Battery Selection - Odyssey 2150C / DieHard Platinum Group 31

[DarkHelmet]

My factory battery lately is cause for concern. With all my electronics and accessories tied into it, if I let the truck sit for a week or so (which is common) the battery is 99% drained and obviously I can't start it.

From what I have read, this is just bad for a high-cycle starting battery anyway... not to mention the prospect of being left stranded somewhere.

I have been going back and forth between a dual battery set-up or the "TACODOC" method of one big battery.

Dual Battery Pro:

- Redundancy - "Two is one, one is none." Should the main battery be drained, having a second battery for self-jump starts is appealing. So is the idea of just running all of my accessories other than the winch off an auxiliary battery and leave the main battery for starting chores.

Dual Battery Con:

- Space - Jacket's set-up was super slick, but I have discovered that my ABS equipment is in his aux battery spot. I just don't have the time or skill to fab a bracket to install two smaller batteries side by side in stock location, nor do I really want to. I have also seen someone mount a second small (Odyssey 925) behind the factory fuse box, but that required making a mount and relocating a factory relay box that I would rather avoid.

- Cost - The National Luna kit alone is $275.00, then the cost of whatever the second battery is (and possibly a new primary since I'm not sure my existing primary is any good).

So... that leaves me leaning toward the "TACODOC" approach at the moment with a large primary battery and possibly adding in a dual battery system at a later date, as needed.

I have zeroed in on one battery that looks very promising: The DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-1 - Group Size 31M

By all accounts of dimensions, weight, and performance it looks to be an Odyssey 2150 since most folks agree that the same battery from Sears in the Group 34 size is a re-badged Odyssey 1500.

The dimensions look to be almost identical to the stock Group 27 battery in my truck now at just 1/4" longer and 0.075" wider. This should allow me to use the stock location and stock battery hold down.

The battery is 75.0 lbs though. Roughly a 20 pound increase over the stock battery. Any problems with the added weight in that location?

Any other Pro/Con to my logic here?

 

[heeltoe989]

I wouldn't see any problems with adding an extra 20bls in that area. Tacodocs setup seems to work very well for him and the truck is kick MMM!

I went the different route with my battery set up.

I took all the batteries and relocated them to the box of the truck and mounted the ARB Compressor where the battery went. I ran remote terminals from Blue Sea systems to keep the stock setup wiring connection that the battery uses now. I run the painless wiring duel battery kit and after 2 good Canadian winters haven't had any issues with it so far. I used 4ga fine braided welding wire from the Blue sea terminals to all the terminals to the batteries

I like having the batteries centrally located in the truck, good for weight distribution and take a bit of weight off the nose of the truck, with a bumper and winch the nose is already heavy enough. I run a Odyssey PC1500T and 2 Red tops for back up yes 3 batteries. why? well I'm planning an under hood welder back in the box one day.

A picture, Yes that area is very busy but its organized the best that it can be. Its works very well for me.

It also sounds to me like you might have something draining on the battery. I can leave my truck for a month and have no starting issues with it.

 

[timber]

Die hard platinum

Here is what I ended up with. Group 31 Platinum agm in the stock spot, fairly easy to do. And a 21ah 400cca agm behind the fuse box. They are connected thru a heavy duty solenoid that's switched from inside. I connect them once a week or so if im going to be on the road for a while just for charging. I run a engle 24/7 in the back seat and with the stock battery, one hot weekend and it wouldn't start. Switch over and The small battery would crank it right up. Since the die hard I have not needed the small one yet. The small batt is for starting only nothing else is connected to it.

 

[rambrush]

Here is a pic of mine in a 06 Tundra

 

[DarkHelmet]

It also sounds to me like you might have something draining on the battery. I can leave my truck for a month and have no starting issues with it.

Yeah, I'm not sure if it is one accessory or several that are putting a drain on the battery. Perhaps adding some ACC controlled relays to disconnect power from everything when the truck is off would help.

I am running a VHF radio, GPS, iPod FM transmitter, HID Lights, Winch and my Siren Amp Module (with main power 20A switching on a relay and 2 - 50A lines running in to feed all the relays for the lights). Hard to say for sure what is siphoning off the battery when the truck is off.

Here is what I ended up with. Group 31 Platinum agm in the stock spot, fairly easy to do. And a 21ah 400cca agm behind the fuse box. They are connected thru a heavy duty solenoid that's switched from inside. I connect them once a week or so if im going to be on the road for a while just for charging. I run a engle 24/7 in the back seat and with the stock battery, one hot weekend and it wouldn't start. Switch over and The small battery would crank it right up. Since the die hard I have not needed the small one yet. The small batt is for starting only nothing else is connected to it.

That looks to be what I would like to do. A big battery for everyday use and then have a second, smaller backup battery for emergency jump starting.

Thanks Everyone!