2019 TRD alternator amperage

Hey all...
Curious what hurdles I may run into or any lessons learned / suggestions you may have in regards to squeezing every amp I can get out of a 2019 Tacoma TRD Off-road.

1st, yes I mean amps... not volts...
I am a professional drone pilot and my charging setup draws about 800 watts... the whole time (ranges from 400 to 1200 watts over 90 minute periods, as my flight batteries charge). I figure that's ~110amps of supply just for the charging setup let alone the other things I have plugged into or running off the vehicle.

I have 0 gage wire from the battery to my 2kw inverter, but, at idle I can only charge about 4x flight batteries (1 at a time) before the battery/alternator can no longer keep up... I can slowly watch my idling voltage drop from ~13.8v to ~9.8 volts as the system runs out. Which seems to indicate its not a bottle neck (wire) or peaking (battery as buffer) issue but a simply supply issue.

Opinions? Ideas?

If I stick in a 270amp alternator will I need to adjust anything else? ecu? charge controller? ect...?

I am not certain what alternator I have, TBH, but even revved at 2000 rpm (tach speed) it can't keep up (can't keep the voltage above 11v at the battery under load).

 

Your poor poor alternator. Dying a slow death due to over current at low RPM.

Honestly go buy a small Honda generator. It will be much more efficient than trying to use your truck as a generator, and bonus no need to mod the truck.

 

@mec_man if you chose to go this route (a smart one) and live in Florida, I have one, never used.

DM me if interested.

 

Sorry gents, that (small generator) hasn’t worked well…
Generator doesn’t like to run while on the move, which I do move the truck about every 1.5 hours to the next launch point.

I do have a Honda 2200 as my backup, and am currently just switching b/t that and the inverter when I change launch points, but it’s getting cold (North Dakota) and that is becoming less and less feasible.

 

Welcome to the forum

Alternators don't produce near their maximum output at an idle. When you tried running at 2000 rpm was that after you had been idling for a while first? If so the low voltage would make sense as the battery is already discharged at that point.

Try running at 2000 when you start charging (truck battery full) and observe the maintained voltage.

 

Interesting that the generator doesn't like to work on the move.

Something like this perhaps?
https://www.anker.com/collections/portable-power-stations?ref=naviMenu

 

yep, I estimate it’s producing ~90 amps at idle.

I did confirm it’s a 130 amp alternator.
I’ll try that monitor idea… once the battery has recovered from today’s usage.

 

Haha, I wish…
Would be nice though…

 

This is a great reason for dual alternator. Tacoma doesn't have any options like this.

Ideally you'd want an engineered kit. https://www.nationsstarteralternator.com/Dual-Alternator-Kits-s/209.htm

You're gonna fry that oem alternator and you'll be stranded.

I think Tacoma simply is not the correct platform for this.

 

Looked at that prior to the inverter…
But at 1200 whr of capacity, I’d need like 8 of those…

looked into a generator + 300Amp hr box but even that was too much space in the back to haul it and the drone, sensors, ect…

 

Haha, agreed, but I couldn’t convince our fleet manager of that…

he was stuck on a small pickup… but at least I got a Toyota!

 

Would a reduction pulley help at idle? Or is that just a rag on a wound?

 

The alternator runs much cooler at speed too.

Older police/emergency vehicles had a hand operated throttle used to keep the engine speed up when the vehicle was stationary with all the lights on. They just pulled on and locked the throttle.

The Tacoma has an electronic throttle, no cable. I don't know how easy/difficult it would be to add.
A one setting "idle up" control that would rev to a set point (EX: 2000 rpm) would work nicely for your needs.

 

Try a Group 31?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...all-on-cbi-tray-3rd-gen-picture-heavy.722578/

 

Based on your needs, I would suggest a separate battery with isolation to prevent being stranded somewhere with a dead starting battery at the very least. Also, your factory alternator will not survive long. Dropping your starting battery down to ~9.8volts is very hard on the entire charging system.

A second alternator capable of supplying your charging needs, with an isolated deep cycle battery or 2 would be a better solution.

Finding a way to run a gas powered inverter securely in the truck bed would be the route I would go. This seems like the cheaper and easier method that does not depend on taxing your mode of transportation.

 

I'd personally invest in a lithium iron battery bank to transfer charge to lipo drone batteries. Either that or have enough lipos on hand to last an entire days worth of work.

Call me weird, I never thought a vehicle's alternator was an ideal power source for large, non-vehicle related applications. I like to keep my vehicle's systems separate from my field activities. It makes troubleshooting in the field easier. Plus I know I'm still going home if my extracurriculars are fucked.

 

I have a

$56 Blue Sea Systems 7635 m-LVD Low Voltage Disconnect

LVD disconnect my alternate fuse panel, but the amps may not be enough for OP's setup.

Maybe a

$552 Dual Input 50A In-vehicle DC Battery Charger

Redarc DC to DC to a

$600 CHINS LiFePO4 Battery 12V 200AH Lithium Battery - Built-in 100A BMS, Perfect for Replacing Most of Backup Power, Home Energy Storage and Off-Grid etc.

Lifepo4

Edit:
This 270 alternator looks like it's PnP. I'm pretty sure the OEM battery buffer is the culprit here. OEM batteries have zero excess storage .

 

180A hot at idle. That's probably the best your going to find in an alternator.

 

maybe a custom Tune to keep idle RPMs up
but I'm with Rock Lobster's general thinking

 

Enclosure, bms, and inverter?

https://batteryhookup.com/products/51-8v-35ah-1-84kwh-14s-lithium-ion-module