and tractors.They all let you down sooner rather than later. I have cranked a Disco II for almost 3 months with a 2150 below 11V. You will be lucky to get the solenoid to click on pretty much any battery that low. The battery I did that with was 8 years old and I finally replaced it because it wasn't holding as good a charge. But, I used it for about 3 more as a secondary house battery.

 

[BarryO]

Lithium chargers are good but don't leave home without cables.

I never do.

One thing I plan to do when I get my D90 back is put a quick connector up front in parallel with the winch, and assemble a jumper cable I can plug into it. That way I can jumper another rig or get a jump from them without going underneath the seat base. Most commercially available jumper cables are pretty crappy, anyway. Copper-Clad Aluminum wiring is used, to given the appearance of copper wiring, but without its performance.