Off-Grid Engineering Dual Battery System Q&A

Just ordered up one of the Blue Sea 4356 Below Deck Panels with the volt meter. Looking forward to adding more accessories to my rig

 

Matt-----are you planning on offering any labor day 2017 discounts on your OffGrid Engineering products?

 

@HeliMedic Couple of quick questions:

1) I'm currently running an

$385 Odyssey 34R-PC1500T Automotive/Light Truck and Van Battery

Odyssey 34R-PC1500T as my only battery. If I wanted to run it as my house battery in the stock location and the 35-PC1400T as the starter battery with your Split System Kit, I'm guessing the factory started cable will need to be lengthened to reach the new location? Do you offer an option for this?

2) From what I've read the ML-ACR disconnects the batteries when it senses a load on either, so does that mean you effectively get the same amp hours as a single battery, you can just run it dry? Or can you manually link them when the vehicle is off to get the combined amp hours?

3) Is the any low voltage cut off protection included in your kits?

Thanks for you time,
Brent

 

How much juice does the dual battery setup with 2 Yellow Tops (or some other combo) provide? I plan on sleeping in the back of my truck and running a fan or two in the summer and maybe a

$40 Car Cozy 2 - 12-Volt Heated Travel Blanket with Patented Safety Timer by Trillium Worldwide (Navy, 58" x 42")

"Heated Travel Blanket" in the winter, might be charging phones, too. We will probably stay in the same place no more than 2 nights.

Or could I get by with a singe X2 31M?

 

@HeliMedic I finished the installation of the RedArc DC-DC Charger (though nothing hooked up to the aux battery, yet). Looks like ~13.8 volts going in, and ~14.3 volts coming out! Sounds like success to me!

Q: Is it normal for the "A" profile LED to blink when the truck is off?

Q: The included battery tie-down bar is not compatible with the stock battery. It doesn't fit between the raised covers on the battery. I had to use some shims I had lying around because the thickness of the battery tray means the stock tie-down no longer works. Any suggestions for something a little more "permanent"?

Edit: Ignore the red wire on the starter battery - that's the wiring harness for the ARB compressor.

Photos (sorry for the dirt):

 

Sub'd

 

Did they stop selling the dual battery kits on there website ?

 

i know OGE was in the works of moving and or building a new shop to work on vehicles and make kits. He might be out of finished kits right now till he gets his new work space built out. Give it some time Well worth the wait.

 

Anyone having issues with their ACR. Mine seems to be locked in two slow blinks pause two slow blinks repeat , which the inst from blue sea states to check the switch on the ml-acr or it it a mechanical fault in the ml-ACR. The switch is in the right position, which leads me to believe the switch is pooched.

Does anyone have matts inst, so I can verify this is hooked up correctly again. I've misplaced mine, aka they got tossed out.

Thanks

Steve

 

I've got mine at home. Will try to post pics tonight.

 

Thx, it finally went solid after a few days. Perhaps my battery is shot? I'll have to test it here tonight. Be surprised if it was, but who knows.

 

So it's hooked up right, compared it with the ml-ACR instructions as well. Must be a battery issue. No to await my battery tester.

 

3rd gen crew -- how is everyone mounting their battery isolate switch to the left side of the dash? Dremeling out a larger opening?

 

@HeliMedic will not ship to Canada unfortunately not sure why yet. Anyone know where to buy from someone who ships to Canada? Thanks in advance

 

You could get it shipped to Montana just south of the boarder and pick it up. I've done it with a few items before and it's not to bad, Mind you I did live in Calgary.

Or, just drive down and pick it up and make a trip out of it. I think if you spend more then 10 days in the states you don't have to pay taxes on the items. Look that up before you try it tho, just to make sure.

 

Here is where I put mine.

 

@HeliMedic
@DaveInDenver <<Got to ask the engineer!

I'm purchasing one of your side by side dual battery kits with the Blue Sea setup. However I don't put a lot of miles on my truck and want to keep my dual AGM batteries topped up to maximize life. I am considering purchasing this https://no.co/genm2 NOCO GENM2 2-Bank 8A On-board Battery Charger and leaving it permanently attached to my batteries so I can just plug in once a week overnight to top up my batteries. Any special setting on the Blue Sea ML-ACR prior to plugging the charger in? Thanks in advance

 

I'm assuming you are going to be using two of the same battery. If not, this advice may not apply.

You can keep the batteries connected and use a single charger. It may even be preferable to keep them in as close to the same state as possible.

I use a Ctek charger connected to my main battery for the same purpose, works great. With a single charger, any position of the ML-ACR except "lock off" will be ok. You want the batteries connected. You could flip the switch to "lock on" so that you know your batteries are connected, or leave it on auto and it will connect the batteries for you when the charger is on the main battery.

 

Thanks so much for your input!! Do you run a dual battery? If so so what you running? Yes same battery. Two brand new group 34’s. It’s great that I can use a single charger! Makes sense when they are connected. Again much appreciated!!