Dual Battery Setups! Let's see them! Multiple Batteries Thread!

Thanks for the info. Do you have a diagram of your setup or pictures of it? Are you running an ML-ACR like everyone else on here? I checked the wires coming from my camper and they are actually 10awg which is great. I can just run 10awg straight from the battery(or fuse block if I add one) to the camper with a quick disconnect in the bed like I was originally planning.

 

There should be some in my build page or farther back in this area. Even though it’s 10awg personally I’d go a step bigger so voltage drop is not as bad.

 

Cool I'll look through your build thread, thanks. As for the camper wiring, the 10awg wires go directly into the power converter and I don't want to open that can of worms so it will stay 10awg. I could run 8awg off the battery to the disconnect in the bed and keep the 10awg from the camper. Then if I change my setup in the future at least the wires coming off the battery are bigger.

 

Think it’s in the last few pages. And yea I’d suggest exactly what ya said, don’t need to require the camper but on the truck side bigger is better

 

Just ordered the

$105 WirthCo 1213.1241 20092 Battery Doctor 125 Amp/150 Amp Battery Isolator , Black

WirthCo 20092 Battery Doctor 125 Amp/150 Amp Battery Isolator and a

$13 ZOOKOTO 150 Amp Car Automotive Marine Boat Audio Circuit Breaker with Manual Reset, 12V- 42VDC, Waterproof (150A)

150 amp fuse

 

I went bigger with the thought of having connected batteries while winching. The amps can be very large and coming from the second battery which is in the bed of my truck, so bigger is better in that case. Additionally, going bigger allows a bit of a safety net in case you do have a draw or an issue (although things like breakers and fuses come into play). Its better to have a safety net (in my opinion) if you decide to extend your system as well.

 

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...ery-group-size-24f-710-cca-24f-agm/10310750-P

Anyone have an opinion on the Advance Auto AGM batteries. I have two Group 27 blue top Optimas that are shot. Thought about replacing them with a pair of Group 24F Autocraft AGMS. With online coupon I can pick up both for about $300 right now.

 

I put one in the rover, haven't had any issue with it yet. It sits more than it's driven and fires off everytime.

 

Making a run from the engine bay to my bed where the isolator and second battery will be mounted. Using 1/0 from the front to the isolator- do I need to use 1/0 from the isolator to the second battery or can I go smaller?

 

Will you be pulling starting/winching current from both batteries, or just one. If both then yes.

 

What’s the point of running 1/0 if you’re gonna bottleneck it with a smaller gauge anyway?

 

If he's not pulling high amperage from the 2nd battery then it's fine. Like using it to power lights and such.

 

I'm only going to be power lights, and an air compressor. I just want to make sure there's a big enough run to the isolator for the alternator to recharge my bed battery. I reckon I'll just run 1/0 to from the isolator to the battery anyway.

 

I ran 10(ten) 4 ga wire from my battery to the bed of the truck for my 'house' battery. Even though our alternators are 100+ amps you will never see that at the battery for simple recharging.

 

^ This.

There are a ton of charts that can be used to figure wire size is needed based on max current. But it doesnt make a ton of sense to go from big to small.
http://www.offroaders.com/technical/12-volt-wiring-tech-gauge-to-amps/

 

So if I put my ACR under the hood where my main battery is, and put a second battery in the bed, would you not run 1/0 from the bed to the ACR? My winch is hooked to the battery under the hood, as is my switchpro.

 

Larger wire is always better imo. Just because the winch is wired to the main battery doesnt mean that it wont pull power from the house battery. And it will pull quite a lot when it does.

 

If the accessories running off the rear battery don't require larger wires, leds pods pull like 3 amps, then there is no need to run larger wire. I don't have any reference for how much amperage a 'house' battery pulls from the alternator to charge but it's not enough to melt my smaller wire run (correction I ran 4ga wire to my acr/2nd battery, but still a far cry from 1/0 wire). The accesories I'm running on the 2nd 'house' battery do not pull high enough amps to require larger wire.

 

You're not wrong, but it still doesn't make any sense to go from a large wire to a smaller wire before getting to the house battery. Just pick one and run with it

 

If you have it sure no reason not to, it's not gonna hurt anything but there is no benefit to it.