Curdoger1034!
New member
I'm looking for a dual battery management system for my 2k09 Taco. who makes a kit that is able self jumpstart if need be and have solar hooked up also.
dual battery system
- Thread starter Curdoger1034!
- Start date
Maxcustody
Explorer
Matt at Offgrid engineering.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Curdoger1034!
New member
This allow to run both batteries for winching or other high output situations? for solar wouldn't I just connect a solar to dc charger to the house battery?
Generally you do not want to run dual batteries when winching. Theory is you isolate you primary (starting) battery and winch with your secondary. That way if you kill the winch battery, you can still start vehicle and re-charge the winch battery.
I have moved to dual alternators in my dual battery system. Both units complete isolated from each other.
LandCruiserPhil
Expedition Leader
If you need self jumping something has gone terribly wrong with your dual battery design set up. I run dual batteries wired together, tied to solar, batteries never separate, and carry a jump box if an unexpected failure occurs. Much less that can go wrong, at a lower cost, and you have twice the available AH.
homeguy
Observer
I know Genesis Offroad is working on a dual battery set up for the Tacos. Call Shane at Genesis, he's a great guy to talk to.
http://www.genesisoffroad.com/default.asp
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
http://www.genesisoffroad.com/default.asp
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I second Offgrid Engineering. I bought one and installed it about a month ago. If you build one yourself you may save a few bucks, but Matt's will save a ton of time and brain damage. The instructions were very clear, everything was well made, and it went together perfectly.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Curdoger1034!
New member
my thought was if for some reason the trucks battery takes a dive I can still start with other battery then I don't need to pack a jump box. Winching takes a lot of power so if both battery are in parallel then I don't kill the starter battery. This is all new to me an seems everyone has different opinions on the subject. I'm looking for a off the shelf plug an play type kit.
LandCruiserPhil
Expedition Leader
Something to consider if your batteries are parallel you have twice the available power you would have otherwise engine running or not. Also running your batteries parallel you have little to go wrong, no controls to buy or have go bad leaving you with no battery.
A jump box provides more than insurance over this past week I used mine to power a USB fan to cool me at night then I recharged it while I drove the next day keeping ready to go. I ran separating dual batteries for many year but with todays jump box I changed to parallel and have way more power than I need having never saw less than 12.5 volts this past week traveling.
Parallels will also make tieing your solar simple and you will always be charging your complete system all the time.
What ever system or set up you end up with have a strong understanding on how it works and is set up so if you have a problem you know where and how to look. Dont be one of those guys with a problem and have no idea how to go about trouble shooting there own set up.
Correct. This is a standard setup used by most 4-wheelers. I have seen folks winch out of situations where they killed the battery more than once but due to isolation, were able to re-charge it and winch again. This is how I have my Jeep setup. I used a Wrangler Power Products Kit.
Non-isolation is how most dual setups come from the factory. Both my Silverado and Hummer came this way. I leave the Hummer that way, as it is a Duramax and needs the power of two batteries to fire up. The Silverado I switched to complete isolation.
As for draw, if you have a quality battery, one is enough. On my Jeep, keeping second battery isolated, I still can run off-road lights, ARB Fridge, ARB compressor, Stereo, Ham Radio, with plenty of reserve of my primary battery. The second battery is my on-board spare.
Another thing to look at is a hi-amp alternator to keep things charged despite heavy draw.
The good news is most kits I have seen allow for isolation or to run both in parallel. My Jeep does this. So if one day I am having trouble starting (say I left a light on and battery is run down), instead of pulling out a jump battery, I flip a switch and the second battery goes in parallel and starts. If both batteries are always in parallel, then now I need a 3rd battery to jump the vehicle. No thanks.
Curdoger1034!
New member
I'm Familar with running batteries in parallel that's the way all my diesels pickups were setup. I wanted to able to isolate one from the other that way I'm not drawing power off the starting battery while running fridge lights ECT. I looked at some battery online to use I don't plan on using Wal-Mart discount batteries for this. I'm unsure of what to purchase at the moment. In my Tacoma I can't mount a battery on the passenger side they both have to fit in the stock location or get a custom battery box an mount one on frame rail.
paranoid56
Adventurer
I plan on mounting mine under the bed as the idea of having all that weight in the stock battery location scares me lol
LiftedAdventures
Observer
I mounted both of mine in the spare tire area
Are Squared
New member
I will throw in another recommendation for Offgrid Engineering. Matt's work is flawless, and his system is excellent.
If you want to make your own kit, the key part is the isolator. A lot of folks like the Blue Sea ACR. Pretty simple; disconnects batteries automatically when vehicle is shut off and there is an override switch to connect the batteries for jump starting.
Off grid makes a dual battery kit with two "half" sized batteries to fit the stock location. I say "half" because if you get good ones they will each be better than half.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk