Add a Second Battery???

[wordstew]

Hey Folks

I notice some off roaders add a second battery to their rigs I assume it's for a winch, any of the extra electronic goodies or just for peace of mind..

1. Is there any space under the hood for a 2nd battery
2. Would you consider adding a 2nd battery and under what circumstances

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[King Luis]

1. we don't know what the final engine bay would look like or where space would be available. i'm sure there will be space available especially if you got two smaller size batteries.
2. if i was overlanding for a few days and had a fridge to keep running, then i'd consider one.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

1. we don't know what the final engine bay would look like or where space would be available. i'm sure there will be space available especially if you got two smaller size batteries.
2. if i was overlanding for a few days and had a fridge to keep running, then i'd consider one.

Using smaller batteries suitable for a Fiesta would kind of defeat the purpose. I for one certainly hope it will have room for two oversized batteries and a bar or two of relays/fuses etc.

 

[Blitzinger]

Hey Folks

I notice some off roaders add a second battery to their rigs I assume it's for a winch, any of the extra electronic goodies or just for peace of mind..

1. Is there any space under the hood for a 2nd battery
2. Would you consider adding a 2nd battery and under what circumstances

I plan to get a dual battery set up as the bronco will be our overland vehicle. Main use will be to power the fridge/freezer when the time comes (thinking dometic)

 

[frinesi2]

I'm hoping the 2.3 will have enough underhood space for a 2nd battery. Who knows, maybe Ford will have a dual battery option from the factory ...

 

[King Luis]

Using smaller batteries suitable for a Fiesta would kind of defeat the purpose. I for one certainly hope it will have room for two oversized batteries and a bar or two of relays/fuses etc.

what i mean is getting lithium ion batteries which are just as powerful or more but a smaller foot print and weight. or even just a better quality battery with a smaller foot print to take up less space in the engine bay.

 

[Walnut]

waiting on final engine bay config to see if dual batt is possible. Otherwise, I'll have no need for the aux switches. I want to run fridge/crock pot, maybe portable AC, but I think AC load may be too much.

Powerboost is essential in this kind of vehicle

 

[Philly]

what i mean is getting lithium ion batteries which are just as powerful or more but a smaller foot print and weight. or even just a better quality battery with a smaller foot print to take up less space in the engine bay.

I have a buddy who is a pretty serious bass fisherman and he swapped in lithium ion batteries to run his trolling motor, lights, and graphs off of and he says they're amazing. They are about half the size of your average car battery and so much lighter. That is exactly what I was thinking when you said smaller batteries.

He does still use the standard battery to crank the engine though. It's a four battery setup. 3 lithium and 1 standard. I think he left the crank battery the same because you hardly ever need it while fishing tournaments so it doesn't get the same wear and tear as the others running all the electronics.

Maybe all that's needed is to add a lithium battery to run all the accessory power and leave the standard battery for stock equipment?

 

[mtap]

Lithium batteries....lighter and smaller

 

[King Luis]

I have a buddy who is a pretty serious bass fisherman and he swapped in lithium ion batteries to run his trolling motor, lights, and graphs off of and he says they're amazing. They are about half the size of your average car battery and so much lighter. That is exactly what I was thinking when you said smaller batteries.

He does still use the standard battery to crank the engine though. It's a four battery setup. 3 lithium and 1 standard. I think he left the crank battery the same because you hardly ever need it while fishing tournaments so it doesn't get the same wear and tear as the others running all the electronics.

Maybe all that's needed is to add a lithium battery to run all the accessory power and leave the standard battery for stock equipment?

just need to watch for connecting it all together. not really well versed in the dual battery setup for cars but i'm sure you'll need some extra equipment to make sure your accessories don't pull power from your main battery and that your batteries are charging correctly too.

 

[VelocityBronco]

just need to watch for connecting it all together. not really well versed in the dual battery setup for cars but i'm sure you'll need some extra equipment to make sure your accessories don't pull power from your main battery and that your batteries are charging correctly too.

Need a DC to DC charger, so you charge your 2nd battery separate from the crank battery, and not need them run in series. You can also get switches so you can temporarily link 2 batteries together, this would come in handy if you drained 1 battery as you can jump start yourself with the 2nd battery.

 

[frinesi2]

There aren't a lot of affordable lithium batteries that can work as starter batteries, and of those, only a few brands would I actually trust (or maybe I've been out of the market too long?) Also, they are hard to find. It looks like Antigravity makes lithium starter batteries with pretty hefty current outputs, but they are $$$. Then there's Braille, which is $$$$.

On the flip side, Walmart lead acid batteries are pretty solid, they are $, and you can find them at just about any Walmart ...

 

[King Luis]

going on the road for hours on end with a fridge and other electronics can be taxing on the system. generators can also be heavy and too large. also having to carry extra fuel for it takes up space and weight. having a dual battery setup can keep a few electronics on over night as well without the need of starting the engine or bringing a generator.

Need a DC to DC charger, so you charge your 2nd battery separate from the crank battery, and not need them run in series. You can also get switches so you can temporarily link 2 batteries together, this would come in handy if you drained 1 battery as you can jump start yourself with the 2nd battery.

there you go. i know theres plenty of people on here who know.

 

[frinesi2]

The Pajero has an isolator between the two batteries. It may also be a relay that allows the 2nd battery to jump the primary starting battery. I should probably know that ... Anyway it's a factory setup.

For extra peace of mind when operating accessories and lights. Sometimes alternators don't charge as effectively at idle and low engine RPMs. And, like others have said, for operating those electrical components with the motor off.

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