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

Upgrading the pre-existing dual battery setup. Added a blue sea ml-acr (bottom left) for basic isolation. Was going to mount closer to batteries but the actual space is pretty tight and this way I can reach the manual control if needed without jumping into the bed.

Starter battery line runs into cab to a blue sea on/off switch and back to the engine bay.

Still need to run the remote switch but that’s a problem for another day once I get some connectors and more wire.

 

Finally added the Renogy battery monitor. Now i can see whats being drawn and what's coming in

 

I just installed my second battery in the engine compartment. I'm going to run a Renogy 50AMP dcdc charger behind rear seat. Rather than running a second set of wires back to the house battery and then back to the cab, I'm planning on running all grounds to the frame for both batteries and the dcdc charger rather than the charger back to the house battery. Does anyone see an issue with that?

 

Can you use the renogy monitor to keep an eye on your starter battery?

 

I don't see how this set up would cause the starter battery to go too low but I could monitor it if needed.

 

Just thinking about it after reading here how many people have their batteries abruptly give out on them.

 

I got a stupid question I think I already know the answer to…..

Blue Sea ML-acr. Flooded starter battery. Flooded deep cycle house battery ~50ish usable AH. 175w solar panel.

I wanna double my house battery capacity to ~100 AH without changing anything in my system, ie going DC to DC, LiFePo4, ect. I want to keep the ML-acr as the primary charger/isolator and not have to move/rewire a buncha stuff.

Easiest way would be to just add another flooded house battery doubling the capacity to ~100 AH.

However, there’s no room under the hood for a third battery and I don’t want to put one in the bed due to space it’ll take up.

The house battery under the hood is a group 27.

Is there any battery out there that’s roughly the same size as a group 27 battery but with ~100 AH of useable power that will charge properly using the ML-acr or am I SOL?

Alternatively, I’m kicking around the idea of adding a battery box to a frame rail somewhere for another flooded house battery.

 

There’s a lot of space in the bed wall passenger side in front of the rear wheel.

 

As far as I know a regular flooded battery tops out at 70ish Ah, AGM will be 100 Ah

I went AGM for the starter and AGM for the house battery to get a 115Ah battery. BUT I run a iceco VL65 dual zone fridge full time in the truck for the past year and my solar panel has kept the battery topped off, 50ah with the solar panel will run the fridge just fine. When I replace the house battery if it goes bad I will be getting a smaller battery to save on space and money.

 

My current setup is great for everything I do except winter camping in the snow when the solar panel becomes useless.

Running my diesel heater and not moving/running the truck for a couple days really eats up the house battery to the point where the solar panel can’t keep up unless it’s sunny all day.

Thats where I’ve been thinking

 

In that scenario you're stuck with adding a battery. How are you monitoring the battery charge level?

If adding a battery I would just install a dedicated lithium battery just to run the fridge. Smaller, better energy density and more usable Ah.

 

500A shunt with a monitor

Common sense says to just double the capacity of the current system by adding a 2nd house battery in parallel to the existing one.

None of the charging system/auxiliary wiring will need to be changed or updated - just finding the space is the hard part.

 

If anyone is looking to do a lithium house battery I've decided to sell a nearly new Victron 30-amp charger. Perfect condition, I'm just going in a different direction.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...p-360-watt-dc-dc-charger-non-isolated.786406/

 

Whoa I need to check out more about your mod there. Really cool!!

 

You could run 3 group 35s (I'm doing this)
One on passenger side and 2 in stock position.
Use 2 for aux.

You could also use a group 35 in the passenger side and use it as your main.
Then put a group 31 in your stock location.

 

Just FYI, keep an eye on your inner fender and radiator support..that's a shitload of weight on a pretty weak corner of the truck up front.

 

Yep, but its just 25# more.
I may have a steel battery tray welded in.

I do tend to drive slow.
4.70x2.28 times slower than most

 

Yeah, higher speeds and shock speed will definitely cause more damage. Impressively light -- my group 35 AGMs are like, 45 lbs each...thats a sizeable change.

 

Not enough room in the oem spot for 2 batteries because of the hid igniters - they sticks way too far back.

The factory group 27 battery has already torn my core support apart. No way would I put any more weigh up there.

 

anyone running the new gen 3 genesis offroad dual battery setup? impressions?

are the stock alternators (tow package) on the 2nd gen's enough to recharge those group 34's?

https://www.genesisoffroad.com/gen3-gen2tacoma-dual-battery-kit