BAWC Forums

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Put solar panels on your roof. Problem solved.[/quote]

I have a solar trickle charger, don’t believe it works.


Coop

[quote=""Jeff V.""]I can kind of get on board with the parallel diesel battery setup, because it's simple.

I can't get on board with all this back and forth switching logic. It's a quasi-daily driver. Not a search and rescue vehicle that lives in the Australian outback.

Adding complexity decreases reliability. That's the opposite of what you want.

Duplicate the diesel setup with quality parts, get a good trickle charger, and be satisfied.

Someone does make a kit, but it's apparently $500. So either learn to make your own, or take a gamble on the used LLY cables fitting.[/quote]

Yes the diesel set up is what I will be doing.

Wonder if anyone is parting one out.


Coop

[quote=""DCIV""]I have a solar trickle charger, don’t believe it works.


Coop[/quote]

Not the same.

This sounds like exactly what you want. That Painless control kit is only ~$160.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/projec ... alternator

[quote=""Jeff V.""]This sounds like exactly what you want. That Painless control kit is only ~$160.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/projec ... alternator[/quote]

That’s even more than he needs. All he needs is a disconnect between the wires running to the second battery.

[quote=""DCIV""]I wish when running it would go off both batteries, GMs love electricity and windows and everything work better.

I wish when I shut it off, it would isolate to only one, so that if the main one dies I can start off the other with a switch or something. [/quote]

All you need is a disconnect in the wires going over to the second battery that you can switch off when the car isn’t running.

My old boss had two batteries in parallel on his boat, so he could run the stereo etc. while anchored and then have a full battery to start the boat up. He didn’t have a fancy disconnect because the batteries were easily accessible so he just disconnected the second battery cables when he stopped. But this is what you want in principle.

[quote=""DCIV""]I also wish that if it sensed the alternator output and if it got to low it would isolate as well so if the alternator died it would drain one battery and then again switch over (with a switch or something simple incase it’s the wife) to use the other battery to get it somewhere the alternator could be changed out. [/quote]

This is not necessary at all. The whole point of wiring in parallel is that you keep the voltage the same, but double your amp hour capacity. So having batteries wired in parallel automatically does this without the need for anything fancy. Think of it rather than discharging one than the other, it will discharge both at 1/2 the rate of a single battery, therefore doubling the amount of charge you have.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2MCR2/re ... =UTF8&th=1

This is for a boat, but you can select battery 1, battery 2, both batteries, or no batteries. Rated for 350A continuous.

Or something like this. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/joe-46200?rrec=true

Put that between the 2 batteries to disconnect the second one.

I still need to upgrade my alternator one of these days. The power draw from the windows is nuts. Lol

just get a battery isolator. Wheres the complication?

This is the kit I was looking at, probably getting a secondary battery in the engine bay for auxillary stuff.

https://ironman4x4america.com/dual-battery-kit-140-amp/

or for an extra $50 you can get one with an override to give power back to the starting battery


https://ironman4x4america.com/dual-battery-kit-275-amp/

[quote=""Duck Vader""]I still need to upgrade my alternator one of these days. The power draw from the windows is nuts. Lol[/quote]

Isn’t it crazy! GM is a power hungry vehicle without the power.


Coop

[quote=""tabasco122""]just get a battery isolator. Wheres the complication?

This is the kit I was looking at, probably getting a secondary battery in the engine bay for auxillary stuff.

https://ironman4x4america.com/dual-battery-kit-140-amp/[/quote]

Isolator only charges the second battery, it never helps out in the operation of the vehicle....kind of defeats the purpose.


Coop

[quote=""aaronatstate""]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2MCR2/re ... =UTF8&th=1

This is for a boat, but you can select battery 1, battery 2, both batteries, or no batteries. Rated for 350A continuous.

Or something like this. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/joe-46200?rrec=true

Put that between the 2 batteries to disconnect the second one.[/quote]

What your talking about is prob what I am gonna do. The only reason i mentioned the alternator is because when your driving and it dies you don’t even know it till your battery runs down past where your pretty screwed anyways. If it were separated when the voltage dropped then one battery dies, you realize it, then flip a switch and get somewhere to get it fixed.


Coop

[quote=""DCIV""]Isolator only charges the second battery, it never helps out in the operation of the vehicle....kind of defeats the purpose.


Coop[/quote]

It does just not for starting unless there’s a manual override. Like the kit I linked.

[quote=""tabasco122""]It does just not for starting unless there’s a manual override. Like the kit I linked.[/quote]

I am not arguing, I honestly don’t understand it enough. If that switch is not flipped then it will not use the other battery when working...is how I understand any isolator that way it can’t be drained and why you run your accessories off of the second battery.

But again, I really don’t know and thus why I will prob just tie the two together to make just bigger batteries.


Coop

Where are you going that you're so damned worried about your alternator? I've owned a lot of old, janky cars, and I think I've had one alternator die on me. Either put in a fresh one as a precaution, or make sure you've got towing on your insurance.

Make sure to send us photos when you start your epic road trip up into the Yukon Territories.

[quote=""DCIV""]What your talking about is prob what I am gonna do. The only reason i mentioned the alternator is because when your driving and it dies you don’t even know it till your battery runs down past where your pretty screwed anyways. If it were separated when the voltage dropped then one battery dies, you realize it, then flip a switch and get somewhere to get it fixed.


Coop[/quote]
If you're paying attention 99% of the time the battery light comes on or gauge (if you have it) reads low.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Where are you going that you're so damned worried about your alternator? I've owned a lot of old, janky cars, and I think I've had one alternator die on me. Either put in a fresh one as a precaution, or make sure you've got towing on your insurance.

Make sure to send us photos when you start your epic road trip up into the Yukon Territories.[/quote]

Lol. My 2000 blazer left me stranded 2 times. Once alternator and once fuel pump. My avalanche has left me stranded 1 time too. Fuel pump.

It’s not that I can’t handle that, it’s that if I can make it so I can get home, I would like to.

Coop

How much range are you expecting to gain from this? 10 miles? You're not going to get very far without an alternator unless you load the whole bed with batteries.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]How much range are you expecting to gain from this? 10 miles? You're not going to get very far without an alternator unless you load the whole bed with batteries.[/quote]

If you were on the interstate 10 miles could be an exit. 10 miles would be plenty.


Coop

If the queen had balls, she'd be the king.

Put a quality alternator in it and stop worrying.