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

Thanks. That’s where I found the ones that might work.

 

no, they don't really exist, but the military terminals are a very good style terminal IMO. You should just put a rubber boot on you threaded marine terminal and call it a day.

 

I understand I have 160+ pages to read but does anyone have cliffnotes on how hard a 2nd battery system is for a rookie at small electrical?

I only ask because I'm on the fence about even doing it on my own, in which case reading 160+ pages would be a massive waste of time. I'd rather knock it out myself. I'm a proud member of the 100+ mod club (might be damn near the 200 mod club at this point) and probably did everything except the leveling kit on my own! Did some of them take me 3x-5x longer than it would've taken a pro? Yes. But it's satisfying and I love working on my truck. It's why we're all here!

Basically I have a lot of accessories already (see my build page full of lights, cab switches, etc) and I'm about to finally add my bed rack / RTT setup. This will probably put me overboard on what I'm asking of my battery. All I know at this point is how to wire my accessories to my blue sea fuse panel and then to my cab switches and if they're big, use a relay. I know that's oversimplified but again, I'm an electrical noob and really just attach wires until everything works.

So my initial questions are elementary: 1. Where does the 2nd tray go? I believe I've seen passenger side toward the back as the most popular spot. 2. How necessary are they? Would I want to take my entire blue sea panel over there? 3. What are the hidden bummers folks usually run into? Thanks in advance! Again, there's a good chance I just hand this one off to someone but I feel like it's worth asking TW because this site is amazing and why not try to knock it out myself if I can right? Cheers!

 

1. It really depends on your truck.....2nd gen, 3rd gen, sport, off road, there are a lot of different areas. Some do 2 under the hood on each side, some do 2 under the hood mounted together by the original battery tray, some do a second one in the rear seat section (Lithium not AGM) and some do it in the back bed.

2. Not full necessary, but very helpful if you are running a bunch or electronics (lights, mods, CB's,, inverters etc....very necessary if you will be camping/overlanding running frig and other possible appliances.

3. I believe the the blue sea panel should be closest to the battery source, wherever it may be.

4. IMO, the biggest bummer is not planning it out correctly with the right wires, components, and rushing it without taking their time on the connections.

 

Edit: if I could sum up electronics/electrical systems it is as easy as...

1. What is my input voltage?
2. What is my output voltage?
3. Is my circuit getting the control signals or voltages it needs to operate?
4. Is my circuit putting out the control signals or voltages it needs for other circuits to operate?

That really is it.
---

Your signature says you have a Sport. If you are looking to do a dual battery setup under the hood in your sport you are limited to a dual, group 34 battery setup side by side where your stock battery is currently mounted. Go lift the hood of your Sport and check by your passenger side firewall. You will see the ABS pump and lines whereas TRD OR and PRO do not have that issue.

If you are not willing to educate yourself have a pro do it. If you screw something up electrically and you aren't careful and tap into the wrong circuit you could fry something very expensive. It isn't a Falcon Heavy booster trying to land upright so don't make this out to be more than it is, your Taco is an automobile with computers and circuit cards that have inputs and outputs with different voltages. I would look up single pull single throw relays, fuses / breakers, and automotive DC circuitry vids on YouTube. There are a LOAD of vids out there describing the basics.

Before I knew what I was doing I would wire high amp accessories directly to the switch. This is wrong. I should have used a simple, single pull single throw automotive relay rated for the high amperage accessory (oil cooler fans can draw 30A!) and then wire the switch to the relay. This way the relay handles opening and closing the circuit and the switch just actuates the relay. This is how I will be wiring all of my lighting systems when I upgrade to a hood scoop light bar, ditch lights, chase lights, a rear fog, and rock lights - all will have their own relay and their own set of marine breakers. Automotive fuses are lame - if a damn aircraft can use breakers my taco can too.

My electrical recommendations:

• Invest in
  $67 2 Pin Weatherpack, 20 Amp Terminal Kit 10-20 (348pcs (2 PIN) 10-20 GA w/Remove Tool)
  weatherpack connectors or something similar (available on Amazon, Summit Racing, other) - if you solder and crimp the wires correctly and go the extra mile with heat shrink and shroud you will never have another electrical issue with your mods unless something catastrophic happens
• Invest in a heat gun (paint section of Lowes or Home Depot) - a lighter or torch works fine for shrinking heat shrink but a heat gun gives you more control. Just don't let you wife blow dry her hair with it unless she wants to go bald.
• Learn to solder and invest in a soldering iron, some flux, and solder. It is like welding without the bottles of oxygen and silly mask

It really isn't that big of a deal learning the electrical side of things. If you can understand other aspects of your Taco why not delve into DC electrical circuits. I made my living in the Marine Corps fixing single channel radios and fabricating RF and control cables. If I can learn this stuff - you sure as hell can.

 

You've got a great shell. Put the second battery back there, and not have to jam all that crap under the hood.
Honestly, the only thing you need is a battery isolator and 2 fuses. (unless you have thousands of dollars for the good stuff)
It's just that simple.
Zim

 

You know, now that you bring up aircraft circuit breakers, I wanna know more. How are you planning it all out? Aren't the breakers larger and therefore necessitate more space for the whole lot?

 

Yeah that's basically what I've had to do. It took a sec (and a lot of help from electrical folks here on TW) but I was able to get my scoop light bar, ditch lights, bed lights, roof rack lights, puddle pods, and grille lights all on cab switches by learning what needs a relay, how to get everything on the blue sea panel / breaker, and how to get the switches illuminated. Which is all pretty impressive considering all I knew when I started my build was stereos and how to turn a wrench haha.

I just know that my battery has more crap on it than I want (including the fuse panel) and I haven't even added all of my bed rack lights yet. I doubt I'll ever do a full size light bar on the prinsu or in the bumper unless one just fell in my lap and in that case, why not? Most of all, like you said, if I wanted to run a fridge or something.

I admittedly know nothing about the outlet in my bed either. Basically I've just always seen "dual battery setup" and thought that's what I need! Because of all the accessories currently tied to my battery scares me away from plugging anything else in. We don't use a ton of electricity while camping but the kiddos would get a kick out of watching a move, a fridge ,the wife loves her fan and portable power station, etc.

Thanks for bearing with me! Good stuff! This is why TW is amazing!

 

I haven't decided for sure but I was thinking of something like this Weather Deck unit from Blue Sea systems. I would mount it horizontally in the headliner above the factory center console (I'm not sure if I have the clearance -depth- to mount it in that spot) and would wire each switch to a single pull / single (or double) throw depending on the circuit (oil cooler, Viair dual compressor, or other high amperage circuits) or directly to the switch if I'm powering something with low current draw like LED lights. They are rated to 15A per circuit which should be plenty for my applications.

• My only concern is the 3.5 inches of depth needed for this application -- in my 3rd Gen when I go past the map lights where the headliner is I can see a flare but I need to get back in there to measure exactly how much clearance there is.
• Also: I am not keen on cutting the headliner unless the finished product looks stock. I like the weather deck product because it is the same color trim as the headliner center console (or whatever that unit is called). It may be more trouble than it is worth and I may just dremel out factory sized push button or rocker switches in the available space then run a secondary / accessory fuse and relay box in the engine bay.

Note: I looked at paneltronics breakers as well and it looks like 3.25 - 4 inches is the clearance the panels will need so ya, depth will be the issue in any cab install. Marine applications tend not to be an issue because there is clearance a-plenty behind switch panels / marine dash boards. This may be what prevents me from moving forward with one of these panels.






I am also considering this style that has the same depth as the product above. I like the look of traditional rockers but if I don't have the clearance in the headliner I don't think I have the space for a panel like this unless I give up the cubby under the center console directly in front of the shifter and dual cup holders.



Edit:

If the panel with breakers doesn't pan out I will, most likely go with something like this dude did with a Blue Sea Contura switch panel, factory sized switches, and then an accessory blade style fuse block in the bay.

 

I assumed as much. Thanks.

 

I know a lot of you guys run solar to supplement your dual battery set ups.

what size (wattage) panels are you using?

I have a small 50w panel that I plan on replacing. Currently using a 30a pwm controller.

I have enough room for up to a 200w panel across the top of my camper shell.

House battery is 115ah flooded. It powers a diesel heater, a water pump, a buncha LED lighting, and a handful of 12v/usb sockets.

Plan on adding a small (400ish watt) inverter to charge 18v tool batteries at some point.

I wanna be able to maintain the battery over 3-4 days without recharging it with the truck.

Id love to do a 200ah LiPo battery, but that’s out of the budget at the moment.

 

That's pretty cool. I don't think you'll have the clearance you need in the headliner, though. Not without designing a frame/case that will smoothly taper between the headliner and the panel. I think there's barely 3 in at the deepest part of the center console area but without measuring, I can't say with certainty.

What other area would be suitable in the cab? Perhaps between the shifter and a/c controls, where the drinker holders and charger panel are? I am considering putting my switches there with a 3d printed frame.

 

Check out meso customs for different panels. He makes various models for both the switch bank below the ac controls and left of the steering wheel.

 

Yes he does. I have one for the left of the wheel and overhead. But I don't have enough switch real estate even with his panels for the front console area. I could spread the switches across the 3 areas, and I may, but making my own panel sounds fun.

 

My setup.

 

I will be adding a non-isolated version of the Victron Orion TR Smart 12/12 30A in my truck bed to charge my SOK 100AH LiFePO4 battery. This will be installed on a board next to my MPPT and inverter. Before I do that, there are a few installation questions that I'm hoping you can clarify.

First of all, do you have the Isolated or Non-Isolated Victron? I ask this because you mentioned only three cables in your setup: two positive cables (in and out), and a negative, so I'm assuming you have the non-isolated version. However, I thought you would only run the negative from your starting battery if you have an isolated system. Please explain.

I purchased the non-isolated charger because I planned to run the charger negative to the negative busbar (on the board with my MPPT). This will be chassis-grounded to one of the 4 torx bolts holding the bed to the frame. If this is feasible, then when I calculate the cable size for the cable from the starter battery to the charger, the cable length will not have to be doubled in the calculation since there isn't a return cable to the starter battery, correct?

Finally, do you have a link to the 6 awg "pigtails" that allowed you to insert 4 awg cables into the Victron screw terminals? Thanks in advance for any insights you can give me!

 

That is one of the cleanest setups I have seen. My compliments. The only difference I am looking at is a Bluesea ML-ACR to control and isolate the batteries. I like how you mounted the relays. Do you install or do electrical work for a living?

 

I do data center work so I’m a sucker for tight cabling, but I learned all my electrical from my Aircraft Mechanic grandfather. That wiring took me a solid 2 days to have ran exactly the way I wanted. The switches even dim with the dash lights.

Lots and lots of patience.

 

Ah, but do they dim at the same rate? You usually have to mess with the resistor values for each switch to get them synched for brightness.

 

See I care, but I don't care that much haha..