IBS Dual Battery Install underway

[Airmonger]

I wanted to start a thread for my IBS Dual Battery Install. I have a few questions and would like some input as I start to get everything all wired up. I plan on adding 3 fuse blocks (2 of them daisy chained) off the Aux Battery. I have 1 12-slot Blue Sea fuse block for the engine bay with a 100 amp breaker and 2 6-slot blue sea fuse blocks with 80 amp breakers. One will be mounted under the passenger seat and the other mounted in the cargo area. I don’t have a whole lot to wire into each fuse block, but I want to start with a solid system to add accessories to later.

Initial Questions;

1. Should I use 4 or 2 gauge wire. The maximum lenth away from the battery will be about 16 feet of wire.
2. I probably dont need 2 80 amp fuses if the 2 interior fuse blocks are wired in tandem do I? If I do this I will be limited by the 1 80 amp break on both blocks?


Items Left to purchase;

2 or 4 gauge wire
Shrink tubing
Crimp ends
Loom or tape
Grommets if I run the wire under the vehicle
Battery

Anything else?


Photo Time!

Finished the first part, washer bottle relocated and battery box are in

IBS, Blocks and breakers

Engine 12 slot block location

6 slot cab location

Rear mounted BLock location

 

[Beowulf]

Instead of crimped ends I highly recommend the solder slugs and ends. They can be purchased at delcity.net and I sure many other places.

http://www.delcity.net/cartviewitem?item=900915&search=y
http://www.delcity.net/store/Heavy!duty-Copper-Lugs/p_1012.a_1

Video on installation:
http://www.delcity.net/documents/movies/battery_terminals.mpg


Followed by a layer of Double thick adhesive shrink tube.
http://www.delcity.net/store/Shrink-Tube-!-Dual-Wall/p_327.a_1

I went with 2ga welding cables in Red and Black with matching colored shrink tube.
http://www.delcity.net/store/Welding-Cable-!-100!ft-Spools/p_185188.h_185368.a_1.t_1

 

[Rando]

In answer to your questions:

1) It depends on what you plan on running on each fuse block. Seeing your are fusing the wire at 80A, I would guess you are not planning on running more than about 50A worth of equipment. In which case 4ga would be more than adequate, in fact 6ga would be fine. If you are just thinking about running a fridge, some lights and maybe charging a laptop, your loads would be more on the order of 25A max, in which case 8ga would be sufficient. There is a tendency to oversize wire around here.

2) This again depends on what you are trying to achieve and what you mean by 'in tandem'. If you plan on running heavy loads from both fuse blocks, simultaneously, say a thumping sub amp from the back one and a 500W inverter for your blender from the front fuse block, you probably want to run a separate feed wire to each and fuse each individually. However if you are thinking more along the lines of a fridge and a couple of lights divided between the two, one 80A breaker and a wire going to the front fuse box and continuing on to the back fuse block would be fine.

 

[Beowulf]

Rando brings up a good point. I was only referencing connecting the batteries with each other. For the Battery to the fuse boxes and from fuse box to accessory Rando has the right advice.

 

[Airmonger]

That del city is an awesome site, I just order all my fittings for this project. I am going to run 2 gauge wire from battery to battery and the 4 gauge for everything else. I am not planning on hooking up any real major on my interior fuse blocks. Its really just a fridge and a few accessories. Thanks for the help so far.

 

[off-roader]

Instead of crimped ends I highly recommend the solder slugs and ends.

I have a buddy who's seriously a retired rocket engineer. He recommends against soldered connections in anything moving (car, boat, etc.) due to the fatigue that occurs on the solder joint. Eventually the joint will crack/break and then you will have a constant bad connection or worse an intermittent one. Instead he recommends a crimped connection using a quality crimper.

One item of note is vehicle manufacturers rarely if ever solder their connections either.

He also recommends using the marine grade shrink tubing which contains a heat activated epoxy inside that helps seal the connection from the elements.

Just a thought and my $.02.:ylsmoke:

That said, I too buy many of my connectors from Del City. Been using them for years because they have the type of connectors that you won't find a local stores including the 'electronic' shops like Radio Shack, or Frys.

HTH.

 

[08whitex]

I spent 9 years as an advanced level master tech for GM. Your buddy knows what he is talking about. ^^