Do I need Dual Batts or not?

[ricks77eb]

Maybe you could turn the radio off when you are using the winch, to conserve power!?!? (LOL)

Actually, I am with forestguy, this is making the dual battery / single battery issue more confusing for me. It started off with a few replies saying one battery is plenty, then it suddenly became one battery is not nearly enough. So which is it, for just us normal guys that want to be able to run a winch (when needed) or listen to a radio (normal radio and speakers) or run a set of offroad lights (when needed)?

Me personally I do not have the need for a system that can power a 2000 watt stereo with 3 sets of offroad lights going while I winch out of the mud.

Rick

 

[ransil]

I have been trying to decide this myself, I already have a dual battery setup but I will be removing it.
Main reason is it takes up too much room.
Some will say it nice to have a back up, I think that is fine for you guy out west that might venture 100 miles into the middle of nowhere, but easterners don't go to far from the nearest wally world.

 

[flint_knapper]

Dont worry about having a line running
out the front grill hooked up to the mains
of your charging system. :-X It worries
me some when I think about it. I will go
with a hyd. winch, use hyd. on the tractor
all the time hot/cold no problems. fluid power
is the way to go.

 

[YellowBronc]

Here's my take.......
for the normal Joe with the normal accessories (this is even including a winch) the only reason for a dual battery setup would be for backup power. I ran a single battery with the 3G alt and everything worked fine. As ricks77eb says, unless you're running a 2000 watt stereo with 10 KC dayliters, winching yourself out for 30 minutes straight without running your engine, I wouldn't worry so much for a dual setup.

The only reason for me to go dual battery is I tend to use my rig for camping and getting to the secret fishing hole in BFE somewhere. During my camping trips I may run a power invertor and this way I isolate the second battery for startup if need be. Anytime I've used the winch I've had the truck running and I have never had to run the winch for long periods of time to drain the main battery so much it wouldn't die. So, unless you're running a timed "Tough Truck Challenge" through the tank trap, a single battery will suit your needs. If you're going quite a ways from wally world as ransil mentions, it would be nice to have a backup. But to have a dual setup just for the accessories you have (normal accessories) I wouldn't think it necessary.

I'm not sure if I made my point as I wanted but it's my two cents anyway.

 

[Landshark]

Maybe you could turn the radio off when you are using the winch, to conserve power!?!? (LOL)

Actually, I am with forestguy, this is making the dual battery / single battery issue more confusing for me. It started off with a few replies saying one battery is plenty, then it suddenly became one battery is not nearly enough. So which is it, for just us normal guys that want to be able to run a winch (when needed) or listen to a radio (normal radio and speakers) or run a set of offroad lights (when needed)?

Me personally I do not have the need for a system that can power a 2000 watt stereo with 3 sets of offroad lights going while I winch out of the mud.

Rick

Hello in the Hill Country!
Remember, the Bronco came with a 45 or 65 amp alt stock for a vehicle that had an am radio, tailights, headlights, marker lights, heater fan. Nothing like modern cars use now, so if you upgrade your headlights, throw in one set of off road lights, modern stereo (some of those alone are 200 watts), CB radio, you are way above the stock phase now.
Do you have to run all that stuff at once? nope, but you must upgrade the Alt system.
I was very surprised on the amount of current draw a winch has, check out the link I put up from warn concerning that. At a 4000lb pull, it will draw 480 amps!
That's a lot of amps, even for just a short burst that would really put a strain on a 90amp alt (Bronco's are well over 4000lbs). If your Bronco is stuck, exteme angle so the motor not running, how long do you think a single batt would last pulling you up and over that Rock/tree/ledge?
With all of the modern elect accs out there, I would reccomend at the very least a 150 or higher alt with a good quality batt. If you use a winch, well you make the call then if you want to add a second batt or not.

Also, UPGRADE YOUR WIRING HARNESS!! Painless/Centech/R Francis harness is going to be much better than some 40 year old stock harness. Electrical fires are a very ugly thing (had one in my 68 Camero many years back).

 

[HotWheels]

Alot of good info. I also have to determine what to do.

 

[PPiazza]

Get stranded on a trail or while camping with one battery. You'll kick yourself that you did not get 2. I used the Wrangler Products Dual Battery Isolator set up on the Jeep. Works well easy to install and not to costly at 150 bucks. Works great never had a problem. And yess the second battery has saved my butt on a camping trip.

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Isolator's range in price and quality. We carry the Transpo line, which are one of the better units out there. From there you can get into some pretty high end units.

Isolators work great for what you are doing (RV, pretty much manditory), but suck for car stereoes. Which brings me to the dual batteries. I have been thinking about the line to be drawn for when you need two batteries. After a few hours I have come to the conclusion, there isn't one, really. It is just like alternators, every single application is different. What is great for one application, might not be the best in another, and right horrible in another.

This is one of the reasons we are wading so slowly into the the internet market. As we have always built things to meet a paticular application, instead of the here is what we want to sell you, you make it fit. But the internet takes some of the personal attention out of the sale. But it is the nature of the beast, so they say.

Two batteries is almost always an assest. But usually not for the reasons people think. And a lot depends on how the system is put together. Most people can have a perfectly healthy system with one battery, I guess there is no real blanket statement though.

If you are on limited budget, and who isn't now a days, I would put my money towards a good alternator first. (Taking it for granted you already have one good battery). If you are going to work your system hard, i.e. big stereo, lots of winching, etc, you are going to have to bite the bullet and go with dual batteries. (Not everytime, but 99% of the time)

I have only ever winched once, usually preffering to be towed. Besides if you are driving it right, you should get stuck so bad a winch ain't going to help anyway. We used to only celebrate when we had to call cranes in.

 

[YellowBronc]

I have only ever winched once, usually preffering to be towed. Besides if you are driving it right, you should get stuck so bad a winch ain't going to help anyway. We used to only celebrate when we had to call cranes in.

Now that's funny, I don't care where you're from.

 

[4x4x289]

dual batteries gives you the option for onboard stick welding doesn't it? If so, go for the dual batts. I could have used that option several times in my younger years. man, arm strong steering and on board stick welding. what more could you ask. give me a pbr. as for a winch, yes i want one, but really, i've been stuck 100 times plus and always managed to get unstuck without one buy usinmg a high lift, wheel winching, chaining boards/logs to the wagen wheels, and by a srap. strap especially, -like my best friend's dads said, "a jerk to get it stuck. Its going to take a jerk to get it unstuck."

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

On board welding is a whole different ball game. Two approaches, a big ass invertor with a portable welding machine. In which case you would want the dual batteries. This also allows more home appliances to be used in your rig, really good for camping and such.

Option two is a professional conversion of your alternator over to a welding machine. Done properly, this is an expensive adventure ($1800US + ). So expensive you usually only do it if you are welding fultime from your truck. Alot of sky scrapers, etc., get there first floors welded by this type of mobile welding set up.

About getting stuck. My favorite one has to be from a several years ago. We playing in the river/bank area of a flood plain. I went out first and went to go up a bank, to catch big air. I was doning 25+ at the base went I found a sink hole. Stopped me dead in my tracks. My buddy Derek tried to come around me and got stuck in the river.
We called a couple of friends. Eventually two more as well. It took 4 trucks at the same time to get my fullsize 79 out. Then I found some solid ground in front of Derek, the guy in the river. I latched on to him and managed to get him within 6 feet of the shore. The water wasn't even knee deep, and was running through his cab. It was a good way to clean all that junk out from under the seat, LOL
So in comes the crane, another friend of ours. Flips wife was bitching Derek out for being so stupid to have a short box in the river, especially at this time of year. Well the crane grunted, and groaned, then there was a big sucking noise, and Derek,s truck jumped out of the water, almost taking Flips wife out. Standing beside the truck now, her mouth was wide open, as she could easily walk under the truck.
Our philosphy was always, if you ain't getting stuck, you might as well be driving down a dirt road. A phrase often heard, was drive it like you stole it.

There is a big party every year at Gopher Duns (sp?) here in Ontario, every Spring. If you want to push your truck to the limits, and see what it can actually do, it is a great place to go. They got trails for everyone, 31+, 35+, 44+, and a bunch of loaders, cranes, etc. to get you out when you don't make. Seen even 48's get in deep. If you live in Michiagan or NY, PA, it is not far of a drive.

I will try to get some pictures. Dereks got a bunch. He used to hang his jeep from a tree by a winch to clean the underside. Its gone now too, he is running a Blazer with 48's and I think 36" lift. The Indian Reserve south of us has some amazing rigs as well. They take there 4 wheeling real serious, even built their own bogs.

 

[MnkyBiz]

Ray,

I got your message, but I support the GOVT here & am in & out of meetings. I'll still try to call sometime today, unless you wanna try the email?

Bill

 

[Mike C]

One is none.....two is one.

Not that you can always have two of everything. But I've never been left stranded following that advice. That goes for batteries, spare parts, backing up computer files, etc.

 

[airman]

I have a C4 tranny. If I leave my stereo on in camp too long I don't start with one battery period. If you're with a buddy, no problem. Id you're not you're now waiting.

With a manual tranny in lots of situations you can get started again from a roll or push. Not with a C4

It's clear to me that I am better served with dual batteries. If I had a manual it might be a little more difficult to justify.

Another thing about batteries in hot climates like AZ is they don't last much more than 2 years. They give you 1 or 2 bad starts as warnings and you are finished. In town, no a big deal. On the trail, it sucks.

Bottom line, I'm too much into gadgets to not have dual batteries. I may even add another one. They help my center of gravity too right?

Jeff in AZ

 

[red67]

Now why don't daul batteries work? Usually because someone has been misinformed on how to set it up, or is using the wrong setup, etc. It is very important for the batteries to have only one stud used for the positive take off, and the negative takeoff should come from the opposite battery. This way the batteries are made into one large cell. Problems arise when power is taken off both batteries (or the batteries have seperate grounds), as it causes them to become unbalanced, which is the death of them. It costs a little more to wire this type of setup up, but it should give years of trouble free power.

There is my two cents worth.
Also here is link to what I can do with dual batteries, LOL (more shameless self promotion): http://www.worldchat.com/~sva-sales/ And the answer is yes, she does ride the bike.

Does this make it a 24 volt system, or does it stay at a 12v.????????

 

[Skiddy]

Does this make it a 24 volt system, or does it stay at a 12v.????????

I think if you run the + to the - and then the - to the + side then it would make it a 24v. Don't quote me on that, but that is what we done to our cat. engines to run 24v starters.

 

[green73brc]

http://www.rockcrawler.com/techreports/kilby_dual_battery_TJ/index.asp

here is how to keep the 12v system...

eric

 

[red67]

thanks guys

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Green,
That is exactly how it should be done. Positive to positive, negative to negative, and the positive and negative take offs off oposite batteries.