Battery Upgrade

Own a 09 4 cyl prerunner

Own a Leer cap with extra brake light/interior dome, installed a tow hitch with pin setup for a lightweight trailer w/ lights (no brakes), Installed aftermarket HU + 400w Amp pushing speakers/small sub, installed a 300w AC/DC converted which i usually run laptops, small electronic devices, and various low power camping equipment, and plan to install aftermarket/replacement foglights in stock location.

This seens very taxing to my truck's electrical system. I researched performance alternators ($400) and yellow top opitma batteries ($200)

Questions? Are these two needed? Or just a better battery from sears more cost effective. I'm never going to run three stereo amps, power a winch, or run a hella light bar which seems to be the more common reasons people upgrade their electrical system?

Thanks

 

I've been running an Optima Yellowtop for about 6 months now, have had no problems with it. I can even run my stereo w/subs and my off road lighting at the same time for over 2 hours with the truck off (night party in the desert ). The best battery out there imo

 

You may want to look into the components that are included with the Tacoma "towing package". IIRC it includes a higher amperage Alternator and an Heavy Duty Battery.

 

This maybe a dumb question but wouldnt a second battery added to the car make it run @ 24V? Or do you mean keep it separate and just run after markert stuff to it?

 

the batteries are wired in parallel so the voltage does not increase.

if you wire in series then it would be 24V.

 

is the yellow top really necessary?

with double din stereo,
small sub
2x sets off road lights
HID headlights
etc....

 

ive got 4 halogen kc lights, a thousand watt amp with 2 12's and no capacitor with the stock alternator and i have a optima red top. it does pretty good.. but i have killed it pretty quick without the truck running.

 

The heavy duty toyo batteries are bad ass. mine is going on 5 years and I run my double din compressor and Kragien HIDs and havent had to jump it one time

 

Optima red top $160
Optima yellow top $180

Sounds like you get a lot more for just $20 bucks more...

Looks like that will be the next upgrade soon...

 

Alternators keep you from going negative and losing battery charge. Useful for any type of electrical add on. It gives more overhead for any device.

Batteries let you run longer in the negative and damage/wear the battereis less when in the negative. A deep cycle battery will run longer in the negative before damage. A larger deep cycle is better. Two deep cycles and an isolator will allow you to never have to worry about not being able to restart your vehicle after running a high draw device with the engine off.

If you dont have anything that will draw tons of power like a 5HP electric compressor or a 5HP electric winch, which will draw more current than the alternator can provided in the short term, you dont really need dual batteries. Get a high output alternator first... then get a deep cycle battery to replace your original once it wears out.

Eventually any battery will wear out and fail though... so a dual battery set up with isolator will let you switch to the other battery. Thats the only need IMO if not running an electrical device that no alternator can support.

 

is it true that TRD OffRoad have a bigger/stronger alternator?