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

OGE's dual tray takes group 35 batteries. https://www.**************/collecti...-toyota-tacoma-dual-battery-tray-side-by-side

RuffStuff makes a tray for dual group 34/78 batteries that might work. https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.co...oduct_Code=OPT-WID&Category_Code=BatteryBoxes

 

Two group 25 or 35 with fit with the Off Grid tray, but it's snug to the oil filter and to an A/C line. It's workable, though. I still have the engine cover and that has to come off to change the filter easily.

BTW, I've had the fasteners that hold the OGE tray to the factory bracket vibrate loose even with Nyloc nuts and blue Loctite. So this summer I'm probably replacing them with Nutserts or something similar just so it's easier to check them.

 

Thanks gents! Exactly the info I was looking for.

 

27F fits the stock tray.

I did this last night. I jumped from the house battery since it was closer. Just link the batteries and go.

 

I'm sorry if this has been covered, I keep seeing recommendations of buying 2 batteries and using the same type of battery. Yet, I see other posts about adding a Deep Cycle battery to the stock battery. This is what I would prefer to do, but are there risks involved?

 

Depends on why you're putting in an extra battery.

One philosophy is to have two batteries that each have their purpose, one to start and run the truck and the other to power auxiliary things like fridges and lights. That is usually called a starting battery and a house battery. In this case each battery can be optimized which usually means a deep cycle for the house battery. The two batteries are acting independently for the most part.

The other approach is for redundancy, where the second battery is there just in case something happens as back up. Everything is still wired as though you only have one battery, the fridge to the same battery as the truck and winch. In this case you usually want the same type because the back up battery will have to do the same things as the primary or they will be wired into a bank sometimes, meaning they are sometimes two batteries in effect making a single one twice as big.

What it comes down to is how often you expect to connect the batteries together. You can parallel different types of batteries safely during charging, that usually won't harm anything. But if you expect to parallel the batteries while they are discharging then the two types of batteries need to be similar in type, condition and age. If you have dissimilar batteries parallel while discharging what happens is the weaker one pulls the strong down and eventually you end up with two weak batteries and the good one wears out faster.

 

Thank you for that explanation!

 

Finally getting close to to wrapping this thing up! Been a bit more involved than I expected, but then again I tend to over-engineer stuff.. Final step is to extend the positive lead that feeds the starter motor so it will reach the new mil-spec terminal.

Has anyone done this before? What gauge is the factory pos. cable from the battery to the starter motor? Some people say 2 gauge, others say 1/0 gauge. I'd like to get a short length of the correct gauge wire, and crimp the old and new together, and be done with it. Rather not re-run a whole new cable all the way down to the starter if I can avoid it.

 

I ran new cables to the starter positive and to the block negative, I understand where you're coming from on being a PITA. But with the tire off it's not really too terrible.

I used 2 AWG for both and I'd be surprised if the stock cables were even that big. Running a pair of 2 AWG EPDM welding cable was a tight fit in the cable tray that runs along the engine behind the coil spring tower. I had to leave the cover off and just zip tie the cables in place. Could be just thicker insulation than stock, though.

Can't imagine they are anywhere close to 1/0 AWG. If I was guessing I'd have put the stock cables at around 4 AWG.

 

Ok cool. So the pos. and neg. leads are the same gauge? I already cut the factory clamp off the neg lead and re-terminated that. It seemed to be about 2 gauge

 

I'll have to pull out the old cables, I didn't cut the stock harness up in case I wanted to reuse it for something. I'm remembering an estimating based on a speculation of a guess. It *seemed* less substantial than the welding cable I used.

 

That's about what I figured they were, but maybe with 2awg insulation to make them seem like bigger wires. The short distance though doesn't warrant much more than 4awg.

 

Agreed, the stock harness is sufficient 99.9% of the time. Honestly the only people who may have a real benefit argument are those of us with stick shifts and that's only because we occasionally use our starters like a winch when we start in gear on obstacles. If all you ever use your starter for is to crank the engine then there's really not a lot of gain.

 

Just ordered some 2 ga wire, butt splices, HD adhesive heat shrink, lugs, and loom. Hopefully this will finally get this project wrapped up!

 

im looking to run a small battery to power a whistler 2500
http://batterystock.com/product/Jum...stler-Pro2500W-2500-Watt-Power-Inverter-28076

i have a space that is roughly 1 ft by 20 inch and the depth of 7 3/4 i have a similar opening on the opposide side of the drawer system i would like to run a small battery into what would be the best option for me to run i would also possibly run a fridge off of the battery but not until way farther down the road. Im also not sure how id charge the battery what are the advantages of running a solar pannel?

 

Comes down to the amps that it will draw. So what ever battery you get divide the amps it produces by half considering if you use the complete amperage the battery will be garbage (unless you go lithium). If your planning on increasing the demands, buy as big as you can fit/afford.

With regards to charging, solar is easy in the sense that your not running large cables from the engine bay (unless you go to a ctek charger—> dc-dc) and it can be somewhat inexpensive depending on the quality ofpanel and controller. Issue is solar panels need sun (obviously) and the panel needs to be mounted at a certain angle in relation to the sun (ideally).

I had initially had a stand alone solar pane charging a battery. When my fridge came about it did keep up but it wasn’t ideal especially when I started running an inverter, water pump and some other lights and what not. Dual battery run of the alternator was my next option. When I do have access to “shore power” or 110 I plug in a ctek battery charger to help keep my batteries maintained when the vehicle is off (if I’m camping at a full service site).

I could run solar when stopped for multiple days (vehicle off and away from 110 electricity) but for me I drive during the day and camp closer to dusk so the panel didn’t work for my application.

 

Sup guys


I have a OGE dual battery kit [group 35 AGMs] running in my 2016 tacoma. No real issues so far aside from a starter battery that was bad and replaced under warranty, but I want to integrate a better charging system for the batteries. I have the ML-ACR linking the batteries, and I have a 100w solar panel on the top that I am waiting for the temperature to get above freezing to finish wiring. I looked into the ctek D250SA but they don't recommend running both the ML-ACR and the D250 together. What is the best way to have both batteries available for linking for self-jumping/winching, as well as being able to charge the AGMs higher than 12v? I was planning on running the solar to my aux battery so it will charge up first, then trickle over to the starter battery. I also am considering a new Singer 180A alternator, if that would help me. I would be happy to run an AC-DC trickle charger, but I live in an apartment building and I don't have a good way to plug it in.

What do you all recommend?

 

Is your only concern the voltage needed to maintain AGMs at 100%? OR are you looking for more of a complete power management system?

The thread below is specific to the OGE system, but deals with dual systems in general as well. The particular post I linked is a good place to start.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ttery-system-q-a.468553/page-23#post-17930598

I just finished installing the OGE Split system this weekend (finally..) I think the route I'm going to take for now is just to top them off every month or two with the Noco charger - but I feel your pain about the apartment thing. The house I rent has no outside outlets

 

I guess kind of both -- I would like to keep the batteries happy and healthy, but I am open to a more complete power management system. I think the solar system will help a lot with both of those though. Thanks for the link! I will double-check though that thread.

 

Looking through that thread, it looks like with the solar as well as a voltage booster for my alternator I will be fine. Is there any risk with using a voltage booster? Something like these:

https://www.hkbelect.com/product/24...nic-fuse-version-micro-blade-compatible-2016/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Low-Profil...er-Toyota-Tacoma-4Runner-Tundra-/163495604420